LIVE from the Camino Orione on the Via Campaniensis (Northern France)

[Orione]

I am starting my next leg of the Camino tomorrow - so excited! Deo volente, I will arrive in Couvin by train tomorrow & will try to make my way to Rocroi, the starting point of the Via Campaniensis/ La Voie Champenoise.

Right now I’m in a youth hostel in Charleroi. I hope I will be able to sleep tonight!

Some background: I’m in my forties, I’m from the Netherlands & I’m chronically ill. I’ve got chronic Lyme. I was bedridden for a couple of years, and then I had a loting years of severe dysfunction, exhaustion & pain. Just last year I could barely walk or keep my balance (I often had to use a cane to walk), had lots of pain & tiredness. But a number of things cumulated in life & it urged me to start walking the Camino. Everyone thought I was nuts, myself included. I could not give a reasonable explanation for why it was a good idea for me - with my poor health - to start walking towards Santiago, except for that it had to be done. It was particularly illogical, because I could not take my medication on the road with me, as it needed very precise cooling. I told everyone I was ging to walk as far as was fun & relatively comfortable. I thought that would be to the nearest bus stop! (And so did my friends & family tbh!) But to my amazement, I kept on walking. I walked on the Via Limburgica, from the Netherlands into Belgium, and then walked through the entirety of Belgium, right into France. I think it took me about 20 days. I was so astonished. And the strangest thing was: most of my pain & dysfunction went away. Not all of it - it wasn’t a fairy tale healing or anything - but I began to feel almost human again during the walking.
And when I got back home, most of my relative health stayed! And I have not needed that medication again!
(I still have other medications I need to keep taking & still have a complicated health compared to most people, but it is a small miracle, anyway!)

And so I’m back, as a medicin and also because of how much I enjoyed it. It was very hard too, but also so lovely.

All that to say: my health is a fickle thing. And I’m a stubborn person. If it no longer feels like a good idea to keep walking ( for physical or mental health reasons or for no reason), I will stop. I might only walk to the nearest bus stop in Couvin & then call it a day & travel back to NL. This may become a very short thread!
But should the road be generous again, I’m hoping to slowly make my way in the direction of Vézelay. And then maybe, if it is given to me, I might return the next year to continue from Vezelay (or wherever I stopped) & further south and/or westwards.

Also, I walk slowly & not many kilometers a day. Please don’t expect anything spectacular.

Last year I walked from hotel to hotel almost exclusively. This time I brought a tent & hope to stay at gites municipal & camp sites mainly. Last time I traveled ultra light, this time with a big pack with tent & sleeping bag & mat. I’m nervous about what that will do to my body. We’ll soon see!

Should I be able to keep walking, I will try to regularly update, I can’t promise a daily update, but I hope to let you Camino-along, and I hope to add some info about the Via Campaniensis for pilgrims after me.

Thank you for reading! If you are religious/spiritual, and you can spare a moment, please pray for me. Otherwise: please wish me luck! I need quite a lot of it!

Approximately 18 km & heat & a mildly challenging terrain tomorrow. Eek!!! Can’t wait!

Orione

 

[mspath]

Orione,

You must be very excited tonight since you plan to leave tomorrow. I look forward to following your camino as you progress down across northest France.

Do take it easy tomorrow since now in rural France on the Marne river we are having the first heatwave of summer.

Carpe diem and, in the truest sense, Ultreia!

 

[DuncanG]

You already have an amazing story, how wonderful! I too had Lyme disease but was lucky enough to be diagnosed within about three weeks and don’t have many lasting effects. But I remember those weeks as the worst of my life, especially since I didn’t know why I was so sick. So in a small way I empathize with you and wish you the best possible outcome from your journey. Buen Camino and as above, ULTREIA!

 

[mla1]

I am very interested in that route too. I am wishing you all the best!

 

[bullingtonce]

I am starting my next leg of the Camino tomorrow - so excited! Deo volente, I will arrive in Couvin by train tomorrow & will try to make my way to Rocroi, the starting point of the Via Campaniensis/ La Voie Champenoise.

Right now I’m in a youth hostel in Charleroi. I hope I will be able to sleep tonight!

