France
Arrondissement de Laon

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    • Day 23

      Day 20 - Seraucourt la Grand to Tergnier

      May 10, 2023 in France ⋅ 🌧 10 °C

      The rain held off for the first 5 km or so, and then, all the gear, my rain gear, and my backpack that I had managed to dry overnight got soaked all over again! The walk started across farmland on what was an old stone road and then became a lengthy walk next to the Canal du Saint Quentin with only one quagmire to contend with. It was lovely. I saw some herons and another six locks (no photos as they all look pretty much alike). I got to Tergnier and tried at three places to get accommodation (not one responded to my previous emails and I can't ring as my UK SIM will not let me make calls) and the only 'Hotel' open (apparently this is a 'recovering' area) doesn't offer accommodation anymore! Luckily, there is a train station here so I'm cheating and catching the train to Laon! To be perfectly honest, it's probably for the best as the walk between Tergnier and Laon is at least 39 km, and the forecast is for thunderstorms tomorrow! I'm not up for that. I saw a lot of pilgrim spray on signs today, and I've added some in my pics.Read more

    • Day 24

      Day 21 - rest day (Laon)

      May 11, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

      Laon is my very first medieval town, so you will have to excuse me for being awestruck. I took a lot of photos today and did not capture a tenth of the place. In some ways, the narrow streets and closeness of everything can be a little claustrophobic and foreboding and a little sad, as you are surrounded by buildings that appear to be holding each other up, and just barely at that. The ramparts are huge and well maintained. I was disappointed not to be able to visit the Chapel of the Knights Templar as it was being renovated. P.S. I'm sleeping in the attic room, of a four storey 1800s building, and have to climb 57 steps to get up there!Read more

    • Day 25

      Day 22 - Laon to Corbeny

      May 12, 2023 in France ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

      Some really fantastic walking today. Of course, it was raining when I left Laon, but the worst of it was gone around midday. After leaving the misty peaks of Laon and the surrounding urban area, there was some farmland walking (I walked through some wheat fields), some (artificial) lake side walking (Lac de l'Ailette), and a good bit of forest walking - just lovely. I saw a fox today, bold as brass. It had no fear of me at all, and some white swans in their natural habitat. P.S. I should have mentioned the Chemin du Roi (the Kings path) with this post - it was very much a highlight of the day; magnificent trees and a really lovely path.Read more

    • Day 26

      Day 23 - Corbeny to Hermonville

      May 13, 2023 in France ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

      I walked under the sun today. What a treat! The best part of my day, though, was getting into my accommodation just minutes before the forecast "thundershowers" came down with a vengeance! I saw some actual barges on the Canal Lateral a l'Aisne, and I'm now in Champagne! So, all the bubbly I drink here will be the real thing. Not much mud today, but it was the sticky kind that makes you lose your boot tread - so some gingerly stepping from me. I followed a pheasant along the path for some distance and from some distance back. Naturally, that distraction made me miss my turnoff, but I recovered. Anyway, pheasants appear to be like chickens (not in appearance) in that they can fly but prefer to walk. My achievement today; I climbed up 250 m, after leaving one village, only to have to descend that same 250 m to get into Hermonville. I had a good laugh at the statue of Don Quixote in the meals room of my hotel from last night at Corbeny - are they having a subtle dig, or not so subtle dig, at us pilgrims? Just a note on the pictures: the French really know how to stack wood, I believe the religious statues are of Joan of Arc (my new idol) and St. George the dragon slayer.Read more

    • Day 84

      50er Jahre Villa...

      April 25, 2023 in France ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

      Heute schlafe ich in einer alten Villa, oder auf einem kompletten Hof.
      Die Villa ist auch tatsächlich im 50er Jahre Stil eingerichtet. Das mag ich!
      Meine Laune ist seit gestern etwas im Keller.
      Seitdem ich in Frankreich bin regnet es, ist bewölkt oder ist mega kalt..9 Grad! In der Wüste war es bis zu 36 Grad, in Portugal noch 27 Grad. Ich friere nur noch, mache keine Fotos mehr, oder minimal. Ich spüre, wie das Wetter und die Landschaft meine Stimmung beeinflusst.
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    • Day 8

      Middle a nee where

      September 18, 2022 in France ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

