DAY 34: SEVEUX to FRASNE-le-CHATEAU

Monday 29 September.

 

I managed to get down and up the steep stairs for the loo during the night without breaking my neck but it was a struggle. I made us a cup of coffee when I got up at 6am then we packed and were ready for breakfast. Before going to the kitchen in the main house we took a walk

 

round the garden and had a look at their boat. It was a typical river cruiser similar to what we hired when we sailed on the Saone all these years ago. It made us think about doing it again, maybe next year. We got a tub of yoghurt in addition to the usual mini-continental today. After Roger served us he took one of his sons Edward to school, it looked like he was at a boarding school considering the size I of the bag he had with him. He may board Monday to Friday and have the week-ends at home. The other lad, Louis, was left to make his own way to school, probably the local primary. By the time we had finished breakfast and ready to go Roger was back so the school couldn't be too far away. We said our 'au revoirs' and set off for our day's hike.

We backtracked through the village, crossed the Saone again but just before the marina at Port de Savoyeux the Via Francigena was waymarked. This was the official route and differed from the Cicerone version, but our map showed if we headed in reverse along this route we would pick the D172 to Savoyeux. The track was a towpath along a canal, this canal seemed to be a detour for river craft on the Saone to avoid rapids which we had seen from the bridge when crossing it earlier. It was a pleasant walk and where the canal went through a tunnel in the hill we climbed to the top. Just over the crest was a tarred road and we could see it join the D172 only a short distance away. It was a welcome surprise when we reached the main road to see a sign saying 'Savoyeaux 1km'. This short cut had saved us about 2km. The route crossed the Saone again in Savoyeux then we continued on the D172 to Mercey-sur-Saone, where again we crossed the river then the road followed it to the next village of Motey-sur-Saone. It was a lovely walk beside the river and in the still morning air the reflections on the water were mirror like. After Motey we took a forest road, it was a minor road but looked like it had been recently upgraded and resurfaced. On the 3.5km delightful stretch through the woods we only encountered two cars, it was luxury.

 

The next village, Sainte-Reine, seemed to stretch for ever. There weren't many houses but it was strung out over about a kilometre. We were by this time looking for a seat for our mid-morning break but found nowhere convenient to sit. When we cleared the village we decided on a spot on the verge beneath a tree. I made a cup of tea with a biscuit then we lay back on the grass and relaxed for half an hour. It was supposed to be 4.5 km to the next village of La Chapelle Sainte Quillon, named after an Irish Saint, but it seemed much shorter. We were making good time and had only 6km to the end of our day. We looked around the village for a boulangerie but although there was signs of life there were no shops.

It was on another minor road though no more than a lane that gave us more pleasant walking through woods to Montbleuse where we had a break in one of the many lavoirs in the region. Then another lane took us to Franse-le-Chateau. We could see the village after a short while but the lane took a winding loop into a dip then up a hill before entering it.

 

At the first junction we found the street where our accommodation was, Rue Grand Vergers. We walked along counting the numbers on the houses looking for No29 but not holding out much hope of anyone being at home. It was a pleasant surprise when the door was opened immediately and there was a warm welcome from Mne Grenier. She immediately sat us down in the lounge, supplied us with a beer, biscuits and some fruit. We were starving having had no lunch and it went down well. Mne. Grenier had to go out at 2 pm and took our credentials to get stamped at the Mairie. Later we found out that she was the Mairie, the Mayor, of the village and her name was Marie. This had caused confusion last night with Roger and Nellie, I couldn't understand whether we were to call on Marie or go to the Mayor's offices, the Town Hall. Now it seems it could have been either.

 

Our room was upstairs, another narrow winding stairway. But the toilet was upstairs as well, thank goodness. There was a huge double bed in a big room. After relaxing for half an hour we showered then decided to go for a walk. Unfortunately Marie had locked the door when she went out and we were locked in. Instead we made a cup of tea in the kitchen had another biscuit and a pear, she had said to help ourselves. It wasn't long before Marie returned with our credentials nicely stamped and we were able to go for our stroll. The weather today had been a bit overcast, dull and cool, good for walking but now we were getting a few spots of rain. It didn't come to anything and hopefully it will be clear tomorrow. The village was a reasonable size with a big church which was closed and an old chateau behind a large hedge.

 

There was a nice old lavoir that had been decorated with flowers. We didn't see any shops, restaurants or the gite that was supposedly full when Roger phoned last night. A lot of the houses had been renovated in recent years and were very attractive. One feature was the converted barn doors, some of the openings were made into an arched window. When we arrived back at the house Marie was busy preparing dinner and told us it would be ready at 7 pm.

 

We went to our room and relaxed on the bed reading for the rest of the afternoon. It was 42 km to Besancon which will take two days and we needed some place to stop in between. Our accommodation list said there were two places in Cussey-sur-l'Ognon, the only place to stay before Besancon. We made a note of them and went down early to asked Marie to phone them. She told us one of the two was now closed and when she phoned the other they were on holiday. Fortunately she had a list of places to stay on the route and suggested a place similar to hers but a bit off the route at Gezier-et-Fontenelay. We examined the map and the guide book and it wasn't much of a detour. After settling for there she phoned but there was no answer, she left a message and texted them and we are hoping we get fixed up before we leave in the morning.

