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El Camino

Ogos - Oktober 2023
Pengembaraan 67hari oleh Stewart Baca lagi
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  • PengembaraEl Camino
    Hari 17

    Nantes

    28 Ogos 2023, Perancis ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    I was shattered yesterday. I had walked 46 miles in two days with an 10 or 12kg pack and I just needed a rest.
    So I treated myself to a day in Nantes! I love a continental city; always vibrant, cultured and well dressed.

    The sixth largest city in France, Nantes used to be the capital of Brittany when the two countries were separate. It was a commercial port and responsible for nearly half of the French Atlantic slave trade. Instead of downplaying this, the city believes that we need to be reminded how much of the wealth of the city was derived, and to reflect on that when we enjoy its riches.

    To this end it has built the Memorial to the Abolition of Slavery. I haven't taken photos because they could not convey the power of the piece which is very large and on two levels. The effect is visceral. One part of the installation is a walkway along the Loire, a bit like a section of the Embankment in London. Inset in the walkway are small glass bricks, like fallen confetti after a wedding. At first sight it is a wonder to see the light reflecting from the many, scattered glass pieces. Then you look at the bricks close up and you notice it is engraved with a name. The name of a ship. A slave ship. And there are so many ships. And it's a walkway so people are just walking over them. Just watching and taking this in is extremely moving.

    In total, it is estimated that twelve million people were enslaved in the Atlantic slave trade, and one and a half million died onboard the boat.

    Naturally this gets you thinking. Of course, I can't change history but I can be aware of the danger of perceiving differences and attaching negative values to those perceived differences. Seeing the difference and not the whole. Slavery was built upon differentiation. In fact, when I think about it, differentiation is at the root of many evils.

    Photos - giant mechanical elephant!, elegant shopping at Passage de Pommeraye, castle, man rolling back tarmac    Baca lagi

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  • PengembaraEl Camino
    Hari 19

    Clisson

    30 Ogos 2023, Perancis ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    I'm in Clisson but I've only seen the campsite and the supermarket so I'll take photos tomorrow.

    I felt a little sad as I walked out of the hotel this morning. Nantes was lovely and I do enjoy cities. I won't see another city until I reach Vitoria Gasteiz in the heart of the Basque country some time in October. There will be towns but they don't have anywhere near the same quality of 'people watching' and Nantes had some great watching to be done. From bag ladies to poseurs, Nantes had the full range.

    That sadness soon evaporated when I was back in the countryside, walking along the Sèvre and exchanging Bonjour! with every passing stranger. I'd missed that.

    I'm in the Loire region so I've walked through acres of vineyards and it's lovely. Specifically I'm in Sèvre et Maine. I've seen that name on bottles in Sainsbury's and now I know what it is! It's been great walking as the path alternated between vineyards and the gentle Sèvre. And I haven't pinched a single grape! Yet.

    When I crossed into the Loire region a couple of days ago, I noticed that it is not unusual to see a crucifix on a street corner. I don't know if this is a deeply religious area but it certainly feels like it. I've included some examples in the photos.

    Near the end of the walk I became a little lost in some woods. I heard a voice call out 'St Jacques?' and I replied 'Oui'. I looked around and saw an old guy beckoning me. He knew I was lost and asked me where I was going and said he would walk me back to the track. As we walked he asked me about what I was doing, if it was lonely and that sort of thing. He then told me about his holiday in the Alps and even showed me photos. When we reached the point to go our separate ways, we shook hands and he wished me all the best. It was a lovely little chat and all in French. Of course, he did most of the talking and my sentences had gaping holes that he filled for me but it was still a very dear moment.