Some background: I’m in my forties, I’m from the Netherlands & I’m chronically ill. I’ve got chronic Lyme. I was bedridden for a couple of years, and then I had a loting years of severe dysfunction, exhaustion & pain. Just last year I could barely walk or keep my balance (I often had to use a cane to walk), had lots of pain & tiredness. But a number of things cumulated in life & it urged me to start walking the Camino. Everyone thought I was nuts, myself included. I could not give a reasonable explanation for why it was a good idea for me - with my poor health - to start walking towards Santiago, except for that it had to be done. It was particularly illogical, because I could not take my medication on the road with me, as it needed very precise cooling. I told everyone I was ging to walk as far as was fun & relatively comfortable. I thought that would be to the nearest bus stop! (And so did my friends & family tbh!) But to my amazement, I kept on walking. I walked on the Via Limburgica, from the Netherlands into Belgium, and then walked through the entirety of Belgium, right into France. I think it took me about 20 days. I was so astonished. And the strangest thing was: most of my pain & dysfunction went away. Not all of it - it wasn’t a fairy tale healing or anything - but I began to feel almost human again during the walking.
And when I got back home, most of my relative health stayed! And I have not needed that medication again!
(I still have other medications I need to keep taking & still have a complicated health compared to most people, but it is a small miracle, anyway!)

And so I’m back, as a medicin and also because of how much I enjoyed it. It was very hard too, but also so lovely.

All that to say: my health is a fickle thing. And I’m a stubborn person. If it no longer feels like a good idea to keep walking ( for physical or mental health reasons or for no reason), I will stop. I might only walk to the nearest bus stop in Couvin & then call it a day & travel back to NL. This may become a very short thread!
But should the road be generous again, I’m hoping to slowly make my way in the direction of Vézelay. And then maybe, if it is given to me, I might return the next year to continue from Vezelay (or wherever I stopped) & further south and/or westwards.

Also, I walk slowly & not many kilometers a day. Please don’t expect anything spectacular.

Last year I walked from hotel to hotel almost exclusively. This time I brought a tent & hope to stay at gites municipal & camp sites mainly. Last time I traveled ultra light, this time with a big pack with tent & sleeping bag & mat. I’m nervous about what that will do to my body. We’ll soon see!

Should I be able to keep walking, I will try to regularly update, I can’t promise a daily update, but I hope to let you Camino-along, and I hope to add some info about the Via Campaniensis for pilgrims after me.

Thank you for reading! If you are religious/spiritual, and you can spare a moment, please pray for me. Otherwise: please wish me luck! I need quite a lot of it!

Approximately 18 km & heat & a mildly challenging terrain tomorrow. Eek!!! Can’t wait!

Orione

You are an inspiration to all. Please spread this word. It is amazing how God works through a seemingly insignificant single human being. God bless. Chuck

 

[Orione]

Thank you all!

I made it to Rocroi yesterday afternoon.
The road from Couvin to Rocroi was very beautiful on the Belgian side. Beautiful forests and really well kept paths through them. There was one part, high up above a gorgeous lake, that was slightly scary in terms of tumbling down a slope into said lake (just outside Couvin) and I would recommend a detour after heavy arugula & mud for that part, but other than that, it was a lovely route that was signposted excellently.
The French part was a little less inspiring. There were no trees anymore and it was just suburbs until Rocroi.

The heat was quite horrible in the afternoon. I had to take an extra break. But other than everything went smoothly. I’m very happy to be on the road again!

The gite for pilgrims here is very lovely. Well kept & right in the city center. I would highly recommend it.

I met a very kind pilgrim here who is on his way back home from Santiago. He shared many tips for the upcoming days. He turned out to be professionally involved in the cure/prevention of Lyme disease! What are the odds!

Today I am leaving Rocroi without a set plan on where to stay tonight. No phone answer from people in the guide. The maire of a village I might reach may not be answering his phone today either, due to it being the weekend… It will again be very hot today, followed by thunderstorms, and cooling down, which I look forward to - if I manage to be indoors by that time.

Onwards we go! Thank you for reading & for your encouragement!