 

The meal was lovely and not as big as the locals normally supply. We had an apéritif, a homemade elderflower wine, sweeter and stronger than the one Moira makes. Dinner was a potato and sausage pie with a green salad, cheese, and apple tart and yoghurt for dessert. There was a nice Bordeaux to go with it. The TV was on in the background and when the news came on we noticed that there was severe flooding in South around Montpellier, we are hoping we don't get any of that here.

 

We went to bed at 8:30 pm and read for a while but soon turned out he light to go to sleep. We are now in the habit of waking at about 6 am and after a hard day's walking you can't stay up too late.

 

 

 

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DAYS 32&33: LES ARCHOTS to SEVEUX

Saturday 27 September.

 

It is one month today that we set out from Canterbury on this adventure. By the end of today's walk we will have covered 600 km, so we are on schedule to get to Rome in our target of 100 days. It only problem in the next few weeks is the weather conditions when we reach the Alps and whether the Grand St. Bernard's Pass is clear of snow and passable on foot.

 

Today the weather was fine yet again, very warm and cloudless skies. We set off at 8am after a light breakfast of bread, jam and coffee. The total bill for our stay here was €90, the meal last night was only €18 each, that part was a bargain. The walk up the hill to the D136 didn't take long and we were back on route again. Cicerone said that it was 10 km from Chalindrey to the next village of Grenant and that we had covered 4 km to the turn-off for Les Archots. By my calculations it was just 6 km to Grenant but after walking about 2 km a signpost pointing the way to Grenant had it as 9 km. it was bad enough having about 4 km added to your day when doing supposedly 20 km but if we had attempted the whole stretch from Langres to Champlitte, in the book as 36 km we would have ended up having to do 40 km. I don't think I would be at all happy then. We plan each day by the distance we can comfortably cover and hope that the accommodation fits in, so we depend on accurate distances from our guide.

 

Otherwise it turned out to be a nice walk through woodlands on a quiet tarred road that was flat most of the way. The weather was perfect and we were moving at a very brisk pace. There were kilometre markers along the road and we timed our pace, 11 min/km, that's over 5km/hour. We arrived in Gerant at 10 am having covered the distance of 11km in 2 hours, we deserved a break and a cup of tea. There was seats at the Mairie which was the banks of a very pretty river, the Salon. As we sat there drinking our tea it got so warm that our tops had to come off and we were down to just shorts and t-shirt.

 

From Gerant it was a long steady climb up through more woods on now the D17. Once we reached the top it was down the other side and into a long wide valley. A few kilometres along the valley floor we left the Haute Marne Department of France and entered the Haute Saone and for some reason the road number changed from D17 to D5. Moira remarked that when navigating in the motorhome through France the road numbers suddenly change, it must be when going from one region to another.

 

At the end of the valley we turned right on to the D460 another very quiet road and it was 6 km to the finish for the day in Champlitte. We could see the town from a distance where the large chateau on a rise predominated. When we entered the town Moira asked a man for directions mentioning, Pascal Henriot, the owner of the gite's name as instructed. It was instantly recognised and he started to jabber away. Moira picked up a few words and she was off, I had to curb her enthusiasm as she didn't know where she was going. I asked another person and got directions to the Rue de la Republique where I thought his house was. The number was 89 and at 87 people were in their driveway and we asked them for Monsieur Henriot. They said round the back and a girl,took us to a road behind where his winery was situated. He was down in the wine cellars with customers and when he was finished he took us round to the rear of a block of flats and up a steep metal stairway to a single room. There were two beds on top of one another to make room to move about. Later we separated them when we get ready for bed. There was a kitchen so we could cook ourselves a simple meal for a change. M. Henriot was very helpful and friendly and spoke very good English.

 

Moira had a packet of vegetable soup that she had been carrying in her bag for weeks. She made that for lunch and there was a piece of bread left for dipping in. The guide book said there was a Tourist Office in town so after our meal we set off to find it. We passed the large town square with the Mairie which was shut and most of the shops were closed so it was a surprise to find the Tourist Info open and ready for business. The woman there was completely different from the unhelpful one in Langres, when I mentioned the problem we had there she said there had been other complaints. She couldn't get an answer to from the place where I had hoped to stay but suggested another slightly off the route. There she got us booked and then supplied us with a map with the place clearly marked. Later I found that this village was a detour of only about 2 km at most. They had WiFi here and I had my iPad with me. I downloaded three day's of the newspaper so plenty to read now. I next started to post my blog for the past three days but ran into trouble. For some reason the 'Blogsy' programme I use to prepare the blog couldn't upload the photographs. I tried to reduce the size of the pictures, removed some of them but still it kept stalling. Eventually I removed all the photographs and just published the story, that posted instantly.

 

Across the road there was a Carrefour supermarket where we stocked up with food. On the way back the chateau was directly in front of us. It was another huge stately home but no indication that it entertained visitors. We cut through the square where a wedding was taking place, it was in the Mairie so they must have opened up for it. It was the Civil ceremony and I thought they would be having the church service afterwards but when we went down the hill to the Eglise Saint-Christophe with its huge 14th Century tower, it was locked, so we didn't see inside that either. When we got to our room again Moira decided to return to the Tourist Office and download the newspapers to her mini iPad. I stayed in, made myself a cup of coffee, showered then read the paper.

 

Our simple meal tonight was bacon and eggs with tomato, mushrooms and sweet corn ( we couldn't find baked beans in the supermarket ). It was perfect and also kept off the wine, this would allow our stomachs to recover. Earlier it had been noisy in the yard below our room with people working on cars and radios blaring but now it was quiet and peaceful. We cleared a space and separated the beds, it was just a couple of bunks but the mattresses were thick and comfortable. We both had a very good night's sleep.

