Water. Food. Clothing. Shelter. Safety.

My desires are pretty consistent. My desires are simple. My desires are expandable. My desires can include a scorecard. “Wow, that baguette sandwich is great.”Hmmm, that dinner is way overpriced (and I haven’t gotten to Switzerland).”

Water. I try to keep my water bladder fairly full. I’ve become a true believer. A sip whenever I am thirsty. No fumbling for a water bottle. I’ve forgotten twice to refill. Both times I get caught in “a dry and weary land where there is no water” as the Psalmist says. As I walk, I see every old spigot, old wells, running fountains with a “non-potable” sign. As you can see with the first photo, a man was filling his water bottle from a rather unusual fountain. Usually the hotel water is drinkable; however, I’ve stayed in several 17th century buildings and the pipes seem to date from that period!

Food. A basic routine. Croissant and coffee for breakfast; an apple or occasionally a sandwich for lunch. Stopping at a boulangerie very early in the morning when the products are warm is surely a foretaste of heaven! The wild card is dinner. Often I’ll grab something from the nearest supermarket, a large pre-made salad or a microwaveable dish. If I notify the BnB ahead of time, then I’ll get to eat a wonderful homemade meal at the BnB. There are some wonderful dinners in the hotel restaurant. I’ll usually eat there only if I’m super tired or if there is no other choice. Pretty pricey unfortunately.

Sometimes, a group of us shares a meal.

The French love pizza. The manner of getting the pizza has gotten my attention. There are stand-alone vending machines in the middle of “nowhere.” Pizza in three minutes. Another pizza option is the pizza food truck. They must be popular because I’ve seen three this past week parked in the center of a village or town.

Clothes. I’m probably like the working class fellow a hundred years ago. Two pair of walking outfits. And, a brown collar shirt to wear at night when I dress up. Fancy! I even switch to my Chaco sandals at night.

While I sink wash my walking clothes every night, I’ve been fortunate. On three different occasions, I’ve had a washer. Even I can tell the difference!

Shelter. I’m spoiled by our Montcliff home. Large rooms with natural light. Large comfortable chairs and couches. A nice office with space to spread out books and computers. My priority on the Via Francigena is convenience and price. I want something close to the Via Francigena. Preferably something that is rather inexpensive. Sometimes that is possible; sometimes that is not possible. Sometimes the shelter is so nice I wish that I could spend a week; sometimes I’m glad that I’m staying only one night.

It is strange moving to a new location every night. It does get tiresome. After hearing stories of other walkers making 10 phone calls in order to find lodging, I’m glad that I’ve prearranged my trip! And, I haven’t been locked out of my room yet! Even I have been able to keep track of all the hotel door codes, room codes, safe codes that I’ve had to access before I get to my room. I do have to confess that a couple of days ago I was locked “in” my room. After fumbling with the deadbolt for 3-4 minutes, the owner of this small hotel heard my racket and came and opened the door. Needless to say, I didn’t use the deadbolt the rest of the night!

I never felt unsafe. The next photo shows one reason.

Safety. I feel danger the couple of times I’ve walked on busy roads or when I’ve had to introduce myself to unchained dogs. Not fun. I’ve seen paramedic vans and police patrol cars. I usually sense that the police are watchful. It certainly makes me feel comfortable.

Water. Food. Clothing. Shelter. Safety. Quite basic desires. Fulfilling them is indispensable and necessary. Sometimes I handle them wisely. I don’t break the bank! Sometimes not so wisely. But a treat now and then sure feels good!