Today was a long day, so there are many pics.
Day 16 Tergnier to Laon
I have had today’s stage on my mind since I first started to research the Via Francigena. It could easily be one of the longest on the entire path at over 39km (24 miles) through the remote Forest of Saint Gobain. As I have been feeling stronger every day since my rest week in Paris, I was eager to give it a try until the lightning storm last night. What would the rain have done to the woodland trails?
The answer, I soon found out, was: “Nothing good!” The rains aside, I barely entered the forest when I had trouble even finding the way through the overgrowth, not to mention all the wet plants and mud. I very quickly felt like a drowned rat and took the last possible escape by walking through several waist-high wheat fields to a farm road. By following the VF Cycling Route, I walked many miles on the barely-existent shoulder of an uncomfortable highway, with large trucks and other fast vehicles zooming by. I can’t say it was any fun at all until my destination came into view: the distant cathedral of the medieval hilltop city of Laon. Then I felt like Dorothy and her friends when they first spied the Emerald City!
Can YOU find the trail here?
I found it, though I wasn’t happy about it.
It’s a long way away, but the Laon Cathedral served as a beacon today!
Crèpy was another empty French village with another closed church.
Public Art
On the way up to Laon, I could look back from where I’d come today.
Day 16 AllTrails Stats
Distance: 30.6 km / 19.0 miles
Elevation Gain: 558 m / 1,831 feet
Steps: 45,983
Relive: https://www.relive.cc/view/vPOpDXMQxRO
Accommodation: Les hôtes d’Éloïse, Laon
Day 17 Laon to Corbeny
Today was another longer-than-average day, but unlike yesterday’s road walk, today delivered a great variety of terrain, weather, and scenery. Rain was forecast to arrive at 11:00 am, so I felt a bit rushed as I descended the steep footpaths out of Laon. I hoped to avoid any detours in visiting two stage highlights: an attractive lake and a 12th-century abbey that served for centuries but didn’t survive its attack in 1917. As it turned out, the rain came a bit later than expected; however, I still got wet. But not nearly as moist as I would have been had workers held to their conviction to block my access to the marsh area bridge they were repairing.
A long distance past my last junction, I came across this sign. Since “pilgrims don’t walk backwards,” I ignored it, of course. (I can accept walking backwards a few hundred meters to find an alternate path, but not 2.5 km!). The path soon brought me to a handy boardwalk through the marshy woods.
When I finally reached the site of the closure, these three workmen ignored me until I started to walk past them, aiming to step on the support beams. I stayed as courteous as possible, but in my broken French and their non-existent English, they insisted it was simply not safe for me to walk over the broken bridge. They could sense my exasperation, showing them my tracker that I had already been walking for 4 hours and still had many more to go. When they shrugged their shoulders and ignored me again, I set my pack down and started to remove my hiking trousers and socks to ford the stream.
Now that got their attention. I know the words in French for stupid and idiot (don’t we all?), and they kindly didn’t call me that. But they used some other terms unfamiliar to me that probably mean something similar. Then they burst out laughing and offered me their hands while I walked over the beams. I shared with them some pieces of the dark chocolate I’ve been carrying, and we all knew we now had a good story to tell about the “$&%#% American” who was ready to swim the creek to avoid walking backwards.
L’Abbaye de Vauclair, 1134
My first sight of vineyards – proof that I will soon enter the Champagne Region.
Day 17 AllTrails Stats
Distance: 26.4 km / 16.4 miles
Elevation Gain: 527 m / 1,729 feet
Steps: 36,887
Relive: https://www.relive.cc/view/vKv2nzmZ84v
Accommodation: Hotel du Chemin des Dames, Corbeny
Day 18 Corbeny to Hermonville
A relatively short day today, as I prepare to enter the large city of Reims tomorrow. Rain fell off and on, entertaining me with dramatic cloudscapes and more evidence that I’ve entered the Champagne Region of France (and the whole world!).
