Slowly but surely

[scruffy1]

La Chatre nothing really to write home about - but - only 5km from the village of Vic and a small Romanesque church with frescos from the 12th century!!! Amazing to find such a treasure here so far out in the boondocks. Vezelay was marvelous the Chemin weaves through farmlands glorious with white French cows sheep golden fields of...not mustard to my great surprize but rapeweed! Thousands of acres glowing yellow and gold at all hours! Some great discoveries - the Dutch gite in Augy-sur-Aubois the pilgrims hotel in Chatlet Pont Bayard which while closed Saturday-Sunday has rooms everyday the restaurant is closed? They fix a basket of ham terrain salami salad cheeses a dessert half a bottle of wine another of water and leave it by your door!!! They also photograph pilgrims by the front door!!! Nevers was a sad town as was Varzy every other dwelling up for sale rampant unemployment the younger more talented left leaving only those who don't to survive as farmers on EU subsidies or God only knows how else. Varzy - very close to the exact geographic center of France - Burgandy home for the best of French cooking Varzy offers pizza or kebab for your dinner nothing else! The chemin is marvelous though I have learned to lower expectations come evening to accept pizza as French and to enjoy the wine. Few pilgrims, very few but always very happy to meet one another. Tomorow on to Neuvy Sant Sepulchure with a church modeled after the Holy Sepulchure in Jerusalem - a place with which I am very familiar - wath this space!

 

[Metropolly]

Oh Scruffy, I had the same disappointment on the Vezelay route last year, regarding the gastronomic paradise where only the kebab and pizza survive. I decided it was my Duty, if not the Great Purpose of my Camino, to eat a full meal with wine, bottled water, coffee and cognac whenever I happened upon a traditional restaurant that was open. Lunchtime is more likely, and I factored in some slow afternoons to accommodate this. It is a very sad time in France due to the suffering economy, but trust me - the French still adore their food. But now you are more likely to eat well in someone's home, eg a chambre d'hote with table d'hote. I love your description of the gite where they presented you with a basket of goodies - how I wish I'd found that one! I'm glad that at least your soul is being fed with all the Romanesque wonders, and the wine

 

[Harington]

La Chatre nothing really to write home about - but - only 5km from the village of Vic and a small Romanesque church with frescos from the 12th century!!! Amazing to find such a treasure here so far out in the boondocks. Vezelay was marvelous the Chemin weaves through farmlands glorious with white French cows sheep golden fields of...not mustard to my great surprize but rapeweed! Thousands of acres glowing yellow and gold at all hours! Some great discoveries - the Dutch gite in Augy-sur-Aubois the pilgrims hotel in Chatlet Pont Bayard which while closed Saturday-Sunday has rooms everyday the restaurant is closed? They fix a basket of ham terrain salami salad cheeses a dessert half a bottle of wine another of water and leave it by your door!!! They also photograph pilgrims by the front door!!! Nevers was a sad town as was Varzy every other dwelling up for sale rampant unemployment the younger more talented left leaving only those who don't to survive as farmers on EU subsidies or God only knows how else. Varzy - very close to the exact geographic center of France - Burgandy home for the best of French cooking Varzy offers pizza or kebab for your dinner nothing else! The chemin is marvelous though I have learned to lower expectations come evening to accept pizza as French and to enjoy the wine. Few pilgrims, very few but always very happy to meet one another. Tomorow on to Neuvy Sant Sepulchure with a church modeled after the Holy Sepulchure in Jerusalem - a place with which I am very familiar - wath this space!

Well, Scruffy...not far to Bénévent l'Abbaye. Do report back re the tales of wickedness and cults - that is if you haven't been abducted and held prisoner.