France
Crinchon

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  • Day 1

    Start Köln -> Hendaye

    September 10, 2024 in France ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    Heute startet meine Reise zum nördlichen Jakobsweg. Er beginnt planmäßig an der französisch/spanischen Grenze in Irun und verläuft an der nordspanischen Atlantikküste durch das Baskenland, Kantabrien, Asturien und Galicien bis nach Santiago de Compostela (Gesamtstrecke: 823,3 km). Alternativ kann noch bis Finisterre gepilgert werden, sodass sich eine Gesamtstrecke von 912,7 km ergibt. Da ich jedoch nicht vorhabe täglich um die 90 km zu wandern, sondern eher 20-30 km, werde ich sehr wahrscheinlich nicht die gesamte Strecke pilgern.

    Kurz zur Geschichte und Motivation für die Pilgerreise:
    Der Legende nach wurde der Leichnam des Apostel Jakobus nach Santiago de Compostela gebracht, um seine letzte Ruhe dort zu finden. Dies führte dazu, dass die katholische Kirche einen Machtanspruch auf dieses Gebiet voraussetzte. Im Mittelalter pilgerte man oft unter lebensgefährlichen Bedingungen nach Santiago de Compostela als Zeichen der Verehrung des heiligen Apostels Jakobus und der Treue zum christlichen Glauben. Hoffnung lag in der Vergebung von Sünden oder die Heilung einer Krankheit und nicht alle Pilgerer waren freiwillig unterwegs, sondern teils als Strafe zur Sühne ihrer Schuld.
    Heute kann die Motivation zur Pilgerschaft immernoch religiöser / spiritueller Natur sein. Jedoch überwiegen oft auch das Interesse an spanischer Kultur und Küche, der Wunsch nach sportlicher Betätigung, der Kontakt mit Gleichgesinnten aus den verschiedensten Kulturen oder der Wunsch nach einer kostengünstigen Urlaubsgestaltung mit einem bewusst gewähltem einfachen Lebensstil.

    Bevor ich jedoch meine Pilgerschaft antreten kann, sitze ich vorerst noch im Bus von Köln (10.09 12:00) über Paris (10.09 21:00) nach Hendaye (Südfrankreich, 11.09 09:15), von wo ich dann auf Transportmittel Füße umsteigen werde.
    Ich melde mich dann nach meiner ersten Etappe mit hoffentlich schönen Bildern und gutem Wetter erneut ☀️ Aktuell ist es leider sehr regnerisch, aber noch sitze ich im trockenen Bus! :)
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  • Day 18

    Day 15 - Arras to Bapaume

    May 5, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Today, there were periods of brilliant sunshine in what was mainly an overcast, windy, and rainy day! I even broke out the rain jacket. Arras is impressive, large, and very old - there is a lot to see (if you have the time). I came across a new Camino today in Arras: Saint-Jacques de Compostelle. I'll have to look it up. I followed the markers for a while, but as it was running in the opposite direction of the VF, I had to turn around. I dropped into the Commonwealth War Graves Commission on my way out of town and had a self-guided tour of the facilities. And, just after visiting one of the actual cemeteries, Sunken Road, a very nice man started to talk to me as we walked along. He knew a lot about Australian War Graves, so I assumed he worked for the Commission - no, he did not! His job is the check on the VF signs to make sure they are in place. I thanked him profusely. The final highlight of my day was seeing three pheasants, one very close up, and a lot of cotton tailed rabbits (not hares). The bush is some sort of nettle. Whenever my skin comes into contact with it, there is a mild sting, but the tingling sensation lasts for hours.Read more

  • Day 17

    Day 14 - Souchez to Arras

    May 4, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Another wonderful walk today, which means I'm exhausted! I know I took too many photos, but who cares? I am a little disturbed and confused by the disconnect between the VF app and the VF sign posts that appear on the roads! I have to follow the app, I'm too scared not too and today, the two (sign posts and app) did not coincide before the first 10 km and then lost each other again in the afternoon! It probably means I'm walking further, but I'll take it. I crossed the same rail line four times today (under, over and on, twice). The big risk I took today was taking off my knee brace! My knee has now decided it is strong and capable and can support me without help, and I'm giving it free rein. Sometimes, the path is a little overgrown- but it's always there. Arras is AMAZING! One last thing, the water here in France is sooooo clear!Read more

  • Day 18

    Vimy Ridge Canadian Memorial

    December 31, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C

    Vimy Ridge Memorial is Canada’s largest overseas national memorial.

