Walk tall

On my naming day when I come 12 I gone front spear and kilt a wyld boar he parbly ben the las wyld pig on the Bundel Downs any how there hadnt ben none for a long time befor him nor I aint looking to see none agen.

The alarm goes off at 6 and I'm on the road by 7. I walk past two substantial bridges over a wide, rocky riverbed that is completely dry. t's a beautiful morning and I watch the sun rise over the ruins of the chateau at the centre of Durban. Then it gets steep. Very steep.

I'm in proper forest for much of the morning with branches closing over my head, protecting me from the sun that occupies the clear blue sky. It doesn't last. The forest thins out, and I'm up and down over patchy scrub and trees.

It's Camembert and apple again for lunch, in the shade by the side of the track. I doze away an hour and then head on. Somewhere I miss a waymark and end up trudging down a hot metalled road, D611. It's not busy, but the cars and trucks that are in it are driving at speed.

I get back on the path just before the Chateau d'Aguilar. It's an impressive edifice, with great views across the valley. The plastic-coated guide book teaches me about the Cathars, the Albigensian crusade and lots of facts about 12th century castle construction. Also, the wonders of geopolitics - the castle was rendered useless by a Spanish/French treaty in 1659.

In Tuchan, I check into the Peirière campsite. The most expensive so far at €7 for the night. But, they do have wifi, which I use, and a pool, which I don't.

I eat in their restaurant - salade fraicheur followed by bavette frites. I also enjoy a local red, a mirabelle and a decaf. At the next table are some Brits doing up a property they've inherited from their parents. The day job is a winery in Dorset: mvwinery.co.uk . We exchange experiences of hosting WWOOFers.

I also learn that the vendange is not always earlier in the south. Thirty years ago, in Corbières, it started at the beginning of October, but now it's 3 or 4 weeks earlier. And the wine used to be 12.5% while now they struggle to keep it below 15%.

And the dry river beds - typical, but there's been less rain than usual for several years.