Stage 17: Saint-Quentin to La Fère

A lot went wrong today, but a lot went right.

What went right: by using an alternate route I was able to shorten the distance thereby helping my bum knee. Also the countryside, friendly cows and villages were quite nice.

What went wrong: no place to sit down without getting wet meant 7 1/2 hours straight of walking. Towards the end the GPS went crazy and had me scrambling under barbed wire fences, traipsing through thigh-high plants, slogging through ankle-deep marsh, and slipping/sliding/climbing/falling in stinging nettles. My legs are still stinging but at least the blood is gone. And I found dead bugs in my soggy shoes.Read more