The adventure begins….

Over Lake Geneva

Driving through the French Alps

Here we are in the delights of fragrant and flowered Provence where my weather app lured me with promises of 85 and sunny. But it is not, nor am I delighting. I woke up from my afternoon nap in our petite shabby-chic apartment (chic because it is in Provence, shabby because it really is) to the sound of thunder, and by the time I realized Maurice was still out and it was raining, it was pouring and I was not going outside to bring our laundry in. The doctor told me I was not to be reaching up to laundry lines anyway. That would be the doctor we visited this morning in hopes of alleviating my excruciating shoulder pain; the pain had been ramping up as we started the trip and had become unrelenting. The pleasant and officious young woman said she thinks I have encapsulite rétractile, suggesting a further test (that we could not translate) might help the diagnosis (“the test you have when you’re having a baby,” our Untours representative Anne told me, so I presume a sonogram). But, this being the fully socialized medicine of France, it would take at least a week to schedule the test, and two to three weeks to get me in for the massage/physical therapy that the doctor also prescribed. However, the doc assured me the cortisone tablets will relieve the pain and I will be able to go hiking and enjoy my stay in France. After lunch Maurice went out to paint and I slept, and I would like to say that the pain is diminishing, and I’m sure it will be any minute now. At least I slept. Managing the continuous pain has been sapping all my energy. I even feel additional stabs of pain as I tie my shoes–who knew shoe-tying was connected to the shoulder? Within 24 hours I have been apprised by two people of perhaps somewhat more age and wisdom than me that getting old hurts. Well, I’m not going to take this lying down. I am getting up and heading for the vin du pays and chocolat and waiting for blue skies to return.

Did I really walk 500 miles not so long ago….

(I couldn’t get the link to work, so you have to copy and paste it to watch the video Maurice made of our Camino.)