 

[Orione]

I am currently in Aubigny-les-Pothees. It was a 22 km walk in 30 degrees Celsius heat with very little shadow. I wanted to walk to l’Echelle (15 km), but there was no place to sleep there yesterday.

It was a very challenging walk, due to the heat. I have ortostatic intolerance due to the Lyme, which worsens with heat, so I have been lying next to the route more than actually walking it, it feels like, but I got there in the end.

I met a very sweet Belgian couple, who were also on their way to Aubigny-les-Pothees. They walked faster & they very sweetly wrote on the road how much longer it was to Aubigny-les-Pothees every now and then. That was the sweetest & most motivating thing!

The gite here was full, but we were promised a place on the playground for our tents. However, it was weather code orange because of upcoming bad thunderstorms, and so the mayor allowed us to sleep in a feast hall. He will be coming over this morning with some bread for breakfast & bread for the road! How very kind! I can’t imagine a mayor in the Netherlands taking such good care of guests that wander in.
We now share facilities with the gite, I think (indeed full, of scouts!). There is no shower here. Just a toilet and washbasin and kitchen. Very basic but okay.

I think on a less hot day, this walk would have been challenging too, due to the constant up hill, down hill. But if 22 km is your usual distance, then it should be a fine day walk. And the views are gorgeous.

I would recommend that you download/order the French RP51 guide to this route. It has far more phone numbers and updated information in it.
If you can afford the German guide too, it is easiest for planning your distances and has much info for preparation. I don’t own the Dutch guide, but apparently it is not as good as these other two.

In Shevigny-le-foret there is a nice bench in the shadows in the midst of the village. In Chilly there is a picknick table just before the village. No other benches that I saw.

You need to bring your own food for this part of the road, because there are no shops. On Sundays and Mondays and feast days the few shops there are, are also closed or open for a short time.

 

[Anna Cameron]

Orione.
You have inspired me and impressed me with your faith and courage. Thank you!

 

[Orione]

Thank you, that is very kind!

I am in Sevigny l’Abbaye now.

The mayor of Aubigny-les-Pothees brought us our supplies for breakfast & lunch yesterday morning, and then it was time for the next day’s walk.

I slept in Sevigny l’Abbaye today.
I chose to ‘only’ walk 10 km, and that was the right choice for me. The road between Aubigny-les-Pothees and Sevigny l’Abbaye was very challenging. If you have balance issues or weak ankles/knees, consider an alternative route for this part. There was a lot of climbing and going down hill, and also an exceptionally muddy & overgrown part. Expect to go a lot slower than usual for at least 2 km.
I read that walking the GR route adds 1.4 km to the distance, but cuts some of these challenging parts off. I don’t know if it’s true, but it is worth considering.

There were many mosquitoes there too. I also got bitten by a tick, of course. Despite wearing long trousers… So check yourself for tick bites in the evenings on this part of the road!

Now I make it sound like a terrible road. It was not. It was challenging but with some very stunning views and beautiful forrests.

In Sevigny, do contact Madame Boucher from the guidebook, even if you are just passing by! She has the stamp for the Credential and she is a lovely lady. She lives across from the Auberge.

I met a fellow Dutch pelgrim, who also stayed at the same chambers d’hotel. We went for dinner. Very interestingly he had the same kind of dog I used to have, with the exact same name!

The chambres d’hotel is lovely and well kept. The lady is very kind and received us with a cold drink!
As a pelgrim, if you sleep in your sleeping bag on the bed and not require bed linnen, the price is reduced.

There is a supermarket here in Sevigny l’Abbaye that is open from 8 to noon (I think) on sundays, and 8 to 20.00 every other day. The supermarket is right when you enter the town. There are also two cash machines in the city center. The last ones for a while & most pelgrim places require cash payment, so be diligent about it.

The people here are so kind. Whenever they see you get doubts about which road to take, they all immediately help out in the most kind way, and wish you a “Bonne route!”

The lovely Belgian couple texted me to say my walk for today will be less challenging than yesterday! I hope they are right.

