After 34 degrees heat today, time for an evening meal of prawns (avec heads) followed by cassoulet. Obviously we both ended up covered in prawn bits
And then a chance for yet another glass of bubbly before heading up to pack for the trip back tomorrow
Bye bye Hotel de la Cite
A nice slow womble out of the citadel and around the city today with some “interesting” art installations
And after walking out of the city and down by the river we found a wonderful watering hole where they speak no English, so Mrs Fogg’s pigeon-French came in handy for our carafe vin du rose and coustellous avec pomme de terre (BBQ Pork ribs and baked tatties). All cooked on the open air barby, dripping and sensational!
Now it’s just a 3 mile hike back along the river
So Mrs Fogg’s Birthday meal in La Barbacane at Hotel de la Cite in Carcassonne, the preude, chilling and reading
And our terrace (on the second floor to the right)
Followed by a 6 course tasting menu accompanied by 6 wines and then dessert with a birthday candle
A midnight meander around Carcassonne 
And the Hotel de La Cite, looking rather quiet and serene
With the cathedral next door
That’s what the French weather warning says for today. Interesting description.
We awoke to a wet humid Carcassonne and dramatic skies.
Not that this will stop us wombling around today. It’s still hot and a pleasant temperature. Breakfast completed it’s off to wander the cobbled lanes.
And if it does rain…..well we will just have to duck for cover in a nearby watering hole.🤗
And here we are in beautiful Carcassonne on a balmy 35 degree heat. After an hours delay we have arrived in the birthday suite in the Hotel de Cite, it’s huge with awesome views
There are balloons in the room and a nice bottle of champers to celebrate (even after a 5 course champagne menu with the folks last night).
Food, drink and chillin with a beautiful woman
And we got cassoulet (yum)
And a shepherds delight
and the tiddlys
Well what a fun packed weekend, driving over to Pops and Husky Voice (aka The Folks) at 6.30am to pickup Mrs Fogg, who went over to do the techy thing of setup their TV and their Amazon Echo, Amazon Echo (geddit). You can only imagine the fun that the kids are now having shouting at Alexa to play songs no-one wants to hear (anything by Cliff Richard, Dolly Parton to name but two).
So back to the gym at 9am for me and Mrs Fogg has her nails done (Purdy).
So then to the main event and time to make mincemeat of 2Tonne of trees cut down 2 weeks ago.
Picture the scene, me with safety helmet, ear defenders, chainsaw gloves and a pair of chainsaw trousers. Perfect, apart from the fact Mrs Fogg seems to have bought the trousers for a 15yr old, so I can just get into them, can’t button them up or bend over and I sing soprano when walking! Still not to be daunted by this blow, we got out our new shiny B&Q McAllister Chainsaw (forever now known as the “PieceOShit”), fuelled and oiled ready for the daunting task, perfect it goes through the logs like a hot knife through butter, Mrs Fogg in her Ear defenders, goggles and mask stacking and holding, me doing the manly bit of cutting, the downside, once we turned it off it would not start again. Picture me kneeling on the floor in my soprano trousers trying to pull the starter cord, and with each pull the trousers were digging further into the family jewels!
After 30 minutes we admitted defeat, the piece of garbage was not going to start. Back then to B&Q with the paper weight to get a full refund, only to be greeted by Ethel and Gertrude who promptly advised they couldn’t accept it coz it had fuel in it. Plan B then, buy a funnel, head off to the gents toilet and gently pour all the fuel out of the chainsaw into a bottle (we will not be defeated). job done.
So today we arose early with glee in our hearts and a skip in our step as we headed up into the field with a replacement McCulloch Chainsaw and still 2 Tonne to chop. After 5 hours we was pooped, logs chopped, some stacked to dry for us and some given to next door (they were actually their trees we had cut down anyway). The chainsaw is awesome, the trousers not so, back to shorts for me and the chance for baritone. And we are both knackered, sat down enjoying a nice drink of something before we cook our Tomahawk steaks from the Folks butcher. Believe me there will not even be a bone left!
And the end result tasted awesome
Yesterday was my first PT session with Sporty Spice. It started well…..she has just got some new Labrador puppies and at 8 weeks they are adorable so I spent my pre session 10 mins just fussing the babies!
