Dieppe towards St Jean

[futurefjp]

After quite a bit of self questioning and problems with 'feeling' finally my resolve is complete. I am traveling to Amiens by Bla Bla Car on Tuesday and intend to head up to Dieppe to set off on Thursday towards Rouen, Chartres, Tours and generally drift towards Saint Jean at 25km per day(on average) until 20th April. Where ever I am at that point I will call it a day for this point of my existence.

I hope to get a few well wishing and bon voyage and bon Camino along the way.

 

[mla1]

Hello futurefjp, This is a route that is on my 'to do' list. I will look forward to any reports you send -- especially with regard to accommodations. Bon voyage!

 

[Camelman]

Hello Mla (1), I don't know whether 'futurefjp' finished the course or not, but from my experience it is not the easiest of routes to walk.

I started from Canterbury in Kent and walked down to Newhaven to catch the ferry over to Dieppe. Walking in the UK isn't the easiest; barbwire, stiles that are dangerous in the extreme, and field gates designed for Catwalk models; who don't carry Backbacks!

Walking in France is a toddle compared to England; except you might die of starvation! I must be honest and add that I didn't land in France until late September and the 15th of that month is when everything 'touristic' shuts down.................

I decided to Backpack, so carried four days provisions with me and only stayed in three 'open' campsites and four hotels during my journey from Dieppe to Tours; the rest of the time was mainly sleeping in the woods. A lot depends on the time of year you travel. The path as promoted by the Association Normande des Amis de Saint Jacques is quite arduous enough without having to walk miles off path to find non existant accommodation. On one occassion I pre - booked a hotel only to find it 'closed' on arrival. I think their itinerary in terms of daily mileage and accomodation is based on having a support vehicle!

Parts of the walk around Chartres is very flat and the 'locals' not the most hospitable; but as they mostly live behind 6ft walls it is par for the course.

Saying what I have said, if you still want to do that walk do it .............................

I don't believe everybody has the same experience.

Let me know what specific information you want.

The following June, I resumed the walk from Tours to Angouleme via the Chemin Saint Martin and lesser known Pilgrim routes and only had to sleep in the woods once as the local Tourist Office info was two years out of date.

Maybe see you at St. Jean in June?

Robert

 

[David]

What a great Camino that will be. I would love to do that. The first couple of hundred miles are pretty flat really, especially around Chartes, but once down past Tours, walking into the Charente, it is a delight (I used to live in the Charente, still love it). Tiny Pons is marvellous. Once past Bordeaux (great city!!) you walk through Les Landes, which is very flat and full of pine forests. The view is trees, lots of trees, the skyline is trees, lots of trees, and in summer you will have the company of large biting horse flies. As it is rather flat the roads now are where the roads always were so you will do a lot of walking along roads. On the plus side, you will be walking through France!! another plus is that France is full of French people!! Enjoy - Buen Camino!!

 

[Metropolly]

After quite a bit of self questioning and problems with 'feeling' finally my resolve is complete. I am traveling to Amiens by Bla Bla Car on Tuesday and intend to head up to Dieppe to set off on Thursday towards Rouen, Chartres, Tours and generally drift towards Saint Jean at 25km per day(on average) until 20th April. Where ever I am at that point I will call it a day for this point of my existence.

I hope to get a few well wishing and bon voyage and bon Camino along the way.

Best wishes and bon chemin. Try to buy lots of those William or Cognac liqueur chocolate bars they have in north east France to see you through the cold, damp days - or the warm, sunny ones that will surely arrive at some point. And whenever you see a shop or cafe that's open, use it! How I envy you

 

[futurefjp]

Thank you all for your blessing. I only know I need the truth and will see this if He allows me.

 

[futurefjp]

Hello Mla (1), I don't know whether 'futurefjp' finished the course or not, but from my experience it is not the easiest of routes to walk.

I started from Canterbury in Kent and walked down to Newhaven to catch the ferry over to Dieppe. Walking in the UK isn't the easiest; barbwire, stiles that are dangerous in the extreme, and field gates designed for Catwalk models; who don't carry Backbacks!

Walking in France is a toddle compared to England; except you might die of starvation! I must be honest and add that I didn't land in France until late September and the 15th of that month is when everything 'touristic' shuts down.................

I decided to Backpack, so carried four days provisions with me and only stayed in three 'open' campsites and four hotels during my journey from Dieppe to Tours; the rest of the time was mainly sleeping in the woods. A lot depends on the time of year you travel. The path as promoted by the Association Normande des Amis de Saint Jacques is quite arduous enough without having to walk miles off path to find non existant accommodation. On one occassion I pre - booked a hotel only to find it 'closed' on arrival. I think their itinerary in terms of daily mileage and accomodation is based on having a support vehicle!

Parts of the walk around Chartres is very flat and the 'locals' not the most hospitable; but as they mostly live behind 6ft walls it is par for the course.