 

[DuncanG]

You are doing well and I hope it continues for you. You are taking on the challenges and seem to have a great attitude. Good luck!
Btw, in France small supermarkets are typically open until about 1230pm on Sundays and holidays but not the large ones-les grandes surfaces as they say in France. Usually any small supermarket in a village or small town will be open for the hours mentioned above and will often have dishes made in the store that can be reheated and are usually tasty!

 

[TA Zitnak]

I am currently in Aubigny-les-Pothees. It was a 22 km walk in 30 degrees Celsius heat with very little shadow. I wanted to walk to l’Echelle (15 km), but there was no place to sleep there yesterday.

It was a very challenging walk, due to the heat. I have ortostatic intolerance due to the Lyme, which worsens with heat, so I have been lying next to the route more than actually walking it, it feels like, but I got there in the end.

I met a very sweet Belgian couple, who were also on their way to Aubigny-les-Pothees. They walked faster & they very sweetly wrote on the road how much longer it was to Aubigny-les-Pothees every now and then. That was the sweetest & most motivating thing!

The gite here was full, but we were promised a place on the playground for our tents. However, it was weather code orange because of upcoming bad thunderstorms, and so the mayor allowed us to sleep in a feast hall. He will be coming over this morning with some bread for breakfast & bread for the road! How very kind! I can’t imagine a mayor in the Netherlands taking such good care of guests that wander in.
We now share facilities with the gite, I think (indeed full, of scouts!). There is no shower here. Just a toilet and washbasin and kitchen. Very basic but okay.

I think on a less hot day, this walk would have been challenging too, due to the constant up hill, down hill. But if 22 km is your usual distance, then it should be a fine day walk. And the views are gorgeous.

I would recommend that you download/order the French RP51 guide to this route. It has far more phone numbers and updated information in it.
If you can afford the German guide too, it is easiest for planning your distances and has much info for preparation. I don’t own the Dutch guide, but apparently it is not as good as these other two.

In Shevigny-le-foret there is a nice bench in the shadows in the midst of the village. In Chilly there is a picknick table just before the village. No other benches that I saw.

You need to bring your own food for this part of the road, because there are no shops. On Sundays and Mondays and feast days the few shops there are, are also closed or open for a short time.

We are planning on walking the Via Campaniensis from Reims to Vezelay and on to St Jean Pieds to Port in 2025. We walked the Via francigena from London to rome (2022 and 2023, and the Camino Frances in 2019. we now wish to connect the two routes. we start in Reims as that is where I had an accident and we had to end our Via there and go home to Canada We are following you with great interest and great admiration. I have so much respect for people who "never give up, never surrender" to that adversities in their lives and who find positive ways to keep on living a full life. Ultreia, buen camino, bonne route.

 

[Orione]

Sorry to hear about the accident, and great to read you will be starting again!

I am in Château-Porcien currently! I stayed the night in Lalobbe with a very lovely couple. There were some mud jungle bits left, but mostly that walk was very lovely and not too difficult.
Then I went on to Hauteville and slept in their little gite in the midst of town. And yesterday I walked to Chateau Porcien. All small distances, but that kept it doable in the burning sun. There is very little shade on these roads.

I walked through lovely fields of poppies, and many hares jumped on and off the path before me. Very idyllic. The higher hills/mountains of the Ardennes are now slowly becoming more like rolling hills with grain on them. I also saw a great many modern windmills! I think at one point I was surrounded by about 50 of them!

I’m looking forward to what today will bring. My body is holding up fairly well. The heat is wreaking havoc with my orthostatic intolerance issues, but other than that, I cannot complain!

 

[Orione]

I spent the night in St Loup de Champagne with a lovely lady, who cooked a 5 course meal for me! It was St Jacques feast day, so it had to be celebrated!

The road from Chateau Porcien to Saint Loup was not very nice. I mostly walked on the side of the road. There were a few very beautiful moments where I could see very far around me, though. But mostly this part of the road is about making progress towards Reims, it seems. The GR route went a different way. If you are not set on walking the Campaniensis very precisely, it probably is a good idea to look into taking the GR for this portion, if it takes a more scenic route.