 

 

Sunday 28 September.

 

Another lovely day with the sun shining brightly when we left. For breakfast this morning we had a boiled egg, yoghurt, bread and jam with tea. M. Henriot told us to make sure we left the place clean before going as the two using the gite the previous night hadn't. That could only have been Jacques and Gerard they are the only ones a day ahead, they seemed clean and orderly when we stayed with them. Anyway it was spotless when we set off at 8:45 am.

 

We had to head back down through town to the crossroads where we arrived yesterday to pick up the trail. It went first of all to the little village of Champlitte-la-Ville only 1km away. The church there was unusual in that the spire was tiled in different colours creating a pattern. A few others in the area also had this effect, even one big house with as turret had something similar. The route stuck to the D36 all day, it was a very quiet road that meandered and undulated between valleys.The first valley was of the river Le Salon which we crossed and recrossed several times. The other river we came to later in the day was the Saone. We spent a week on here with Suzanne and Margaret on a river cruiser in the 90's.

 

There were lots of villages to go through today, varying from 1km to 4 km apart. After Champlitte-la-Ville there was Margilley then Framont, Achey, Delain, and Denevre before reaching the large town of Dampierre-sur-Salon. We had stopped on the doorstep of a disused house in Achey for our mid-morning break of tea and a biscuit. For lunch it was a bench in a lovely park in Dampierre-sur-Salon. It had turned into another hot day and it was down to shorts and t-shirt again. We had a good break for lunch and refreshed for the final 6km of the day.

 

This was along the valley of the Saone and after 3.5 km we passed the turn off we have to return to tomorrow to pick up our route again. Just before reaching Seveux where the gite was we passed the Port de Savoyeux where there was a tie-up point for the river cruisers for the night. Moira said she remembered it from the time we were here, but I think its her imagination. When we arrived in the village it was more difficult than we though to find the gite. The woman in the Tourist Info yesterday said just turn first left as you enter Seveux and it's there, giving the impression that it was a place with only a couple of houses. It was much bigger than that and we had to ask directions twice before finding it. There was a big gate and a little one, fortunately the small one was open, then the dog barked and came running up to us. It was friendly after sniffing about us but he didn't disturb anybody, there was nobody at home. It was a lovely place with a huge garden beside the river. We sat on some garden chairs and waited. I was starting to get annoyed and tried to phone the people but only got voice mail. I asked a neighbour but she didn't know where they were. I had a wander round the property and found a mobile home in the back garden, it was open so we would at least have some place to stay if nobody turned up.

 

We settled down in the nice warm afternoon, I made a cup of tea and we got our iPads out to read. It was an hour since we arrived when a couple came wandering up from the bottom of the garden. They have a boat on the river somewhere in that direction and they had been on it. The first reaction is to be angry with this inconsiderate attitude towards customers but you soon accept that this is the way the French are, nothing seems to matter or worry them. Roger ( Varraut ) showed us to our rooms, an extension to the main house. Downstairs was a lounge, dining room, the kitchen, shower and toilet. We had to go up to the attic for our bed and it was steep,wooden staircase. I thought this is going to be fun going up and down to the loo in the middle of the night.

 

At last we could have a shower and relax for a couple of hours. Roger and his wife Nellie had two young boys, one 9 and the other 11, they came over and said hello, later one returned to tell us dinner was ready. We had an aperitif out on the veranda but it was a bit of a struggle trying to make conversation then Nellie suggested using the translator app on the iPad as they had WiFi. It was a battle to enter a very lengthy password, a mixture of capitals, small letters and numbers. Moira tried, Nellie tried and I had a go but it wouldn't accept our efforts. I suggested giving it to the expert, the 9 year old and he had us connected immediately. The translator helped and now we were able to understand some of what was being said. I used it to ask Roger about arranging accommodation for tomorrow and after a few failures, one place full and another the number no longer existing, he got us booked in. As far as we know it is a gite in the village of Fasne-le-Chateau and we have the address.

 

The meal was with the family and it was another 4 course feast. Pâté to start with a green salad, pork chop with potatoes au gratin, cheese and an apple tart for dessert. The wine was a rose and I think Roger made it himself, it was all right. We tried not to eat too much but still it was more than we are used to and felt full again. We excused ourselves early and it was 9 pm when we got to bed. After reading for a short time it was off to sleep.

 

 

 

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DAY 31: LANGRES to LES ARCHOTS

Friday 26 September.

 

We didn't rush to get away early this morning but took it easy as we weren't going very far. It was 8 am when we eventually got up and had breakfast then finished packing. An hour later we set off. On the way through the town Moira got a baguette at the boulongerie and at the supermarket picked up a bottle of wine. The village we were going to for the night, Les Archots, reportedly had nothing in the way of shops so we made sure of some plonk. We opened the bottle and poured the contents into one of our water bottles.

 

After passing the Tourist Office the route took us along a busy street and through a large stone gateway into the Citadelle. The area was just a busy suburb and didn't have anything to signify the title of Citadelle. Another stone portal took is out again. Once we were out of the city we turned on to a quieter road signposted to the Source of the Marne. We didn't go to the source of this river but when we later reached the village of Balesmes-sur-Marne we crossed a bridge with the signpost La Marne, it was a dried up grassy track with no sign of water. A long steep hill took us down to Balesmes-sur-Marne, we saw two cyclists coming up, one had got off to walk so it was steep. At the bottom there was a bus shelter where we had a break and a cup of tea with a mini coconut bar.

