Sunday 26th May Mum gets excercised

Sunday morning heralded with warm sunshine. It was about time I started working on mums fitness. I really am getting concerned about her lack of exercise. She suffers from itchy legs with walking and she worries about her breathlessness but I tell her its only getting worse and so Mum we are going for a Walk and a Sunday picnic lunch. I give her a target of the parc Des Illes at Vermenton. Her face shows the blind horror but she knows I am not giving in. Picnic prepared, we start by getting her off the boat, no mean feat as with the sloping quay, it requires a step of 2 feet. She flies over with some assistance. After 500m we stop to rest at a canal side bench. She immediately starts itching her calf's. I am relentless. Ok time to move. Mum accepts her fate and realises the itching routine is not softening this hardened horrible son. At the end of the canal we set off down the riverside track which is very muddy. The complaining lessens and the sound of birdsong and the chattering woodpecker seem to be distracting her from the ordeal of the route march. Granny does her grandchildren proud by making it to the parc where she sits and enthuses over the beauty of the parc and the rapid rushing torrents passing through it. She even manages to cross the age old stone bridge and pose for a picture or two.

 

 

 

Collette is thrilled as she gets a call from Carla and a long catch up. Always happy days for me when the girlies are on top form.

We enjoyed our picnic lunch sat on a riverside bench even though sadly the weather had deteriorated to a grey cloudy overcast day with only splashes of sunshine.

 

The walk back is a doddle. Mum seems to have forgotten about her itchy legs and she is walking faster than I can remember. I am sure it is all to do with her enjoyment of the day. She even suggests we walk a different route back which takes us back down a lane into the back of Accolay and through the village. It recalls memories of holidays on a farm in Devon all those years ago although she swears the roads were even narrower then. We guess at the names of hedgerow plants and savour the immaculately kept gardens of some stunning houses on the village outskirts.
Finally back at Doucette, Mum looks healthily tired but is clearly delighted with her achievement. I tell her she has walked about 3 miles in total. This brings on a smile of self satisfaction immediately followed by a collapse onto the sofa from where she is clearly not moving for a while. I am chuffed and hoped it inspires her try and engage a tad more exercise on her return home.
The sun has finally won its battle with the grey clouds. Collette and I set up on the poop and I finally get to refit the magma. I am a Cheshire cat as I load the coals and snort on the black soot flavoured smoke engulfing me. Fan bloody tastic. Its soon grey and ready. Chops and rabbit purchased yesterday removed from the fridge. Collette sniffs the chops suggesting they smell a tad offish. Over the side they go, the fish are now smiling more than me. Thankfully my favourite BBQ food the rabbit is good to go. the sizzle sets my smile back in place and I guzzle on some more Burgoyne rouge.
Mum is feeling a bit cold so I put the heater on for her. Ten minutes later, sat on the poop finishing off the rabbit, I hear Berlin Bertie ranting with some motor homers. He marches storm trooper style straight past me and heads for the art de vivre. 5 minutes later, he approaches me. The gist of the rant is that he only uses 500watts of electric and yet it has tripped again during a movie. He has spoken to every user on the quay and asked them to reduce their personal usage as this is so annoying. It is a spectacular `lost it` moment of flailing arms and `you are all a bunch of bastards`. I am reminded of the west hams fans you tube rant and struggle to contain a snigger. He is so sweet but obviously at the end of his tether so I decide to console and tell him I will be careful.
Now this could not be more incredibly humorous if not for the fact that earlier in the day, Rheiner had told me how he had only paid the 2.60euros for electric for one day of the stay so far and was hoping the river would be open soon before the girl caught up with him. Utterly staggering but wonderful then, this outburst.( I of course have paid in full and very happy to have done so)
With Collette now feeling the chill a tad on the poop, I get a second fan heater, put it on the poop deck and switch it on.
I do hope the lovely Rheiner didn`t mind.