    Photos - the slow flowing Sèvre, a grotto associated with Lourdes, a roadside statue, crucifix, grapes!, berries from pathway bramble - favourite walking snack!    Baca lagi

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  • PengembaraEl Camino
    Hari 20

    Saint Fulgent

    31 Ogos 2023, Perancis ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    It was 3am when the rain woke me up. I didn't make a shelter the previous night as it was a beautiful evening and the forecast was good. I pulled the bivvy up to cover my face. Claustrophobic but dry. I woke again at four and remembered my rucksack and some of my kit were exposed, but I was just too tired. At five I mustered the resolve to ferry my gear to the toilet block. I was soaked and so was a lot of my stuff. Thankfully my quilt was relatively dry; it doesn't insulate when wet so if that's wet then I don't get to sleep. Normally I would hang stuff on my pack to dry but it has just been continual rain today up until early evening. It's raining as I write this and the forecast isn't looking great. But it's all part of the deal. I'm sure I'll learn something from it. Something other than don't do stupid things I hope.

    I met a lady called Muriel today who told me she and her husband walked from Du Puy-en-Velay to Roncesvalles over the course of a month. This is the French section of a pilgrimage that runs across the south of France and continues to Santiago de Compostela. She asked me when I started mine and I replied August. She thought I had got my French months mixed up and recited June, July August in French accompanied by her unique sign language. I had to show her this website before she believed me. She told me I need to slow down before I hurt my legs!

    Photos - the rain curtailed my photo opportunities but here's the medieval market hall in Clisson, Clisson chateau, the impressive walls of Montaigu, the river Maine as in 'Sèvre et Maine', sunflowers looking how I felt in the rain.    Baca lagi

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  • PengembaraEl Camino
    Hari 21

    Chantonnay

    1 September 2023, Perancis ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    I camped in a bloke's garden last night (he did know) but I seriously wished I hadn't. Accommodation is really sparse around here and I found this guy on a site called Homecamper, couch surfing on grass in effect. The guy looked like a wide eyed Jeff Goldblum with a goatie. He acted surprised that I had turned up that day. I wasn't sure if it was a joke and explained that I spoke very little French. He replied "No problem" in English and proceeded to talk in very fast French. When he pointed the garden I thought "hoarder!". Old plastic swimming pool (which had no water in but it appeared to have a layer of rice pudding at the bottom), decrepit caravan, numerous old kids toys, geese (yes, live geese),several ladders. I could go on. He pointed to where I should camp. As I got my shelter set up he watched me from the house and he did the same when I took it down in the morning. The guy just freaked me out with his fixed stare. I found myself fabricating a narrative about how his broken marriage sent him off the rails. And then his suggested pitch was awful. It continued raining in the night and part of the pitch developed a puddle so I had to move my stuff around. That has been the worst night I've had on this trip by a long way. Fortunately tonight's looks a whole lot better!

    The path I am following at the moment isn't the best. It is very bitty so I have to keep checking if I'm going the right way, and I seem to have to walk two kilometers to advance by one. Added to that there are very few shops over the next few days which just adds more diversions. So, over the next couple of days, I am going walk across to another route which looks more favourable. Fingers crossed.

    Photos - I didn't take many photos because I left my cable at freaky man's house and didn't wante to waste my battery, but first up is Parc-Soubise. During the wars of the Republic in 1794, 200 people were shot at point blank range by Republican soldiers. The last to be shot was an eight year old boy but the General said "That's enough!" and the boy was the only survivor. He watched as they stripped and searched the corpses which included his friends and relatives. I watched a documentary about Northern Ireland recently and one of the interviewees said good people were doing bad things. That was ringing in my head as I looked at Parc-Soubise.

    My only other photo was a baguette vending machine. Only in France!    Baca lagi

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  • PengembaraEl Camino
    Hari 22

    Saint Juire

    2 September 2023, Perancis ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    I don't know what came first, the storm or the dog, but I do know it was three in the morning. The lightning was almost constant. It was like someone was having trouble with a giant florescent lightbulb. I remember hearing the dog bark before I saw him. He came and sat with me and we watched the storm together. Well he did a fair bit of fidgeting too! The storm lasted an hour but the dog stayed afterwards and did his best to get on my mattress. I fought him off until I fell asleep. I woke again at 6.30 to see that he'd won and my legs were on the grass. I've since been told his name is Benco. He doesn't like storms so he escaped from the pen he shares at night with two other dogs and would've been glad of my company.

