Gourdon

As planned, this morning we walked up from Johnshaven to Gourdon, which is a very pleasant stroll along the coast, clocking in at just over three miles. We took it at a very leisurely pace :-)

As we walked along, the Minx rang ahead, and booked us a table at the Quayside Restaurant and Fish Bar, which was the restaurant we couldn't get into, yesterday. I must say that, at the time, this seemed a little overcautious, but when we got there, we were asked if we had a reservation, and the place soon filled up. And, as the food was excellent, I guess that explains it.

After that, we took the bus back to the Anchor Hotel and spent the rest of the afternoon in the bar with our books. Bliss!

We returned to the bar for our evening meal and then drinks to see in the new year. There was the most calamitous DJ, who seemed to have only a limited repartee - he repeated most of the tracks after midnight - and no intention of mixing any two songs together. And yet he seemed happy, as did everyone else, including us.

At midnight, the pub emptied outside for the ringing of a bell on the roof of a building just down at the front. There was a sense of both tradition and community, and I'm grateful that we invited to be part of it.