 

The warm sunny weather with a cloudless blue sky had returned and it was hot walking. We climbed out of the village and joined the busier D17 for 3 km into Chalindrey. The traffic was heavy but there was a bit of a hard shoulder and a grass verge to head for if the cars got too close. It was another stop in Chalindrey where we had lunch on a bench in a small park. We didn't rush as we had plenty of time and after our meal lay back and enjoyed the warm sunshine.

 

We had according to the guide book 4km along a quiet road before turning off the Via Francigena to the hamlet of Les Archots. The book also said that we crossed the railway line but we found the bridge over it blocked off for repair work. Rather than go back and find a detour we scrambled over the fence at one end of the bridge and moved the barrier at the other. Fortunately it must have been lunch time as there weren't any workmen about to stop us. It didn't seem like 4 km when we reached the right turn to Les Archots and it was only a short distance down a hill to the river flowing through the hamlet. The Gite des Archots was just before the bridge over the river.

 

There were no preliminaries to go through, we were just shown straight to our room. It was enormous and so were the two double beds, much bigger than king size. There was also a single bed that was nearly a double. We showered and washed some of our clothes, there was a washing line in the garden and with the warm sun we hoped they would dry quickly. Next it was a cup of coffee and a relaxing hour, stretched out on the bed.

 

We looked at the possible places to stay in Champlitte tomorrow and made a list of them. The intention was to get the guy on charge to phone for us but we couldn't find him. Our accommodation list said that the man running of the communal gite spoke English so Moira dialled the number and I talked to him. He did speak good English and we now have a bed for tomorrow night.

 

Dinner was like being in Spain again and wasn't served until the crazy time of 8 pm. We stayed in our room, read and sampled the wine I had been carrying. The dinner turned out to be another gastronomic experience, an orgy of food and drink. There were another two couples dining as well and it began with an aperitif made of a little sweet red wine topped up with a white wine. The meal started with a quiche that almost melted in your mouth and a green salad with a very tasty dressing. Next they delivered a platter of slices of roast lamb and when nothing else served everyone started to eat them with bread. About 10 minutes later the chef came out full of apologises, he had forgotten to serve the vegetables. We all now had more lamb with the vegetables. There was a cheese course and the local Langres variety was soft and smokey flavoured, very nice. For dessert there was a rhubarb flan which was delicious. All this was helped down with plenty of a Rhone red wine. The meal was outstanding but too much, at the end we both felt full and bloated. The company around the table and our hosts were very friendly, all interested in our pilgrimage but there was the usual language difficulties in holding a conversation for any length of time.

 

We struggled up the path to our room and it was straight to bed. We were both exhausted, not from the easy walk today but from the enormous meal.

 

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DAY 30: MORMANT to LANGRES.

Thursday 25 September.

 

I went downstairs and made a cup of coffee in the kitchen then we began packing. When we went downstairs again Mne. M. was already there setting out breakfast. It was the usual, orange juice, bread and jam and coffee. We finished, washed up and ready to go by 7:30am.

 

Initially when we left the village the weather was clear and mild but as we got out into the countryside the mist was lying thick over the fields. We took the shorter route suggested by Mne. M that went direct to Marac and by-passed Leffonds. It was all right on the long straight country lane, you couldn't get lost, but when we entered the Forest of Bugnieres things went wrong. The track was supposed to go straight but we immediately encountered a Y-junction. After an argument, Moira won, and we went left. After 500m we came to a fence with the motorway on the other side. Backtracking we now took the right hand fork which did go straight for a while but ended up at a T-junction and we had to guess at the direction to take. In the end we got horribly lost and kept taking turnings not knowing where they would lead. We tried the GPS and map on the iPad but the signal in the forest was nonexistent. The early mist that had been hanging about now began to clear and the sun came out, I suggested that we head towards the rising sun - east- towards Switzerland ! It worked and we cleared the trees and picked up a tarred lane. Still not knowing where we were we continued along this lane, at least now we would eventually reach life and civilisation. After a short distance there was a sign post; Marac 2.4km, somehow we had managed to get back on track. When we reached the village it was time for a rest on a convenient bench, amazingly we had only lost about half an hour wandering about the woods. We kept thinking that we could end up like the people lost in the Blue Mountains in Australia and only found after some weeks.

 

Where we stopped for a rest the signposted pointing to Langres said 16 km which seemed good but it was a more direct route either on the motorway of busy roads, ours on minor roads and lanes still had nearer 20 km to cover. The first stretch when we got going again was parallel to the motorway which we eventually crossed to head for the village of Beauchemin. We could see the church spire from quite a distance away but it never seemed to get any closer. We didn't go into Beauchemin but picked up a very minor road that veered away from the village. At the start of this lane we sat on the wall around a house and I brewed us a nice cup of tea.

 

2.5 km along the country lane there was the pretty village of St. Martin-les-Langres where the road dropped steeply down to the Moulin St Martin where the old water mill bridged a small river. After this drop we had to climb again, through the hamlet of La Fontiane au Bassin and keep climbing to what the guide book said was a plateau. It was flat for a couple of kilometres but then dropped to the start of Langres. There was still a bit to go and it was all uphill, the old town of Langres was on a hill and we could see the twin towers of the Cathedral high above us. At the Eglise Notre Dame de Brevoines, a small church that was near a lavoir that had been converted into a covered seated area. We had seen many of these lavoirs in his region, they were open buildings near rivers or streams for the locals to do their laundry, there were sinks and the water for washing was channeled through from the river. This one had the sinks removed and replaced by a bench where we sat and had lunch. We had been making excellent time even with our wander in the woods and where we were staying in Langres didn't open until 5pm, so we had a long leisurely lunch and checked out tomorrow's route and places for accommodation.

