• Susan Smyth Lovberg
  • Susan Smyth Lovberg

Via Francigena

Et 40-dagers eventyr av Susan Les mer
  • Stage 6c

    25. april 2023, Frankrike ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F

    The woman at this café was extraordinarily nice. She whipped up some fries and a typical dish from the region involving various meats in a gelatin called potjevleesch. It means small meat salad.

  • Stage7: Tournehem-sur-la-Hem to Wisques

    26. april 2023, Frankrike ⋅ ☁️ 36 °F

    Fields of wheat and colza, a couple windmills. No rain today!

    Belén injured her foot so after some frantic activity we found someone to drive her to Saint-Omen where she’ll catch the train tomorrow and head for home.

    I continued on and am staying at the Abbaye de Notre Dame in Wisques. Sixteen cloistered nuns live here. Sœur Lucie is a dynamo.
    Les mer

  • Stage 8a

    27. april 2023, Frankrike ⋅ ☁️ 39 °F
  • Stage 9c

    28. april 2023, Frankrike ⋅ 🌬 57 °F

    Too cold and drizzly to visit the home of St Benedict Joseph Labre. ☹️

  • Stage 10: Amettes to Bruay-la-Buissière

    29. april 2023, Frankrike ⋅ ☁️ 45 °F

    Lots of forest paths and a good number of cultivated and uncultivated fields. A couple more small, dead animals (unphotographed). A road between fields with lots of small potatoes, even though the fields were wheat. Weird.
    I managed to slightly twist, or maybe just fatigue, my ankle, so I added an hour to my day hunting down a pharmacy.
    Bruay-la-Buissière is an ugly former mining town.
    Les mer

  • Stage 11: Bruay-la-B to Ablain Saint-Naz

    30. april 2023, Frankrike ⋅ ⛅ 50 °F

    Made it to Ablain Saint Nazaire in spite of a bum ankle. Very long, hot day through lots of forests, rolling hills, farmland….and WWI battle sites and a huge cemetery (45,000 graves).

    One trail ended up at a locked fence so yours truly had to toss her hat, sticks and pack over the top and then climb over. That was a first. It was that or turn around and repeat about 5 miles. That was never going to happen…..

    Now my left knee is blown out. It happened for no apparent reason about 30 minutes before arriving in Ablain Saint-Nazaire. So excellent timing. I’ll have to decide tomorrow what I can and cannot do.
    Les mer

  • Stage 13: Arras to Bapaume

    1. mai 2023, Frankrike ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F

    My knee is still iffy so I am off of it through tomorrow. Hobbled about a bit in Arras this morning and then took a bus to Bapaume.

    I’d never seen black tulips before. 🤔

  • Stage 12: Ablain Saint-Nazaire to Arras

    1. mai 2023, Frankrike ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    So…… somehow I blew out my knee yesterday, luckily only about 30 minutes before arriving in Ablain Saint-Nazaire. After much thought I reluctantly decided to rest my knee for a day or two. My host drove me back to the cemetery to see the Ring of Remembrance, and then his wife drove me to Arras. Tomorrow another bus, to Bapaume.

    Today is 1 May so most businesses are closed. There was a giant anti-Macron market in one square and a loud concert in the other. Another demonstration, which I missed. Nothing interesting. I did happen upon a nice Mass at the church of Saint Jean-Baptiste, with singing nuns from Lens and a priest from Africa.

    The first photos are from the gîte where I stayed.

    The cemetery and memorial are wrenching. The cemetery holds 45,000 graves from one battle. The town was on the front line for almost 4 years, and was completely razed. In all, in this small region, almost 600,000 soldiers died. Their names are inscribed in the Ring. Lots of Smyths listed.
    Les mer