The vast fields seem never-ending. Which allows me (or maybe, forces me?) to look for the subtle differences from day to day.
Day 27 Saint Léger sous Brienne to Dienville
What a difference some food can make – it was a fantastic day out! Overcast to start, but with no rain – only muddy trails from last night’s storms. To walk the entire stage on the VF, I had to do something I always try to avoid: backtracking. I could easily have walked along the same heavily-trafficked road I knew so well (from the round trip to my restaurant hangout yesterday). Still, since it was going to be a relatively short stage anyway, I decided to head in the opposite direction to reach the official stage start. The route presented some sweet treats…
My beekeeping sis-in-law is gonna love this public garden hive!
I once took a whole college course on this one species: the California Redwood!
What a treat to find great fresh fruit at the market, which traces its roots to a 1536 charter from King Francis I. I now have snacks for 2 days!
Public Art
Day 27 AllTrails Stats
Distance: 17.3 km / 10.8 miles
Elevation Gain: 278 m / 912 feet
Steps: 24,220
Relive: https://www.relive.cc/view/vQvx5G2jR9O
Accommodation: Les Chambres Touristique Juléa, Dienville
My thought for today’s walk:
When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.
– Marcus Aurelius
To my young Namibian friends: Never be afraid to be different!
Day 28 Dienville to Dolancourt
Today’s path took a big long wide loop through vast fields, muddy woods, and empty villages. My destination town happens to be the home of a famous French amusement park, Nigloland. The name comes from its mascot, “Niglo,” meaning hedgehog in Romani. I could hear the screams of guests through the trees enjoying the rides, but the town itself was quite empty. There was only one other person staying at my hotel, and wouldn’t you know… it was Dirk! We had fun over dinner comparing notes on our parallel and overlapping journeys.
The fields are getting larger!
Who wouldn’t want a quaint thatched roof cottage tucked away in the French hills?
A pilgrim’s black hole…
Puddles and mud. Mud and puddles.
As I approached my destination town, I found another Route 66-inspired attraction.
I finally see Nigloland!
Day 28 AllTrails Stats
Distance: 19.9 km / 12.4 miles
Elevation Gain: 321 m / 1,053 feet
Steps: 27,950
Relive: https://www.relive.cc/view/vrqo5VkLEyO
Accommodation: Le Moulin Du Landion Hôtel, Dolancourt
A fun dinner with Pilgrim Dirk!
Day 29 Dolancourt to Clairvaux-sur-Aube
I had the absolute best hiking conditions today! Thank goodness, because it was a rather long one. And I finally found some hills to climb up (and down, and up and down again a few times…). The best part of climbing is the views from the top.
These caterpillars are at the end of their rope!
As I approach another town, Baroville, I wonder whether I’ll find anyone here.
Clearly, I didn’t.
Back into the rolling hills of vineyards, forests, and fields, with a lot of opportunities to see my path ahead.
The Via took me past the walls and buildings of the 12th-century Clairvaux Abbey.
Day 29 AllTrails Stats
Distance: 27.5 km / 17.1 miles
Elevation Gain: 790 m / 2,592 feet
Steps: 37,826
Relive: https://www.relive.cc/view/v7O9GkeR4Qq
Accommodation: Hôtel Restaurant de l’Abbaye, Clairvaux-sur-Aube
Day 30 Clairvaux-sur-Aube to Orges
Another day of perfect conditions for walking through forests, fields, and villages. Not hot and not cold. It was also the most “Camino-like” day I’ve had out here as I walked the entire stage with Giulio and joined up with Dirk for a long stretch in the middle. I said goodbye to them this afternoon while they continued further. I have the chance to meet with two other special friends this week before I catch up with Giulio and Dirk again in a few days.
Our guidebook forewarned us that the trails get quite muddy on this stage when there’s been rain. It didn’t lie!
Yesterday and today were the first times I’ve come across these historical laveries where the villagers of old washed their clothes in sheltered structures, using fresh water sourced from and drained into the neighboring river or stream.
Stopping with them for a bite of lunch, we discussed the phenomenon we have all seen for a few weeks in northern and northeastern France: empty towns and villages. Our theories, bolstered by conversations we’ve had with the occasional French local in our nights’ lodging, are explained by Perplexity AI:
Most towns and villages along the Via Francigena in northern and northeastern France appear empty because the region is experiencing a long-term trend of rural depopulation and aging populations. Many residents have moved away over the past century due to the decline of traditional agriculture, limited economic opportunities, factory closures, and better prospects in major cities. This migration leaves aging communities and fewer services—in some cases, local amenities like bakeries, cafés, and schools have closed, changing the rhythm of community life and making villages seem deserted even during the day.
This area we’re walking through even has a name: The “Empty Diagonal” (“diagonale du vide”), a vast swath of France known for its low population density.
Day 30 AllTrails Stats
Distance: 19.0 km / 11.8 miles
Elevation Gain: 428 m / 1,404 feet
Steps: 27,800
Relive: https://www.relive.cc/view/v4OGxkLDA56
Accommodation: Les Nymphéas 52, Orges
Day 31 Orges to Semoutiers-Montsaon
Today’s walk was mainly in the rain, but that wasn’t my biggest motivation for walking quickly through the lush national forest. In a scarce VF experience, I have made plans to meet a lifelong friend tonight.
I first met Bill at a YMCA summer camp when we were about 9 years old. We soon became primary and junior high school classmates, backpacking Boy Scouts, and then housemates early in his legal career when I went to graduate school at UCLA. Despite living our lives in places far apart, our paths have crossed now and then, but never with as much laughter as tonight. He drove nearly two hours from his holiday home in Burgundy to my destination town, treating me to a tasty dinner in the nearby city of Chaumont.
I love my Camino routine, but it can make me very self-absorbed. The best antidote is warm personal interactions such as this. Merci beaucoup, Bill!
The rain lasted throughout nearly my entire day on the trail, and hindered the quality of many of the pics…
Rain encourages new creatures to emerge…
Day 31 AllTrails Stats
Distance: 24.1 km / 15.0 miles
Elevation Gain: 414 m / 1,358 feet
Steps: 38,055
Relive: https://www.relive.cc/view/vLqexnyArd6
Accommodation: Bio Motel, Semoutiers-Montsaon
It was a blast to have an enjoyable evening with Bill, a lifelong friend from California who now spends time each year in this part of France.
Days 1-31 AllTrails Cumulative Stats
Distance: 688.4 km / 427.7 miles
Average Daily Distance: 22.2 km / 13.8 miles
Elevation Gain: 12,722 m / 41,739 feet
Steps: 1,076,399