We now had a very steep climb up the hill to the old city. The road went sharply up, crossed a bridge over a cycle track that looked like an old converted railway line, then climbed some more before it was up stairs to the city ramparts. Once through the Porte de l'Hotel de Ville it flattened out and we were in a large square with the magnificent building that was the Mairie. It was open and I enquired about the location of the Tourist Office, I received a town map and the route highlighted for me. Initially the place looked typically dead but once we reached the main street with shops there was a lot more people about. At the tourist office the woman informed us that the Presbyter of the Cathedral where we were staying opened at 4pm an hour earlier than we thought, good news. The bad news was that the woman wasn't at all helpful initially about phoning ahead to arrange accommodation for tomorrow. She said she couldn't phone places outside her tourist area. I said to use our phone to do it, but it was strictly against the rules. Happily at first we discovered that where we intended staying was in her area and she agreed to phone, at €1 for the booking. Unhappily she couldn't get through to one hotel and another that answered was full. We said we would come back later and she could again try the one that didn't answer.

This was the first Tourist Office that was uncooperative, the others couldn't have done enough for us. Moira went to a nearby supermarket and bought a couple of cans of beer and we sat on a park bench quenching our thirst and debating the options for tomorrow if we couldn't get a place to stay. The next big town, Champlitte, with plenty of hotels was 36 km away, we considered leaving early and attempting that distance or the other option was to take a bus or train part of the way. We decided to head for our bed here and see what transpired later when we returned to the Tourist Info.

It was a nice walk back through the town past the huge 12th Century Cathedral Saint-Mammes with the two enormous square towers that we had seen from a long way while walking this morning. When we reached the Presbyter we found a person with a totally different attitude. This woman couldn't be more helpful and friendly. She had the details of our booking on a sheet and was a very apologetic when she had to charge us €5 each for the room. She stamped our credentials and was about to show us to our room when I decided to ask her to phone the hotel for tomorrow. She didn't seem very familiar with the operation of the telephone and had to make enquiries about obtaining an outside line but she was successful. The man at the hotel, Gite Des Archots, spoke English and Moira took over the call and made the reservation.

 

Our room was upstairs in a separate building. We had two single beds, shower, toilet and a kitchen. Once we had dumped our bags we headed out again to the supermarket for essentials like milk and wine. On the way we visited the Cathedral Saint-Mammes. It didn't have a lot of ornamentation and the windows where mainly coloured glass, no story to tell. But the building itself was outstanding with columns and archways and a towering vaulted roof. The strange thing about this and other great church buildings we have visited is the doors at the entrances. They tended to be tatty and the wood painted in an ugly brown or red, it tends to spoil the overall appearance.

 

Having got what we needed at the supermarket it was back to our room for a shower. It was another strange system where you should have the instruction manual to operate it. I managed to get hot water and began soaping myself only for it to turn cold, fortunately it got hot again. I warned Moira about it and she washed quickly before it had a chance to go cold. For dinner tonight we had the chicken that Moira a cooked last night made into a curry with mushrooms and tomato. Instead of rice she used the last of the pasta that had been in her bag for a few weeks.

After washing up we got to bed to lie and read but Moira was very tired and was sleeping just after 8 pm. I read for a little longer but my eyes were also closing and I turned in. It was very quiet and we both had a good night's sleep.

 

 

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Untitled

Wednesday 24 September.

 

I was awake at the usual time of 6am and I made us a cup of coffee. Breakfast wasn't until 8:30 am and we weren't walking a great distance today so there was no rush to get up and get ready. I worked on my blog and got it posted then downloaded the newspaper and caught up with the news, I also had the radio on, so we were being well informed today. Before going down to the restaurant I wrote up the route for today in my note book.

 

The restaurant was actual closed today and Maggie was having the day off. Steve served our breakfast, croissants, fruit buns and bread, he was a bit stingy with the coffee only one cup. We asked if he would phone the Youth Hostel in Langres for accommodation for tomorrow night but he said his French was adequate for serving at the bar but he wasn't confident about phoning. We chatted and got his life story, he left Dumfries when very young when his family emigrated to California and about his life there but didn't reach when he ended up here in France.

It was nearly 9:30am when we eventually got going and the sun was a bit higher than when we started out yesterday so it wasn't so cold. The sky was blue and it looked like it would be a good day. We left the town through the Parc aux Daims, a large deer park and wooded area leading to an Equestrian Centre. From there it was onto a forest road at the Ferme des Bonshommes which had been originally a pilgrim hostel. The road was the Chemin des Bonshommes and it was like the Roman Road, ran as straight as a die through the trees. If there were any deer or other wildlife about we didn't see them. We didn't see any humans either which was surprising as such a beautiful route and track like this normally attracts lots of walkers, cyclists and joggers.

When I was writing out the route this morning I had concerns about some aspects. There were so many variations and options you could take and at times the writer seemed to have got them mixed up. It was the case in practice as well, when we reached an old ruined farm house, Maison Forestiere we and already walked 6km. It then said to walk another 4km to Maison Forestiere, which we thought must be a village named after the old farmhouse. The track seemed then to go on for ever with just trees on either side and all the way in front. Eventually we came to a cross roads and on the other side a shaded picnic area, this was 3km further on from Maison Forestiere on according to our guide. It was confusing but we were happy we were another 3km further on than expected and celebrated with a cup of coffee seated at a picnic table.

