Time Departed: 8.15am
Time Arrived: 4.30pm
Distance: 27
Cumulative Distance: 70kms
Percentage Completed: 9% (108,900 steps)
Weather: Cold, very overcast, dense fog
Accommodation: L’Oustal de Parent
Feelings: Neil - Positive, Henk - Annoyed and then not annoyed, Di - Happy, Ann - Keen
It was a long, good day of walking. We met fellow Aussies Alan and Linda at breakfast and continued the discussion on the previous night’s delicious four-course dinner. We all loved the Aligot for the main course. It is a rich, stretchy, smooth potato and cheese dish and looks like smooth mashed potato. It was apparently standard fare for the medieval pilgrim. The hotel where we stayed has been in the same family for ten generations since the 1700’s but the current owner will be the last as his son does not want to take over the business.
Prior to walking we stopped at the fruit and vegetable market on the footpath and over the narrow road from our hotel. Our hotel room overlooked the area and they had started setting up the stall at five thirty. The thick, white asparagus looked delicious.
It was popular with the locals who came along with their trolleys. We bought some large pears and then set off to the bakers for some pastries and quiche.
When we set out it was four degrees but it didn’t have the biting wind of yesterday. The temperature hovered between four and six degrees all day until the last hour when the sun came out for about fifteen minutes and the temperature shot up to fifteen degrees. It then threatened to rain but we made it to the hotel in time.
Henk initially had problems with the GPS and he was quite annoyed but a change of batteries rectified the problem a few kilometres along the track.
The day’s walk was a steady climb for most of the day over ascending and descending country lanes for the first twenty kilometres until just after the hamlet of Le Sauvage. It was here that we reached one of the highest altitudes of the entire walk at 1,322 metres. We then only had seven kilometres to go to reach our hotel.
We passed many cattle farms and walked through a number of dense and dark pine forests. When we were deep in the forests where the fog was dense there was a stillness that was quite an ethereal experience. We could only hear the birds.
There were also quite a number of tiny hamlets with their large farmhouses but there were only two places to stop for a break. Our first break was after two and a half hours of walking when we stopped at a large farmhouse at Le Villeret d’Apchier. The lady had set up picnic tables and she served from her house. The coffee which was made of boiled milk came in very large cups. The sign said that “Pique Nique” was allowed so we ate our pastries and some more of the paneforte we bought yesterday.
We can thank Neil for finding the warm, snug and modern cafe in a renovated farmhouse at the tiny hamlet of Le Sauvage at 1.45pm. When we walked in it was buzzing with mostly French walkers enjoying the warmth, food and wine. We opted for the hot soup and the waiter produced a terrine of soup to be shared amongst us. Along with the baguette it was delicious and hit the spot.
We stopped at the Saint Roch Chapel before completing the final six kilometres. We also had our credential stamped as there was a man who had set up his desk at the front of the chapel.
The chapel dedicated to St Roch, the patron of pilgrims, had a stature of St Roch at the altar. St Roch was pointing to his bare leg with the scars from the plague and accompanied by his dog who licked his wounds and healed him.
We were pleased to arrive at the hotel to have a hot shower and to be indoors. Dinner was another dining experience with four delicious courses. We were early into bed after a long and great day of walking. Tomorrow will be a slightly shorter day of 21 kms.
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