 

[roving_rufus]

Really enjoying reading along. I loved walking through France when I headed from home to SdeC - (I was on the more westerly Voie des Capitales and Voie du Littoral as i am Irish)- but was amazed by the locals and the welcome I got. But food can be a little tricky if you miss the shop opening hours or the bakery is closed for holidays (I definitely got caught out once or twice and was scraping down to the last of my supplies)
But bonne route!

 

[Orione]

Yes supplies are truly difficult to figure out here! Although I do think that people would give me some food if I asked them for it, I am definitely carrying more weight than I’d like just to be able to have decent meals without having to ask for anything. Also, like last year, many of the pelgrim helpers on the route are currently on holiday, so it is difficult to get places to stay too. This should not be a problem at other times of the year though.

I am in Reims! It was very emotional seeing Reims cathedral again. St Jeanne d’Arc is an important Saint to me and she walked these very isles in this cathedral. I also love the Chagall stained glass windows here.

And the building itself is more than impressive. It doomed up in the mist HOURS before I actually reached it.

On the day I walked from Bazancourt to Reims, it rained really badly. The roads were all clay roads and although I am very thankful the sun did not shine that day (no shadow at all), the roads transformed into mudslides. It was a special skill to make it to Reims. This cathedral needed to be earned!

 

[Orione]

I’m in Epernay!

I walked from Reims to Rilly-la-Montagne, which was a fairly easy going walk. It was great to enter the land of champagne fields and champagne making houses. There was no shade and it was very hot, but I managed the walk before midday, so it was hard but doable. I stayed at one of those champagne making houses in Rilly. A little expensive but very cool.

I was planning on going to the Epernay municipal campsite, but thunder was predicted (weather code orange for thunder, rainfall, hail, flooding and heat) for the coming night and two next days, and so I decided to be careful and stay in a hotel in Epernay for the next days. That meant that I needed to walk very far that day in the blazing heat. The first part was in the forest going up the mountain of Rilly-la-Montagne (with a stunning view of Reims and a last look at the colossal cathedral). I put on insect repellent before entering the Forrest, but the mosquitoes were HUNGRY. They bit me right through the repellent and through my clothes. My upper arms are pretty much a continuous mosquito bite. And the number of flies that kamikazed their way into my earholes… I don’t know what they hoped to find there, but it was astonishing.
Between Rilly and Epernay there was a diversion. It was very clearly marked, thankfully, but it did mean a somewhat longer route. The paths there were muddy but doable. After the diversion however the path became less well marked and at one point it became a lake instead of s path and it was really rather difficult to find a way through or around sometimes.

Then, coming out of the forest, one is treated to absolutely stunning views of the Epernay valley. It was very hot and a very clear day & Epernay lay glittering in all that sunshine among the champagne fields. Truly stunning. I took a slightly different route from that point on, to get to my hotel. These last kilometers were too much for me, to be very honest. I had to lay down on the sidewalks a lot, because of orthostatic issues due to the heat m. The people of Epernay were so friendly though. Where in the Netherlands they check if you are breathing and then quickly leave you be (a politeness in our culture, so you don’t feel embarrassed) in Epernay people came rushing out of their cars and houses, offering support and fresh water. So sweet! I take that over politeness any day!

It was not very smart of me to go walk so far in the heat again. I hope perhaps I have learnt my lesson. These last two hot and thundery days I have spent in a hotel room anyway, feeling better about that choice. I have been catching up on reading & the Olympics. This heatwave should end today; the next few days will be less hot, it has been predicted. Let’s hope it is true.

I stocked up on sunscreen & food. So far I have only lost a pen on the Camino & I have found a rosary among my things just today, that I don’t remember to have packed and it has managed to stay hidden until today. It’s one of mine though, so I must have packed it. A nice little surprise gift from my former self!

Can’t wait to get on the Camino again and begin to make progress towards Sezanne!

And I can’t believe I’m writing that! From actual Epernay! How cool is that!!! I keep being amazed that my rickety body has carried me all the way from the Netherlands to here.

 

[caminka]

Love your descriptions, Orione, sometimes almost make me feel as if I am there. Keep them coming!

