Walking on a wild side of France 1

A Tale of Yesterday
We were blessed with weather that was not wet, windy, hot, cold, blue-skied or cloudy, though a few mackerel clouds started to form as sunset approached. We were energised as we came to the end of our journey!  It was a marvellous fast walk for about two hours through Autumn leaves and muddy puddles to skirt around, along a route, part of which I experienced about 6 years ago with a French walking group, and part of which was new to me.
I love circular walks from my house down into the valley, along by the river, up beside the cliffs, out on the plain, but a few days ago I considered exploring the region further, which would mean driving the car to a starting point where a circular walk could be created!
Today, on the way, we met a man who had parked his car in an unlikely place on a track parallel to the rushing river.  He'd given up trying to drive his old French car up a leafy, slippery-wet slope and had parked to get out of his vehicle.  I had been worriedly concerned that he was about to lose control of his car and slide into us. We were walking downhill on rocks and slippery moss, therefore keen to reach a safe vantage, concerned to be out of his way!  It was comforting to be with a friend as we were just emerging out of a leafy tunnel of trees where we hadn't seen a soul for some time. It is unusual to meet anyone on a walk in the wilderness of France but I have noticed that when in woodland unwanted thoughts creep into the mind!
In the same sentence, acknowledging "Bonjour", he said it was beautiful weather and asked if were we afraid, to which I replied "NON" and as he started to walk uphill I asked "Pourquoi?" Ah he voiced, hadn't I read or seen information telling me that there might be aggressive persons about!  Spooky! Confidently, I affirmed that we were ok and changed the subject to enquire if it was his intention to drive uphill, but I couldn't understand what he said in his Gallic language!
"Bon Journée, Au revoir."
We set off in opposite directions and came alongside an escalade; a rock climbing exercise site! This part I remember from the previous time I had walked this way!
Out into open fields, following the river bank on a long straight track waymarked white bar over a red bar was a person approaching walking alongside his horse!
"Had we seen a boxer dog?"
"NON".
Later, when we came to a junction we looked back and saw him riding the horse in the distance. We wondered how he would find his dog in such a remote area! We wandered around the bend confident that the track was not ours.
"What's that?"
Fortunately we were away from danger as whilst standing on a side track, locating our position on the map, we heard a rushing of hooves. The horse without a rider galloped around the corner and into the wooded area.  That was a close shave.  Mad horse!  Had he thrown his rider?  With no sign of a human being we continued to the wooded area, whereupon after several minutes a man is heard running behind us and out of breath.  He tells us that the horse bolted, afraid of the beefy red Limousin which were also processing up the hill on the other side of the field. We followed in the wake of the unseated rider, in the path of the galloping horse to turn right onto a muddy, puddled, leaf-strewn chemin through woodland, with a signed refuge for pheasants.  Here, my observant friend took note that the horse had come this way as there were recent horseshoe shapes slewed on the grassy track, and later, fresh horse poo! We wondered if the rider ever found his horse and dog!!  What a day for HIM... and US!
Tracking the map, she was intelligent enough to realise that where I thought we were, was not correct!  Lazily, I hadn't extricated reading glasses from my bag!  This made quite a difference to  directions!  River, woodland, power wires, randonnée signs indicated our map location.  If that is the lilac route then this must be the pale yellow route and so it was that we emerged by the car having walked in an elliptical route.
Home to delicious scones baked earlier that day, served with home-made mirabelle jelly, crème fraîche instead of butter and refreshingly hot 'Earl's Passion' tea in white porcelain cups.  How civilised as we discussed many things, even remembering the life and death of her mother and the life and death of my uncle.  Today is Remembrance Sunday.