Dear Everybody, This is  23 Feb. DAY 1 back on the road.

The geese, sublime in  perfect V formation look so beautiful and are a symbol:  on their journey too; for although the river is still frozen, this is such a happy time (hey are too, returning to France at the start of the eternal spring migration. How many thousands of years has this been happening? Please let's look after the natural world, so the children 1000 years from now will also be able to see this St Florentin is on the migration course v special.... Monsieur Chevance tells me the geese can travel at 100kms an hour with the wind behind them.  They wheel around until they catch the wind's path. 

  

I'm  so happy and appreciate the treatment for knee - feel full of energy and am determined to be as strong as I can. I couldn't have done it without all the fantastic support from all around the world, and the great kindness right here in St Florentin.

This pic and next  pics show wonderful Monsieur et Madame Chevance and  Monsieur Patrick Pasquier on arrival back at St Florentin and Icebird and me just before I set off today I am so grateful to them and to the magnificent Croix Rouge, The Red Cross for helping me so much especially for looking after Icebird while I was in UK. I left  about 5pm. Did 6.69kms.  (I THOUGHT IT WAS 7 MILES - (V OPTIMISTIC!) .BUT THEN. REMEMBERED THAT MY NEW PEDOMETER IS IN KMS, BUT STILL GOOD START ACHIEVED IN ONLY ABOUT ONE HOUR AND A HALF. IT RE PROGRESS/SCHEDULE - IT ALL WILL DEPEND ON HOW THE KNEE REACTS TOMORROW. Great not to be in crutches. More news tomorrow. Rosie