    On land granted by France to the Canadian people, the memorial towers over the scene of Canada’s most recognizable WWI engagement, the Battle of Vimy Ridge, fought from 9 to 12 April 1917.

    It commemorates all Canadians who served, particularly the 60,000 who gave their lives in France. It also bears the names of 11,000 Canadian servicemen who died in France - many of them in the fight for Vimy Ridge - who have no known grave.
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  • Day 7

    Somme/Villers-Bretonneux/Thiepval

    September 5, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    What a perfect day to visit battlefields and grave yards. By that I mean it was rainy and overcast. Somme was one of the worst engagements of the war. Record number of casualties. The Villers-Bretonneux memorial is to the Australian soldiers who lost their lives. The Thiepval memorial honors the British and South Africans who died with no known graves. Finally, we dropped in on several cathedrals to admire 17th century architecture. Nick took a fall and needs your emotional support. Let him know how you feel.Read more

  • Day 7

    Overnachten in Arras/Atrecht

    June 1, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    De laatste avond is aangebroken. Jan & Harry zijn inmiddels thuis.
    Wij nog gezellig met z'n 4-en, voor de laatste keer deze week, uit eten in het centrum van Arras. Dat ziet er verrassend mooi uit met allerlei mooie gebouwen, kerken en terrassen Uiteindelijk terecht gekomen bij Brasserie 'Au Bureau'. Hier hebben we lekker gegeten aan een hoge tafel. Drankje erbij en nog even de afgelopen week doorgenomen. We hebben alle 4 genoten en Jan & Har ook volgens mij!! Morgen op tijd rijden en heerlijk weer naar huis!Read more

  • Day 34

    Arras - Western Front Battlefields

    October 10, 2023 in France ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    We spent two days with Phil Hora - an Australian expat who lives in Arras - touring the western Front battlefield sites. Phil specialises in Australian tours and I thoroughly recommend him (Sacred Ground tours). I sent him information on my great uncle George who died here and he had located the actual paddocks that he was fighting in when he was killed. It was quite moving to stand in that paddock all this time later and reflect on those events. Later we visited his grave in one of the 2925 Commonwealth War Graves in this region! The following day he tracked down - with info from Helen - areas Jane’s grandfather worked as a field hospital surgeon.
    The loss of life is staggering when you consider that in the four years of stalemate there were major battles, resulting in hundreds of thousands of causalities on both sides, that resulted in maybe 2 to 4 kms of territory gained - sometime a couple of 100 metres! At the battle of Pozieres 6800 Australian men died in 7 weeks! By the end of the war it is estimated 15 to 22 million soldiers from all sides died.
    The respect from the French and Belgium people is amazing and to this day they honour the Australian troops who fought here ( as well as the other nations) by donating their land and their time for cemeteries, memorials and museums.
    The British High Command made disastrous after disastrous decisions in the first three years and I’m surprised we won! The tide turned when the Aussi, Kiwi and Canadian battalions were united under their own generals who had innovative battle plans the bore results and decreased deaths. In our case General John Monash - a civil engineer - who was the only person knighted on the battlefield during the war after his stunning victories in 1918. The new Monash centre at Villers-Brettenoux is a superb information museum opened in 2017 - the quality of all the museums is very high. All up a very sobering but enlightening experience.
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  • Day 11

    Arras 13 miles

    July 23, 2023 in France ⋅ 🌧 21 °C

    I know that I am sometimes reluctant to leave a cosy tent to head for the loo in the wee small hours but that is nothing compared with the fear of leaving my room during the night knowing that there is a monstrous hound sleeping between my room and the toilet. Just in case I didn’t need reminded it had a 5 minute howling at the moon episode at about midnight. Had me wide awake enough to remember something I had promised to do earlier. Hadn’t even managed to write the day’s report as I was mentally knackered after the dinner trauma. Lights out about 9pm.