      No towns, no squares, no people watching. Just chilling after a 12 mile jolly on the bikes. But onwards we go tomorrow to Chalon Du Champagne. Could be a wee few Champers samples being tried out the next few days 🥂Read more

    • Day 8

      Tergnier

      September 18, 2022 in France ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

      Lovely bike ride along the canal today, but windy but dry!! I was a wee bit worried cycling along a corn field - too many Horror movies in my youth! Ha ha
      Now for some roast chicken and mushroom risotto.
      Overnight stop at Camping de La Frette aire before heading South again tomorrow.
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    • Day 10

      Tag 10, Anfahrt Südfrankreich

      April 19 in France ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

      Wir haben keine Eile, daher schlafen wir bis 9 Uhr. Nach einem ausgiebigen Frühstück geht es noch zum Carrefour Markt. Die Shoppingtour dauert etwas länger, da es hier einige Sachen gibt, welche es bei uns so nicht gibt. Tine muss sich das alles genau ansehen. Wir haben Zeit, daher drängle ich nicht und so kommt es, dass wir erst um 14 Uhr losfahren. Der Verkehr ist sehr dicht, wir kommen nur langsam voran. Erst am späten Nachmittag wird es etwas besser. Kurz vor 18 Uhr halten wir, um mit der App einen Stellplatz zu suchen, welchen wir dann auch anfahren. Der Stellplatz hat Platz für drei Wohnmobile und befindet sich in einem kleinen Ort mit dem Namen Beautor. Wir sind etwas amüsiert, da man praktisch direkt neben der Entsorgungsstation steht. Gleich neben dem Stellplatz gibt es einen Fluss mit alter Brücke und ein Gesundheitspfad. So können wir gleich nach der Ankunft einen Spaziergang machen.Read more

    • Day 16

      Laon 18 miles

      July 28, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

      Not sure what glamping is but I suspect it isn’t spending a wet night in a wee tent, waking in the morning to find a veritable army of ants over everything. Got packed up and left asap. Everything is now either wet or damp except for my passport, credential and credit cards. Surprising how much heavier a sodden tent is than a dry one. Couldn’t face going back into town for food so just plodded on. Came to a small town and found a boulangerie. Bought a panini, juice and chocolate eclair, sat on the pavement under an awning to keep the rain off and stuffed my face. Felt so much better.

      The well-dressed pilgrim has discovered the joys of wearing a Tilley hat. It keeps the rain off the napper better.

      It was now decision time. The Via is about 100 miles longer than 10 years ago and I think it is because they have reduced the amount of walking on roads and used more paths meandering about the countryside. Today was a perfect example. The route spent most of the day in forest, which would of course be wet and probably muddy or I could take the road which went pretty much dead straight. A complication was that I would have to commit to the road, if that was my choice, some time before I came to the actual road and only then would I know how busy it was going to be. The road was about 3 miles shorter. Went for it.

      Not a happy experience. My feet were grateful but it wasn’t in any way enjoyable. Whole day spent with dirty great lorries passing close by, walking just beside or on the road depending on what was coming and what was the state of the ground just beside the road. The straight road meant both myself and the driver had plenty of warning that we both wanted to use the same bit of road. The nearest I came to being smeared was when I nipped back on the road because there wasn’t anything coming for a while but a car behind me decided to use the gap in traffic to overtake. He didn’t miss me by very much and I got a hell of a fright.

      Could see Laon cathedral from a long way off thanks to it being stuck on a hill. Impressive building and I can’t get my head around the fact that buildings of that size were being built in the 12th century.

      Nice big room tonight and I have strewn my stuff round in the hope that some of it dries out by the morning.
      Read more

    • Day 28

      Stage 19: Laon to Corbeny

      May 8, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F

      Its spelling notwithstanding, Laon is pronounced like the English word “long” but without the “ng.”

      Misty, wet day. A lot was through farmland, with wet grass halfway to my knees, but most of it was through vast forests.

      I saw my second fox today. This one led me through the forest, keeping about 50 yards ahead.

      My feet are showing the consequences of walking for long hours in sopping wet shoes and socks. I am pretty sure I’m going to lose one nail, I have several hotspots, and some skin is peeling.

      Since I started I have been walking through colza, newly planted beets, and barley. I was told all the green fields were wheat, but today I learned they are barley. 🤷🏻‍♀️Today I saw that the barley is starting to develop shoots.
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    Arrondissement de Laon

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