17km still very flat. No one complains of lack of sleep in the morning and we set off from behind the police station quite early. The bell is tolling at 6am. Last night we were unable to find any cutlery, Tony without even a spork was obliged to use a serving spoon. After eating we discovered the cutlery draw hidden in the table!
This is another good natural history day. We see more Ibis, Little Egrets, various herons including a Squacco Heron who sits to be photographed by Tony and Betsy. Tim recognises it as seen before on Malta. Butterflies including one we finally identify as a female Large Copper which makes Ray research the butterfly from yesterday which was probably a male Large Copper , these extinct in Britain since 1851 due to fenland habitat loss though Dock plants it’s food are still common enough. A hoopoe flies across and poses on a gutter for just long enough for everyone to recognise it. All in an excellent day for wild life.
We get coffee on time and beer later, and a confirmation that we are welcome at the Abbey of St Albino this afternoon. We believe we will overnight here. St Albinus was an abbot in Angers France 5th century CE. We arrive and cower in the large porch while rain starts and thunder crashes. We become concerned about the adequacy of our beliefs. But at three o’clock the door opens and we are shown in to a large room with some camp beds. Doubt still seems to exist as to whether we are the only guests tonight.
Thunder roils on, two more Italian pilgrims arrive. We visit the chapel next door there is a statue there we presume of St Albinus (from Brittany patron saint of pirate attack. Against!) but no it is St Antonius with a pig at his feet patron of domesticated animals, quite why he has been donated by the local Lions club we don’t know.