    I camped in someone else's garden last night but this experience was the complete opposite of the previous one. Jerome is a real character. A wall of muscle with blonde curly hair and an ear to ear smile. His kids gave him a ribbing about his attempts at English. I didn't know he tried. I only knew there were bits that I couldn't understand at all. I think he was just making up his own words. He is so nice he invited me to eat with his family but I was too tired unfortunately. The funniest thing about Jerome is his work. He runs a fleet of ambulances (I guess ambulances are private in France) and a funeral parlour! How is that for diversifying along the supply chain?

    Today has been lovely. A little bit of rain but enough sun to dry my stuff and the walking has been good.

    Photos - Saint Juire, my mate at 3am, and again at 6.30 am having taken the mattress, my shelter in Jerome's garden, Jerome's business (headstones on the right, ambulances at the back),drying my stuff at the side of the path during a dry spell.    Baca lagi

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  • PengembaraEl Camino
    Hari 23

    Fontenay Le Comte

    3 September 2023, Perancis ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    "La marche n'est pas autorisée sur cette route!", the lady called from the car window. As I walked over to her I explained I was English and couldn't speak French. It gave her some context and it gave me some time to divine the essence of what was being said. She repeated it but this time she made a walking action with one hand and wagged her finger with the other. I wasn't allowed to walk on this road. "But I am walking to Thiré" I said. She gave me the same message a third time accompanied with a shrug of the shoulders and, what felt like, a mocking laugh. Then she drove off. Outside of the hotel, that lady was the only person I spoke to until I reached Fontenay.

    But Fontenay is a pretty oasis in this green desert. I have walked for fourteen miles without seeing another pedestrian. Plenty of cars, a handful of cyclists but no-one with their feet on the ground. In that time, I hadn't seen a shop and the only water I'd seen was being used to spray fields. From tomorrow I'll be following an official route so at least I'll have the worry of jaywalking lifted. Still, walking south of Nantes takes a lot more planning than when I was walking in the North. The temperature is over thirty so plenty of water is a necessity. In the North I would stumble across a tap somewhere or take from the river. That's not an option here. That said, this certainly has more of an adventure feel to it and it makes you appreciate places like Fontenay

    The place I stayed at last night was in the tiny village of St Juire. It was run by a mother and daughter who were constantly bickering but in a light hearted way; plenty of hands on hips and eye rolling followed by a wink and a laugh. I had planned to eat at the bar in the village but this was closed because of problems with the plumbing. The nearest alternative was a six mile round trip and there was no taxi service. I asked if I could get something delivered. Only on a Friday was the answer. The pizza man does weddings on a Saturday, takes Sunday and Monday off and delivers to other villages the rest of the week. So it was me and my last sachet of Aynsley's cous cous for tea. Unfortunately, I had lost my spoon in my panic to get away from Jeff Goldblum's house so my only cutlery was a credit card. Yet another first!

    Photos - the oasis that is Fontenay, you know it's hot when sunflowers look like this, my view for most of the day, a pilgrim's silhouette...walking poles, parasol, and freshly laundered underwear pinned to his back to dry.    Baca lagi

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  • PengembaraEl Camino
    Hari 24

    Benon

    4 September 2023, Perancis ⋅ ☀️ 36 °C

    For the last four days I've been walking through the region Vendée and it's been the hardest walking of the trip so far. However today I crossed to a département called La Charente Maritime and it's like being back in the France I enjoyed so much. The villages have a centre with a church, a bar and a general stores, rather than being a string of houses and barns, there are shady avenues, and there are people who walk and smile and say 'Bonjour!'. It's great to be back!

    I'm having conversations again too, three today. One lady on a bike kindly told me I was going the wrong way and I needed to go back. I explained that I was going straight to my accommodation because it was too hot to be out for long. She told me I must follow the path to St Jacques, I needed to go back to Maillé and ask at the bar for directions. I could see she wasn't going to take any flannel so I agreed and headed back to the bar. As soon as she was out of sight I went back to taking the direct route, a little nervous in case I saw her again.