This isn’t the first town sign I’ve noticed upside down.
It was only when I asked my friends on WhatsApp that I learned from Martine:
Now the signs in the villages up side down represents a protest from our farmers communities. It means the world is up side down. Hope this makes sense. We need to look after our farmers as they feed us. Right? I am a farmer’s daughter so I fully support them on this one.
No, I still don’t know where all the people are…
Day 18 AllTrails Stats
Distance: 19.8 km / 12.3 miles
Elevation Gain: 271 m / 889 feet
Steps: 30,762
Relive: https://www.relive.cc/view/vdvmJwxeVNO
Accommodation: Chambre avec salle de bains privative, Hermonville
Public Art
I found a lovely little café and B&B in Hermonville and treated myself to a delicious fresh fruit parfait with, of course, a glass of champagne. While there, I met a friendly father and son, Stuart and John, who were driving dad’s classic Jaguar from his home in England to John’s home in Switzerland. We compared notes and learned that we are traveling largely parallel routes but with vast differences in our travel times.
Day 19 Hermonville to Reims
Nothing slows me down like muddy trails. As much as I will always choose to walk through the woods, or through the fields, rather than the shoulders of busy roads, it exacts a toll. Today brought mud from the rain last night, extensive vineyards, stylish champagne tasting rooms, a bit more rain, and a better-than-typical approach into a large urban center. I’m now in Reims, the largest city I’ll find on the Via Francigena (except for Rome). I’m looking forward to exploring it tomorrow and taking a rest day.
I’m definitely in the Champagne Region!
In the wheat, corn and bean fields I’ve seen, the farmers were always in tractors. In these vineyards, they are often seen amongst the vines, working at close quarters with their hands.
Luckily, I found some shelter when this cloud burst…
Public Art?
Day 19 AllTrails Stats
Distance: 17.5 km / 10.9 miles
Elevation Gain: 289 m / 948 feet
Steps: 30,898
Relive: https://www.relive.cc/view/vxOQj3Yg4M6
Accommodation: Hôtel Crystal, Reims
Days 1-19 AllTrails Cumulative Stats
Distance: 412.9 km / 256.6 miles
Average Daily Distance: 21.7 km / 13.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 8,288 m / 27,192 feet
Steps: 687,058
The blue dot and I have arrived in Reims for a rest day.
Rest Day: Reims
I forced myself to take it easy today. My left foot is completely healed and I’ve been feeling strong. However, I know there is still much ahead of me, so I didn’t take any chances. I suppose it also helped that a couple of Reims’ top attractions are closed for long-term renovations. I spent a lot of time sitting in cafés and bars, and sampled the local champagne. Seriously, they drink it here just as we do our favorite wine varietals!
I spent a lot of time inside and all around Reims Cathedral, widely recognized as one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture. Beginning in 1179 until the end of the French monarchy in 1825, nearly every French king was consecrated there. I was particularly impressed by how modern decision-makers have added to the ancient art with stained glass windows by contemporary artists. It was a great treat to finally see in person the famous windows of Marc Chagall, which I first studied in an art history class at university.
The Reims Cathedral, along with the Abbey of Saint-Rémi and the Palace of Tau (now temporarily closed, but I walked around it), together form a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Here are some random shots from around the city.
Commissioned by the National Academy of Reims and presented at the Paris Salon in 1895, this equestrian statue commemorates the arrival of Joan of Arc in Reims for the coronation of Charles VII, on 17 July 1429. This conferred legitimacy upon the king and announced the end of the Hundred Years’ War.
Contemporary Artists
Parc Saint-Remi
Public Art
I had fun watching Peruvian sculptor, Juan-Carlos Carrillo, work on his latest piece honoring Reims footballing legend, Just Fontaine, who passed away last year. “He scored the most goals ever in a single edition of the FIFA World Cup, with thirteen in six matches in the 1958 tournament.”
