Thursday 14th May

We have had a mini heat-wave the last few days here in Eymet.  The sun has been shining and it really lifts your spirits.  As I have officially, but not quite, retired now and am out here for three weeks, which incidentally is the longest I have ever spent here, or indeed anywhere in my whole working life, I decided that I was not going to wear socks or shoes for the duration of this break.  Travelling every day on the tube it is almost a necessity to wear shoes but my favourite footwear is actually espadrilles, these are rope-soled canvas shoes and are available in every market or supermarket in France.  The only problem is that the cheapest ones have no sole except the rope and if you get them wet the this tends to expand and fray.  There are slightly more expensive ones now available that have both a thin rubber sole and a cushioned inner sole, so even more comfort.

I just love the freedom that my, admittedly sweaty, feet require; it almost feels like you are wearing nothing.  I am at the moment wearing a pair from England which I found in Peacocks, though you can get them in M. & S. too.  These have an almost air-tex top webbing and are even cooler than the usual ones.    As age beckons one rapidly decides on comfort over fashion and Espadrilles are decided un-cool, but I much prefer then to sandals, as I always find the leather chaffs at some point.

Anyway for a whole week now I haven’t worn socks or shoes at all.  A small achievement I must admit but I see so many people struggling in trainers, which I have never got on with, in the hot weather.  And of course the biggest decision when wearing trainers with shorts is what socks to wear?  Either smart sports socks or those silly half socks that just cover the heel but don’t show over the edge of the trainer; no such problem with espadrilles, socks would defeat the whole point of them.