Ok, so then we DID exercise. Not, however before she did some “before” measurements. Oh boy! Apparently my BMI is in the healthy range, however my waist and hip measurements (especially hip) are size 14 heading to 16 and my body fat ratio is high so that’s the target to reduce.
I may have misquoted my height, as I thought I was taller, which means my BMI will be higher, but who is counting really?
The scarier part is my metabolic age, which is in fact 63! Erm, and that’s a shock, it confirms I need to look after my internal body far better.
So, an hour then of lunges, squats, dumbbell lifting and kettle bell swinging and I ached all over. I’ve homework to do each day and a recommendation to just eat healthily, no need to diet, just up the veg and reduce the ingredients aiming for simple food. Less ingredients in food good which is perfectly sensible.
Last night was very simple, some roast chicken and salad, washed down with half a bottle of wine. Red. So that’s healthy right?
Ok ok so I need to reduce the wine a little, but I did have an excuse, it being the eve of a number change – did I mention Birthday?
Making the most of my break between jobs, and boosted by our success at hiking 51 miles and still being able to walk (blisters aside) I have decided to get fitter. I’ve committed to actually going to the gym and have just secured a personal trainer for a weekly hourly session to keep me motivated and to help me stay committed.
My first session is next week with my trainer who I have nicknamed Sporty Spice, the resemblance is remarkable and rather entertaining. Lucky girl is half my age and full of energy, and she gets to try to train me! I’ve warned her how fast I get bored and grumpy.
She is convinced I can find my abs somewhere – I’ll be amazed if that’s the case, but hey, worth a shot.
Now, to start my training regime Mr Fogg and I are off for a slap up meal out. You know, to boost my metabolism and all that!
AND Dad and I have already planned to finish the Wolds Way Walk – 15 miles from East Heslerton to Filey is our last section and we plan to nail it in a day! The August dates are scheduled so watch out Filey here we come!
Ah the trauma of a blister. Don’t let anyone ever tell you “but it’s just a blister”. We have done so so well on our 51 mile hike over the past few days only for today after the 17 mile up and down journey yesterday to admit that I need to rest my little toe.
I’ve a rather large blister where the little toe should be and a very hot foot this morning as said blister has pulsed and throbbed right into my foot. So, sensibly we called Mum to get a lift home.
So, now it’s a long soak in their foot spa -ahh bliss.
What a walk so far though – and we still plan to finish the final two legs this year.
The scenery around East Yorkshire and on the Wolds is amazingly beautiful. As is the history. Our last stop was East Heslerton. It’s a really old village with remnants of Neolithic inhabitations as well as Roman and Anglo Saxons. Who knew this for at the side of the A64 was of such special archeological importance
So, action man Dad gets back home this morning and says, right, I’m off to cut the grass, then the hedges.
Me? Well I’m blister sitting and gonna read a book!
Today was to be our mammoth challenge of 17 miles from Thixendale to East Heslerton and we seriously were unsure we could do it and questioned the terrain. But seeing as it was Sunday we thought “we shall overcome” or could it have been, “she’ll be coming around the mountain” (on all fours!!).
And boy o boy was it a fantastic journey, definitely up hill and down hill, across ancient earthworks, through tranquil woodlands and even a deserted village with NO cafe and definitely no loos.
But when in the country, do what comes naturally. No wonder dad stayed in front and never wanted to look behind him.
Finally, in reaching our destination, after descending a 1 mile hill, our landlord was impatiently waiting at the village gate as he was going to be late for choir practice and needed to ditch us at the closest open pub. This happened to involve a smelly journey in a stinky car (not us!! He is a farmer) to Seamer where we could enjoy the delights of the dreaded Sunday Carvery.
Cue beer and Prosecco.
So now we are awaiting our chariot to return to collect us in The stinky car so I can go and have a very much needed bath and Dad can finally peel his boots and socks off his worn out and rather hot feet!
So in numbers:
17 miles today
51 miles since we started!
20.5 miles left to do
5 blisters
2 giant packups complete with buttered fruit loaf slabs (yum)
2 bananas
2 protein bars
1 stinky car
One cow pat stood in (guess who)
So, a good day and good night all!