    I had a great chat with a guy who was really interested in the route I had taken. He spoke in English and I in French. He wanted to know my route but he was super picky about my pronunciation of place names. He wouldn't let me continue until I'd copied him to his satisfaction. It took me ages to get past Saint-Juire-Champgillon! For all his pickiness, it was the best French lesson I've ever had. We shook hands and he wished me luck "mon ami".

    Photos - the curious nineteenth century clock/bell tower of Benon, the oversized twelfth century Romanesque church in Maillé, a reminder of home...a canal, the fortified church of Courçon, it's hot, a signpost!    Baca lagi

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  • PengembaraEl Camino
    Hari 25

    Surgères

    5 September 2023, Perancis ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    I need to do a better job of washing socks. They were drying in the top of my rucksack so that each time I turned my head, or the breeze changed direction, I would get a hit of dessicating seaweed. I'll add that to the life lessons I'm picking up, along with don't pack slugs in your rucksack.

    Last night's stay was lovely. I had the choice of paying thirty euros for a family centric camp (with Kidz Klub and karaoke) or fifty euros for a room. I fancied getting some sleep so I went for the latter. A young couple had converted their garage into a room to rent. It was all pretty new and super chic with bare stone walls and a sauna. The thing that did it for me, though, was that she had put a bowl of fresh figs in the fridge so that I had something refreshing when I arrived. I also had her homemade magdalenas. Deeelish!

    Today was a short walk as my planning was thrown up in the air when one of the sites I was planning to camp at turned out to be a naturist resort. But it's given me time to see pretty Surgères and its eleventh century Romanesque church and reconstructed castle walls. It will also give me the chance to rest a pain I have developed today in one of the muscles by the ankle. I'll see how it feels in the morning.

    Photos - Surgères church and castle walls, shady avenues are a blessing in hot weather, magdalena anyone?    Baca lagi

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  • PengembaraEl Camino
    Hari 26

    Saintes

    6 September 2023, Perancis ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    So last night my shin/ankle became painful enough for me to be limping quite heavily. I was becoming concerned I was going to have to call it a day. This morning it was a lot better but still sore. I decided to get the train to cover the 26 miles to Saintes. That way I would be in a town with good transport links and I would be able to rest for a couple of days.

    Tonight I'm staying in a refuge for pilgrims. It's a mixed dorm with kitchen and bathroom. It's actually part of the church of St Eutrope so I guess it's Medieval. It has tiny doorways and Romanesque arches and the wall at the head of my bed separates me from the basilica!

    Saintes is lovely and certainly worth visiting for the day if you're passing. It's quite small but full of history and sits on the River Charente.

    Photos - the arch of Germanicus, two photos of the still in use Abbaye des Dames, the market, the tomb of St Eutrope... Pilgrims have been visiting the tomb on their way to Santiago since Medieval times so this was a 'must see'. St Eutrope was sent to convert the Gauls in the third century but was martyred in the process. Last photo is the church of St Eutrope.    Baca lagi

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  • PengembaraEl Camino
    Hari 26

    Saintes II

    6 September 2023, Perancis ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    I saw a guy delivering illicit parcels to the prison prison here. I was walking towards this man who was hurling things at this large building . My first thought was, "Flipping heck mate that was a good throw, I think it went over!" My reading of the situation was that he was seeing how high he could bounce a ball off a big building. But nothing bounced back. And then I thought he was a bit old to be playing games like that. As I neared I saw his edginess and that he wasn't throwing balls at all. I looked on the map and sure enough it was the town prison. It felt unreal that this was happening in the middle of town in broad daylight. He briskly walked off when I got my phone out. If only he knew I was only on Google maps.

    I had to be out of the place I was staying early so I ended up doing some laundry in the first sink I found. Unfortunately it was the park's public toilets, and there was only one sink. This meant that if someone wanted to wash their hands I had to lift my washing out of the sink. It only happened a couple of times but it doesn't half make you feel humble.

    I feel like my leg is fixed so I'm heading for Royan tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

    Photos - The river Charente flowing through Saintes, Saintes cathedral, the church I slept to last night. Sitting on "our bench".    Baca lagi

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