Saying what I have said, if you still want to do that walk do it .............................

I don't believe everybody has the same experience.

Let me know what specific information you want.

The following June, I resumed the walk from Tours to Angouleme via the Chemin Saint Martin and lesser known Pilgrim routes and only had to sleep in the woods once as the local Tourist Office info was two years out of date.

Maybe see you at St. Jean in June?

Robert

If we take the world with us we haven't forgiven ourselves.

 

[mla1]

Hello Mla (1), I don't know whether 'futurefjp' finished the course or not, but from my experience it is not the easiest of routes to walk.

Let me know what specific information you want.

The following June, I resumed the walk from Tours to Angouleme via the Chemin Saint Martin and lesser known Pilgrim routes and only had to sleep in the woods once as the local Tourist Office info was two years out of date.

Maybe see you at St. Jean in June?

Robert

Hello Robert, Thanks for the offer of info. This route is still on my wish list. I love the idea of walking from the top to the bottom of France. And I had also thought of starting in Canterbury as I lived there once, a long time ago.

Futurefjp -- I hope you have a wonderful walk.

mla

 

[futurefjp]

Last year I walked down the east coast to Harwich, then Dordrecht to Köln before popping to Ireland to walk the West Ireland Way and then returned via Canterbury to Belgium, The Netherlands and walked the Jakobsweg from Bayenburg to Aachen. I am having an organising day today before I Bla Bla Car Tuesday to Amiens and from there...

 

[futurefjp]

It is going well, but the distances are quite a challenge and having to stay in b&b accommodation not ideal. Has one day at Warm Showers... In third hotel in 5. Spent €130 on 5 nights do not too bad. Wish I wasn't alone then I'd camp. ..

 

[futurefjp]

Looks like I just left Normandie for Leure

 

[futurefjp]

Great vibes! Denis in Chartres. A goal for me next goal Tours. Still not seen a soul on the route... Perhaps that may change now I'm getting closer to the road from Paris to Saint Jacques?

 

[futurefjp]

Day eleven. Chartres to Bonneval is easily 45kms in one day! Too much in Beauce!

 

[futurefjp]

Today Châteaudun by midday. Breakfast until Monday now.

 

[Metropolly]

Today Châteaudun by midday. Breakfast until Monday now.

Well done!

 

[Kanga]

Still not seen a soul on the route... Perhaps that may change now I'm getting closer to the road from Paris to Saint Jacques?

We walked from Orleans to Poitiers and didn't see another pilgrim.

 

[futurefjp]

I'm running short on places to stay, other than hotels suddenly... Any suggestion from tomorrow when I leave Vendôme towards Château Renault would be really useful. Do campsites also have 'static' caravans?

 

[pudgypilgrim]

I don't know if this helps any:

http://www.vendome-tourisme.fr/files/ot-vendome/files/fichiers/infos_vendome_page_2.pdf

That's a direct pdf download link, so if that's a problem, here's the page it's linked from:

http://www.vendome-tourisme.fr/vend...uvrir-vendome-ville-dart-et-dhistoire/chemi-0

Of course, I have no idea if any of them are open now, but at least you have some phone numbers.

 

[futurefjp]

Thank you pudgypilgrim!

 

[pudgypilgrim]

Good luck! I hope you're going to do a full scale blog about this trip after you're done.

 

[futurefjp]

If you wish to follow me I currently writing one:

https://www.evernote.com/pub/futurefjp/Lent

 

[pudgypilgrim]

Thanks!

 

[futurefjp]

I ran out of steam at Châtterault and caught the train to Libourne. From there a bus to Ste-Foy La Grande from there I walked the 18kms to the Plum Village Upper Hamlet for four nights rest, recuperation, vegan food, mediation and mindfulness.

 

[futurefjp]

I walked around 550kms on my own, and found the "Beauce" flat and repetitive, and didn't enjoy Tours being right where it was to compound my feelings of loneliness. I think the few days with friends and monks at the Plum Village was a great place to come and I am grateful for Thich Naht Hanh's teachings brining me back to reality.

 

[oursonpolaire]

I found that the way from Mont Saint Michel to Saint Jean d'Angély very isolated-- only one other pilgrim in two weeks and, outside the high season, many places were closed. Rural France has changed greatly in the past 20 years, and the village facilities (cafés, gîtes, etc) which provide easy support for pilgrims and walkers are well on their way to disappearing. Aside from the two great routes of Vezelay and Le Puy, pilgrims in France have to be very self-sufficient, both psychologically and as walkers.

 

[futurefjp]

I agree fully. But I also hate cities so much that I really never need to leave the UK to experience. My self reliance such, but there is no entertaining places like Rouen, Tours or Bordeaux other than by becoming a peche out of piscine. Remove my brain and maybe I could achieve the cities and/or commerce there (anymore than I find in the UK).