 

[DuncanG]

Gefeliciteerd, Orion! Your perseverance is amazing, I’m glad you are resting and recovering and I hope you don’t have to push yourself so hard too often. Your descriptions are beautiful, thank you for them. And I tell people in Canada there are no mosquitoes in France. Bad news! Sorry you had such a hard time with them, I know what it is like from wilderness hiking here. Hopefully you don’t run into them anymore, but I’m impressed that you were prepared with repellent. I don’t think I would have carried any where you are. I wish you the best, Orion, you are indeed an inspiration.

 

[DuncanG]

Gefeliciteerd, Orion! Your perseverance is amazing, I’m glad you are resting and recovering and I hope you don’t have to push yourself so hard too often. Your descriptions are beautiful, thank you for them. And I tell people in Canada there are no mosquitoes in France. Bad news! Sorry you had such a hard time with them, I know what it is like from wilderness hiking here. Hopefully you don’t run into them anymore, but I’m impressed that you were prepared with repellent. I don’t think I would have carried any where you are. I wish you the best, Orion, you are indeed an inspiration.

Sorry, Orione, I didn’t notice my spell check had changed Orione to Orion

 

[Orione]

That’s okay!

I wrote last when I was in Epernay. From Epernay, I walked to Monmort-Lucy and stayed at a farm near Lucy that had a room especially for pelgrims. Very nice.

Then I walked on to Thalus-Prix and slept in the 12th century Cistercian abbey, founded by St. Bernard of Clairvaux! That was so lovely. I had a luxurious gite all to myself. The surroundings were stunning, and the host was so gracious! Do make this a stop on your list!

I realized, while at the abbey that night, that I would not be able to reach the place where I will meet my sister on the Camino on time. I was going too slow, another heatwave was about to hit, so I could not make up for lost time either. I had a good cry about it at breakfast (poor host! He was so friendly, and made a lovely breakfast, and I just cried…)
Anyway, I had to decide to either continue on and not meet my sister, or to skip part of the route. I decided to do the latter. I will walk the part from Sezanne to Troyes some other time, deo volente.

I walked to Sezanne and stayed at the lovely municipal campsite there. The host is the most kind lady, and she and her staff keep the place very clean. I walked there without booking on a busy night, and it was no problem - she found me a little spot for my tent.

In the morning a baker was at the campsite selling fresh bread and pastries. I walked to the tourist office in town and they tried to phone for me to reserve a place on a bus to Rilly-sur-Seine, but they would not pick up. The kind lady at the tourist office then phoned a taxi for me to Rilly-sur -Seine, which was a bit expensive, but the only way to leave Sezanne that day. I had some time to spend at the church in Sezanne before being picked up.

I was brought to the train station in Rilly-sur-Seine and had to wait for an hour to get a train to Troyes. It felt very strange to move through the landscape so fast, and to also now have a ‘missing bit’ in my continuous route. But the joy of having a sister at all, one that wants to spend time with me, and to be able to easily help make her dream of walking to Vezelay come true, was most prevalent.

The heat seemed to have got to the people of Rilly-sur-Seine, because a great many caused a scene at the ticket office. There were a lot of bad words flying around, and a lot of emotions were expressed!

At Troyes station, I decided to walk to the cathedral first. It was so hot outside that people kept sticking their hands or faces into the many fountains there. The cathedral was lovely and cool. At Troyes the council (St Bernard among them) decided upon the crusades! There is so much history there!
In the treasury were many relics. And there was a lot of very lovely modern art in this cathedral.

I then walked to the south of Troyes, to my hotel. You know it is hot when your walking sticks stick to the tar on the roads… It was only about 4 km, but it was a hard 4 km. All of that was forgotten in the cool air conditioning of the hotel though!

I am now in Sommeval! I walked from Troyes to here in the heat. I chose to walk the recommended bike route (from Laine-sur- Bois onwards) instead of the walking route, because fellow pelgrims warned me that the forest path was very difficult here with mud, mosquitoes but also a lot of climbing over and under fallen trees & fighting your way through bramble bushes etc.
The road I walked along was very calm today, so I was able to reach Sommeval before the heat truly set in again. I am staying at the loveliest pilgrim gite that the community provides. It has a shower (with hot water!), a footstep toilet, a kitchen with microwave, hot plate and water cooker, and space for one pilgrim to sleep on the floor.
If there are more of you, you can set up a tent outside of the building.