While having our break we could hear traffic somewhere nearby but we weren't due to reached the busy N10 for another 3km. This was the next surprise, we got to it after about 500m. But now there was more confusion, the route instructions said to turn left but the accompanying map showed to go right. We decided to follow the written guide and after a short distance on the busy road turned onto another forest track. It was about 2km before we reached a minor road which took us to Mormant. Further on we stopped at a side road and had our lunch, there were still some hard boiled eggs left and bread and cheese. I didn't have a lot of water so the coffee was 'au lait'. The road where we sat was the forest track we would have picked up if we and followed the map and turned right at the N10.

 

Mormant was a little hamlet with a few houses and a couple of farms. We found the house we were staying at, No14 Rue de l'Abbaye, but there was nobody at home. We found a couple of chairs and sat outside to wait for somebody to arrive. After half an hour we heard a noise from inside and I knocked hard on the door. I woman came to the door she had been sleeping. It turned out we weren't staying in this house but another one down the lane. It was lovely and we had a big room with a double and two single beds. I had a shower first and felt a lot better afterwards. Downstairs was a big kitchen and Moira cooked the piece of chicken she has been carrying around in her bag for two days. We were having dinner here so the chicken will do for lunch tomorrow. The woman Mne Michelot was another very nice and helpful person and phoned the Cathedral in Langres about accommodation for tomorrow. They have two beds somewhere near to the Cathedral and we are safely booked in.

 

We sat in the large lounge dining room downstairs in comfortable cushioned cane chairs until dinner time. Mne. Michelot arrived just before 7pm opened a bottle of wine filled our glasses then prepared our meal. It was another simple but lovely meal. Homemade pâté and bread to start; a vegetable mixture with rice and two fried eggs, unusual but very nice: Camembert for the cheese course; stewed apples to finish. Mne. M left is to it and when she returned was surprised and pleased to see we had done all the washing up. Before leaving us again she showed us details of a route when we leave tomorrow that goes direct to Marac on a forest track without the dogleg via the road to Leffonds. This should save about 2km on what is to be a long day.

 

After saying good night we finished off the wine and read for a while before getting up to bed. It was very comfortable and quiet out in the country and we were soon sound asleep.

 

 

 

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DAY 28: CLAIRVAUX to CHATEAUVILLAIN

Tuesday 23 September.

 

I had told the Sisters last night when they asked what time we would like breakfast, '7 o'clock'. That appeared to be a bit early for them but they nodded in agreement. It couldn't have been that early as when we came down the stairs Sister Marie was busy cleaning out one of the rooms where an old man had been last night. Sister Blondine had the coffee brewed and fresh bread ready for us. It was the usual light Continental breakfast but we are getting used to it. Before going I entered a comment into the visitor's book and noted that Mark and Xavier from Switzerland who we met before Reims had been here three days ago, they were making good time. It was a donation for our stay here and Moira gave Sister Marie €40, she gave €20 back as a donation for Pancreatic Cancer. There was the usual photo session before we were allowed to get on our way. It had been a very nice stop over and it is remarkable the people you meet who are so kind and helpful. I think the Sisters also enjoy having pilgrims staying there and looking after them.

There was a heavy mist this morning and it was quite cold. Fortunately we could see above the mist and the sky looked cloudless. Later when the sun started to get higher in the sky it quickly burnt off the mist. It warmed up somewhat but there was a cold wind coming from the east. The first kilometre was on the road as we crossed the river L'Aube again and picked up a gravel track that took us over a steep hill. I thought it would drop quickly down the other side to the village of Longchamp-sur-Aujon. It took a lot longer and because of the mist couldn't see where we we going, the track levelled out for a long stretch before dropping to the village. We still weren't sure exactly where we were and I asked a man walking his dog for directions. He confirmed we were on track then soon reached the main road, the D6.

Once over this initial hill it was on tar all the way to the finish in Chateauvillain. The D6 wasn't a very busy road and connected the villages of Maranville, Cirfontaines-en-Azois and Pont-la-Ville in a long wide valley. It was a very enjoyable walk and the valley was truly beautiful, the fields emerald green with more maize growing and now cattle grazing in the meadows. We stopped at Maranville for a break at a seat near a bridge over the river Aujon. Next we had our coffee break at Cirfontaines-en-Azois in a bus shelter that protected us from the cold breeze. We had another breather at Pont-la-Villers before the final 6km to Chateauvillain.

We were still on the D6 until a few kilometres from the finish where we took a detour round a lovely little lake then crossed the railway before entering Chateauvillain. There was a very attractive Cathedral with its steeple framed between the houses as we entered the town. We headed for the Tourist Office as directed by our guide book but it was closed so was the Mairie. They weren't open again until 4pm another 3 hours before we could get information about the gite. We found a spot next to the ancient city walls where there were seats under an awning and there we had lunch. I woman came along and I asked her about the gite, she didn't have any knowledge about it but directed us to a pub with rooms. La Belle Epoche. It was the one on our list and we made for it. It was run by Steve and Maggie Tait from Dumfries in Scotland, so they spoke English. We got a nice room and there was excellent WiFi.

