Notes in between heatwaves

21.  Learn French geography; Le Cantal is not equidistant between the Ariège and Poitiers.  It's not even on the way.

Once out of the Lauragais plain we climbed from Castres to Albi and up to strange, dark Rodez and with popping ears hit the Aubrac plateau with it's huge skies and burnt cow pastures. The temperature has dropped 20° over night and I can begin to imagine what autumn might feel like.

Rousseaux's place is two stone houses at the end of a road that finishes in a beautiful nowhere. 
After a summer of the candle being detonated at both ends, it would have been the perfect place to come to, except he was here.   
He and Mathéo were armoring a rugby shirt with sponge padding and listening to music on a transistor radio on a picnic table outside the back door when we arrived. He cracked open bottles of local beer and then took us up the hill where he simultaneously put Nico at risk of being blown away on the changing storm winds and saved him, while I hung with Mathéu because there are times when 11 year olds are wiser company than grown ups.

Chaudes Aigues has the hottest natural water source in Europe, weighing in at 82°C .  We ate floury mussels and limp chips in a café, downed shots in the next one along and drank Jack Ds in another before returning to the beautiful nothingness of Laizones for rhum arrangé and a 4 a.m last orders.

22.  Never drink with Rousseaux or the priest.