Learning French on the trail

caipre Nick Platt · 0 min read

I reached Thann in the late afternoon and had a small lunch at a cafe. The place was empty except for the family running it. I talked with them for a few hours in a mix of French, English, German, and Italian, about my trip and France. Such nice people! It was great company and lifted my spirits. Bonjour Sophie, buongiorno Alice! They wished me bon courage; I left about 18:30 and headed for the trail.

And promptly lost it. But then I found it again, and walked on. The rain held off last night and I walked a few kilometers out of town. First camp went well. Today it’s been rainy, and cold. I found two French guys who work volunteer at a refuge and I’ve been waiting out the rain for the afternoon.

Weak signal, so just writing a short note. I’ll try to post more once I reach a larger town. Was feeling down yesterday but am encouraged today after seeing people again.