After showering I got all my blogs posted and up to date. Moira showered then went out to find a supermarket for milk and wine. I relaxed stretched out the bed and read the newspapers for the last few days that I had downloaded. It took Moira a while again to find the supermarket but she eventually got there by a circuitous route. After she had a break we went out for a walk around the town. When we arrived the place was dead but livened up after lunch now it was dead again. The Tourist Office and the Mairie were both still closed so we were glad we didn't wait to find out about a gite. We walked around the city walls they weren't anything spectacular, it might have been better if we could have gone on the tour inside and along the tops to the corner towers, but the office was closed. There didn't seem to be any tourists about in what was supposedly an historic town. It was a surprise when we found the Cathedral open and inside some magnificent windows. They were all large colourful depictions of biblical characters, church saints and dignitaries and not the usual mass of small panels in the one window that makes it difficult to see the detail.

With nothing else to do or see we returned to our room and sampled the wine Moira had bought. It was a red from the Rhone and quite nice. With the WiFi being so good I was able to tune into the radio and listen to the news before going down to the restaurant for dinner. We had the beef goulash, a stew in thick gravy with mashed potatoes and a dash of cream on top. It was absolutely delicious with plenty of crusty bread to mop up the sauce. We then had the cheese board, half a dozen different cheese to sample and more bread. By the end we were full and the bill for the meal wasn't much more than we paid for our 'chicken curry' and beer the other night. There was another English couple dining as well, they live locally and we got chatting to them about our walk and the route for the next two days to Langres. They were very friendly by trying to assist with directions and routes to take but tended to confuse rather than help. After Maggie had finished serving she phoned the B&B in Mormant that was recommended by the Sisters last night. There was nobody answering. This resulted in a number of alternative suggestions of other places to stay with the English couple putting in their 'two pennies worth' but all phone calls got no response, maybe everyone around here is dead ! Maggie tried the first one again in Mormant and this time got a reply and booked us in. With that all settled we made our way to bed happily. We paid the bill before retiring, €84 for the room and dinner, and it also includes breakfast in the morning, not too bad.

 

It bed I tuned in again to the radio via the Internet. We listened to a music quiz programme and the panel game 'Just a Minute'. It was relaxing with a lovely meal to digest before getting to sleep.

 

 

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DAY 27: BAR-sur-AUBE to CLAIRVAUX

Monday 22 September.

 

We were awake at our usual time of 6am but there was no hurry to get up the distance we were doing to day was only 12km. I made a cup of tea and we lay in bed with it, Moira reading and me getting my blog up to date ready for the next access to the Internet. It was about 9am when we had breakfasted and packed and set off. There was no surprises with the bill which we paid in the bar downstairs. There were a few early morning drinkers and not just coffee. The barman directed us to a supermarket which was on our route out of town.

 

It was about 5 minutes away and there were three supermarkets together, Lidl, Aldi and Carrefour. We shopped at Aldi and got most of what we wanted there, our guide said there was cooking facilities at the Convent where we were staying tonight so we stocked up. The bags were quite heavy now but as it was a relatively short distance we reckoned we would manage.

 

Now on our way it was only a short distance to the first village of Fontaine on a minor road. We crossed the river L'Aube again here then there was a steep climb to reach a gravel track. Initially it dropped down but after the dip it was a very steep climb through once again rows and rows of vines. We sampled some of the grapes, red and green and they were sweet and juicy. Over the top the landscape was as described in Cicerone, spread out like a map. The village of Baroville sat in a hollow with the hill climbing on the other side, the tracks through the vineyards radiated out in all directions. When we dropped down to the village there was a seat at the Mairie where we had a break and a cup of tea with a mini coconut bar that Moira bought at Aldi.

Out of the village it was another steep climb on tar before veering off onto a wide gravel track. We could see the route in front of us as it climbed steadily through the trees. After this effort with our heavy packs it eased as we dropped down the other side again and joined a wide forest trail in the Sommiere des Moines, a forestry National Park. There was still some climbing to do but not so strenuous as the route undulated through the woods. A short while later we reached a Hunting Club Building where we found the door open and used it for our lunch break. The hut was a bit dilapidated with broken windows and rubbish lying about. There were benches where we could sit down for our bread and cheese with coffee.

After lunch the route description became a bit confusing with all the veering left and right, and joining roads that didn't appear. Fortunately it was also a GR trail and we followed the red and white markers. This eventually took us to a tarred road with a sign telling us 1.5km to Clairvaux. Before reaching the village we had to follow a path round the walls of the Abbaye de Clairvaux which is no longer a religious retreat but a high security prison. Surprisingly when we got to the front gate there was a welcome sign to tourists as part of the old abbey could still be visited. We carried on and found our accommodation, the Fraternity of St. Bernard. Moira knocked on the door and the nun said 'Ecosse', Gerard must have booked us in as the couple from Scotland.

We were then sat down given apple juice and cake, while our room was prepared. It was a lovely room in the hostel next door, it is mainly used for the visitors to the inmates in the prison. The book said it is busy at weekends when most of the visiting takes place, so it seemed empty today. Sister Marie Bertille told us to dine with her and Sister Blondine tonight so we will now have all the food we bought to carry tomorrow again.

 

After showering we looked the route for the next two days. There is a gite and a B&B in the next town of Chateauvillain but after that very little for about 50km. The decision was to check at the Tourist Office tomorrow in Chateauvillain for assistance. About 4pm we went for a walk to the abbey. Through the gate there was a huge courtyard and the building was enormous. I wasn't sure which part was the prison and which the abbey. Also I was frightened to take photographs in case security descended on us and arrested us as spies. There was a notice that you could go on a tour of the abbey but unfortunately it closed at 3pm.