I noticed today that my small medaillon of St Jeanne has fallen off my backpack again. I have several small medaillons on my pack: St Jacques (of course), St Mary Magdalene (because her relics are at Vezelay), Our Lady, St Christopher (for safe travels), and St Jeanne. But just like last year, st Jeanne hopped off! I’m hoping that the medaillon is on a nice spot in the road to be found by someone who now needs her more than me!

This heatwave seems to have passed again. Cooler temperatures were promised for today. I’m going to try to walk to another campsite south from here! Ultreia!

 

[mspath]

Orione,
It is a pleasure to read your updates; so glad to learn that you are able to move along despite the heat now here in France.

I wish you and your sister all the best for your walk together towards Vezelay.

Carpe diem and Godspeed.

 

[DuncanG]

The heat seemed to have got to the people of Rilly-sur-Seine, because a great many caused a scene at the ticket office. There were a lot of bad words flying around, and a lot of emotions were expressed!

Orione, you have such an impressive pilgrim spirit of not judging and gratitude and you are living it. As well your fortitude and strength to find your way through all the challenges is amazing as well as your positive attitude.
Your description of your journey makes the Camino Francés seem easy in comparison-the way is well marked and the trails when we walked were clear. I hope as you progress that the Via Campaniensis becomes easier. But know that I and I’m sure many other people are wishing the best of all outcomes, walk well. Suseia!

 

[Orione]

I am in St Cyr Les Colons!

The heat has been brutal these last few days. I have started very early in the morning and stopped walking around noon or a little later each day, and still… it is so hot!

I stayed the night in Eaux-Puiseaux on the loveliest small farm camping. They sold fresh drinks and cheeses, and I could order fresh bread to be delivered at the campsite in the morning. Very nice. Then I walked to Ervy Le Chatel and a bit beyond to stay in a gorgeous gite. Very luxurious but for a pilgrim’s price. The hosts were so very kind.

The supermarket in the center of Ervy (such a gorgeous village!) had closed permanently, and so has the campsite. There is another supermarket, 1.5 km away from the route, but with everything you could wish for.

Then I walked to Flogny and stayed at the gite municipal. It had all the basics, and it was great to get out of the heat.

From Flogny I walked to Tissey, a little further than Vezannes. I stayed at a rather expensive but so very lovely hotel there. The host was very kind and she clearly absolutely loved looking after travellers. Absolutely worth every penny. The breakfast that was served was superb also. A true luxury.

Then I walked on to Chablis. It was easy to follow a path from Tissey to Collan and then continue on the route again. The walk was very lovely. I think it was my favorite yet. The views were stunning. There also is some shadow every now and then in these parts. I keep walking about 2 or 3 km and then spending about 20 minutes in a small bit of shade. It is doable that way.

In Chablis I spent the night at the Gite Paroissial, which was a nice gite with a fridge, microwave, hot shower etc. It is run by a person that lived nearby. The neighbors helped me out as well. All were very lovely.

Now I walked to Saint Cyr. The road from Chablis to St Cyr seemed to go up & down and up again etc more than usual today, and the angles were very steep. It was challenging in the heat, but the views were very beautiful again.

Tomorrow will be cooler (still 30 degrees Celsius, but I’ll take that over 37 degrees any day!). And I’ll look forward to walking to Vermenton, to meet up with my sister!

 

[Orione]

I made it to Vezelay!!!

I walked to Vermenton, to meet up with my sister and family, which was a very happy reunion. The camp site patron had not stamped a Credencial before. He was very weary of it, and said a few times that he would not sign the document. I assured him, that I only needed a stamp and a date. Apparently pilgrims never cross the Cure to visit Vermenton and stay on the campsite, I think!
I have heard there is a very lovely pilgrim auberge Accolay, so there is no need to, perhaps. The patron then let me stay for free on my sister’s camp space. Lovely! I swam in the Cure with all the nieces & nephews and had a wonderful afternoon!