    A dreich start to the day. Couldn’t wait to get going to escape that slavering Brutus. Stopped at a bus shelter to write yesterday’s diary. Rain pretty much stopped by the time I got going again.

    As usual I was bemused by the French habit of using the pavement for parking their cars. Not much thought given to pedestrians.

    Staying tonight in a Catholic hostel which can house hundreds, mostly in dormitories but luckily also small rooms. Think I might be the only guest tonight. No breakfast available. It started pouring down soon after I arrived at about 2.30pm and just didn’t let up. By 7pm when I thought I might be able to find a restaurant open it was still chucking it down. Big decision to make. Given that it would be about a mile in torrential rain to get anywhere and I only have emergency lightweight waterproofs and no waterproof footwear was I that hungry? I have been carrying an emergency bar of tablet from home but I hadn’t eaten since a very brief and inadequate breakfast. Greed got the better of me and I headed out. Found an Indian restaurant which was empty but seemed ok to have me drip everywhere. Lovely meal sitting alone. No dogs. No polite conversation except with the waiter who insisted on showing me lots of photos of his mother. Maybe he thought I needed a companion. No wonder I don’t understand social interactions.
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  • Day 10

    Ablain-Saint-Nazaire 17 miles

    July 22, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Usual start to the day although one of the poorer breakfasts so far. Fine walking though. In the morning I came upon some sort of mini Centre Parks affair with lots of folk eating outside. Could have joined them but just seemed too early in the fairly long day to have a break. Kept going as there was a boulangerie shown later on. Sound thinking except it was shut.

    Late on I came to the vast cemetery at Notre-Dame de Lorette which has the remains of 40,000 French soldiers. That was sobering enough as was the adjoining museum but what was worse was the “Ring of Memory” nearby which has the names of 580,000 soldiers of all nationalities killed in the region between 1914 and 1918. Quite a few Kilpatricks so I assume there must have been a Scottish regiment involved. A number is just a number but when you see all the names written down it hits a little harder.

    Anyway it meant I was later arriving at the next accommodation which was useful as I had been told not to arrive before 5.30pm. This was a strange affair, unlike anything I have stayed in elsewhere but not uncommon on the Via. This was a new house with a straightforward middle-aged, middle-class couple who welcome pilgrims as guests into their house, supplying evening meal and breakfast. I couldn’t make out why. They did charge 60€ but I don’t think it was about the money. Possibly just interested in meeting folk. It was on their own terms. Arrive after 5.30pm, only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, must be booked in advance, rucksack had to be left in the garage, no shoes inside the house etc. All very understandable. The trouble for me came with the meals. As most of you know my social skills are practically non-existent. This has only been heightened by 10 days of virtually hermit levels of communication. When in company I much prefer sitting quietly and listening rather than chipping in. My family are more than capable of filling in any gaps admirably. Additionally I struggle with eating noises, apart from my own, naturally, so eating with some folk can sometimes be deeply unpleasant. And as a final blow they had a large dog that found the presence of someone new to sniff etc all too inviting. The food, although otherwise excellent was very dry. Another problem of mine. “Where’s the sauce?” springs to mind. Painfully aware that all these problems were in my head. What a nutter sometimes.
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  • Day 63

    The Somme

    July 4, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    We travelled around the Somme battlefields today where the Australians fought and thousands died. Seeing the terrain and hearing the information from our expert guide, a military historian, really gives an insight into the battles and what went right, what went wrong, and why.

    After our visit to Tyne Cot we saw the areas where the battles of Bullecourt, Pozieres and the Somme were fought, as well as some of the cemeteries.

    A few figures:

    * the Australians lost 10000 men at Bullecourt in two weeks.
    * the British lost 60000 at Poziers, the Australians lost 23000.
    * the Thiepval memorial lists the names of 72000 missing British soldiers with no known grave.

    There are cemeteries literally everywhere and it is all so depressingly sad.
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