There was also a lovely little chapel at the end of the yard but it was locked up and weeds growing on the entrance porch. At one side of the big building was a huge barred gate, obviously the prison entrance when uniformed guards came in and out. A few other tourists were wandering about just as perplexed by it all as we were. With nothing else to do we returned to our room, had a cup of coffee and read until dinner time.

 

The person commenting in our accommodation list said that the sisters shared their simple meal with him. I don't know what we were expecting but the simple meal we got was a feast. We started with soup and plenty of bread, next was fried chicken breasts with pasta and a tomato sauce. After that a bowl of green salad, grated raddish and a variety of cheeses. I was hoping that was all as I was full but there was dessert, stewed apples. Also I mustn't forget the bottle of delicious red wine. The sisters were both charming and we managed to hold a reasonable conversation even with our limited French and their few English words. Sister Marie had been here for 23 years while Sister Blondine just one year. We were their 107th pilgrim on their way to Rome and the first ones from Scotland. After such a wonderful meal the least we could do was to wash up. Ignoring protests from the Sisters I washed while Moira did the drying.

 

It was now bedtime and before saying goodnight Sister Marie took us outside and pointed out a floodlit statue of St Bernard high on the hill above the hostel. We had seen an arrow pointing to the route up the hill to it earlier but didn't fancy another hill to climb. We got to bed straight away and read for about an hour before getting to sleep. There were another two people staying in the hostel but we didn't hear a sound from them.

 

 

 

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DAY 26: BRIENNE-le-CHATEAU to BAR-sur-AUBE.

Sunday 21 September.

 

J&G couldn't have been very far away from us in the hotel last night as I could hear Jacques snoring through the thin walls. It had been raining during the night, streets were wet when we left but it was dry and the sky looked as if it was clearing. We went all the way through the town past the Tourist Info but this time it was quiet just the stall holders beginning to set up for another day. The route then took us over a grassy track to the village of Brienne-le-Vieille. I had bought some new socks at the market yesterday and was wearing a pair, the rain from last night was still on the grass and my feet were soon soaking.

After Brienne-le-Vieille there was more off-road walking through lovely wooded countryside but the rain returned. It wasn't ever heavy but it continued on and off until mid-afternoon. By the time we came out of the forest at Dienville my feet were thoroughly soaked and my new socks stained with mud.

We had a stop on a wall beside the church just for a rest then it was road walking to the next village of Unienville where we found a bus shelter to brew up a cup of tea and a biscuit. The rain was quite heavy as we sheltered but it eased off when starting off again. Our next stop after more road walking was the village of Jessains where we sat on the wall outside the church. The church door was open and we thought there was a service taking place but Moira had a look and the church was empty. It was raining yet again so we sheltered inside and it was a pleasant surprise. A beautiful little church in a tiny village with a remarkable colourful window behind the altar. There was a visitors book which I filled in and also left a card, maybe it will bring a donation or two.

The route was easy to follow now, it kept to the D46 all the way to the end at Bar-sur-Aube. It was a quiet minor road and went through a series of small villages. The first Dolancourt had a bus shelter near the church and it was a very convenient spot for our lunch break. We had a good feed today, hard boiled eggs, a pâté sandwich and a cheese one, an apple and a cup of coffee. From there still on the D46 we went through Jaucourt and Proverville before crossing the river L'Aube and into Bar-sur-Aube. The agriculture varied along today's route, still plenty of maize and there were more vineyards appearing but lots of sunflowers and rape ready for harvesting. We had a break just before Proverville after really pushing hard for half an hour to get some distance in, so we were really surprised when J&G appeared while we were resting. It was a 5 minutes start we gave them and caught up with them again just as we entered Bar-sur-Aube. The speed they walk there was no way they could have suddenly caught up with us unless they had got a lift in a car. Moira remarked that when she spotted them coming along the road there had been a car close by !

One advantage of having them in front now was that we were able to follow them to the hotel. Also when we got to the Pomme d'Or it was closed and Gerard was able to phone and get somebody out with the keys. The hotel was a bit run down but the room was nice enough. I made a cup of coffee and then we showered. The water was piping hot and we both felt much better afterwards. My back hadn't been too bad today but I have to keep adjusting the straps on my rucksack whenever I get twinges of pain. The next big place along the Via is Chateauvillian, 31 km away. We checked with J&G what they were doing and they were heading there. We were looking for an easy day and found that there was a Convent in the village of Clairvaux. Gerard kindly phoned them and booked us in, it is only about 10 km and will give us an 'active rest day'.

 

After satisfactorily arranging accommodation for tomorrow the next thing was something to eat. The hotel restaurant was closed so we headed for the 'centre ville' . When coming through the town earlier it was completely dead with everything closed but now there was a few signs of life. There was a pizzeria open, well not quite there were getting ready to open in 15 minutes. We decided to walk on and come back later for a pizza. Further along we changed our minds when we saw a little eating place that had chicken curry chalked on its menu board outside. We ordered that but it turned out to be little pieces of fried spicy chicken and chips. It was all right but cost 'an arm and a leg', together with two beers - €23. Going back we still felt hungry and bought a small pizza. We had it our room with a cup of tea.

 

There was supposed to be WiFi but there weren't any services showing on the iPad. I think everything was shut down here except for two rooms. We read the newspaper and got to sleep early tired after two long days of walking.

 

 

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