The next morning my sister said goodbye to her children & husband, who went back home. (Bless that man to travel with & look after 6 kids by himself for a couple of days!).

My sister and I walked to Accolay, then Bessy, Lucy & Arcy sur Cure. It was a lovely shortish walk and we stayed on the campsite of Arcy, with plenty of spaces to choose from. It was fun to stay in a tiny tent with my sister, just like we did as children!

The next day we walked to La Jarrie/Lac Sauvin. It was the 15th of August so everything was closed in France. No bakers, shop, cafes etc. Luckily we had enough food with us.

The host in La Jarrie had told us we could not stay with him. I asked him again, stating we could sleep in our own tent and only needed a toilet and fresh drink water. He then told us we could stay with him, anyway. When we arrived he offered us a lovely bedroom, shower & toilet. We did not need to set up our tent after all! He was so kind!

And the next day we had a challenging but very enjoyable walk to Vezelay. There was a difficult descent, and of course also a difficult ascent to Vezelay itself, but then you see the cathedral already and that made every step so much more joyous, that it was easy in the end!

It was very emotional to arrive and to know that it was the end of our journey (for now).

The cathedral is the loveliest place. The light in the cathedral is something to behold. And you can easily feel the holiness of the place & how actively it is a place of deep prayer. We visited the crypt to be with the relics of St Mary Magdalene. They are lovingly kept right beneath the altar.

We then went to the Center of St Magdalene, which welcomes pilgrims to stay the night, and to also eat dinner and breakfast. The center is offered by the brothers and sisters of the Fraternités de Jérusalem (who are called to be monastics but deeply connect with the city and times they live in). Volunteers run it for them - every week other people or families are hosts to the pilgrims. You can (in summer months) simply arrive there and ask for food & shelter as a pilgrim. (And of course pay your donation!)

We made our beds and went out to explore Vezelay, but the cathedral has such a pull. So we just sat on a bench near it. Then suddenly singing flowed out of the cathedral. We went inside and were able to attend the Vespers. So beautiful & ethereal!

Then we went back to our dorm. It is surreal to sleep so close to the cathedral - to feel that presence & be able to sleep and rest within it.

The next morning we had s lovely breakfast with all other pilgrims, and then those that wished could attend Lauds & also receive the Pelgrim’s Blessing. I did not know whether I should receive it, now I was about to step off the Camino, but the volunteers said to me: you are a pilgrim on the road - of course you are welcome to receive it!
I’m very happy to have accepted that invitation. It was one of the most memorable moments of my life. I’m not going to describe it further, so people can just live & experience it, when their time comes. But please don’t arrive or leave in Vezelay as s pilgrim without experiencing it. You are welcome to receive it, whatever faith, religion, spirituality or lack of it you adhere to, and it will carry you on the road for a good long while, I’m sure.

Well, after 350 km or so, this is the end of my thread.
I have gained a confidence in my own body, and how I can better look after it, so that it can show me its strengths & it can carry me hundreds of kilometers.
But most of all I have gained a confidence in humanity. I have felt, time and again, what it means in a practical sense, when someone decides to act counter-culturally and decides to live their (unknown, wandered in, stinky, sweaty, incomprehensible) neighbour, just because. To be at the receiving end of that practical neighbourly love for a month has done the world of good for my soul, and I hope to extend some of that to my own ‘neighbors’ in daily life.

Thank you all for reading, liking & commenting. It helps so much to have people cheering you on! Thank you for being Camino angels from afar!

For anyone doubting whether to walk the Via Campaniensis: buy the newest version of the French guide book (the Chain of Hospitality truly works & is a strong chain) bring sunscreen, insect repellent and your walking sticks, (consider bringing a tent), learn basic conversational French and then trust the road and the people & walk it. It is a tough road, but a miraculous one & I hope it will be as good for you as it has been for me. Ultreia!

 

[DuncanG]

Oh, Orione, you are like a breath of fresh air with your wonderful and grateful spirit. May you continue to feel better, to keep your amazing Camino spirit and to share your humanity with whoever you encounter. You are a true inspiration and your descriptions are beautiful. I hope you are able to continue your journey when it is right for you and in the meantime, Buen Camino in life.