Via Francigena continued

Day 8 St. Loup-sur-Aujon to Langres 20 kms + Chalindrey

I got up to find that the nuns had left breakfast and a packed lunch for me.

The convent

I started early and the walking went fine until somewhere near the end. I thought I was following the guide but I must have missed something. I was going to eat my packed lunch in Brevoines, where there was supposed to be a picnic area but I never found Brevoines, I got straight to the outskirts of Langres. Somehow I manged to rectify my mistake and end up by the walls at the place I had intended. Then I found a stone bench and sat down for my picnic but I was much later than I had anticipated, I think I am walking fairly slowly.

Tonight I am staying in a hotel, in honour of my birthday so I dropped my bag off at the hotel and started off for Chalindrey bagless.

Later, after a train ride back to Langres I managed to visit a little bit of the town and have a cup of tea and a meringue in a Salon de Thé.  All in all, most days, I managed very little sight seeing, either I was too tired or there was nothing to see.

Day 9 Chalindrey to Champlitte 25 kms

I took the train back to Chalindrey, there I found a bread shop that served coffee as well, in fact I found two, wonderful! It was also a day when I mostly followed signs, the morning was wet and I was soaked by the time I reached Longchamp, I really wanted to sit down for a rest but it was still raining, then I found that, not only do they have a covered seating area outside the Mairie but they were putting up a marquee for a village feast. There were lots of people around, they offered me a seat and a cup of coffee and they allowed me to use the toilet in the Mairie, they were lovely, friendly people. I planned to stop in Leffonds for lunch but I found a bus shelter in Coublanc so I made the most of that, then it was 10k to Champlitte, I walked along the side of a road, not busy but it seemed long, then I passed the campsite with welcoming signs outside inviting me to go into the snack bar, once again I didn't feel like stopping but I managed to convince myself that I would feel better if I stopped. The guys who run the site were very friendly, they say that the VF has been very busy this year and that they have seen lots of pilgrims, this is a bit surprising as I was not on the signed route, it just shows that not everyone follows the signs.  I felt much better after my beer, There is a good reason why I normally stop as I reach my destination.

In Champlitte I went to the Tourist Office and discovered that it is 'vendange' here too, September is not a good month to walk in France. I did a quick shop for food and then went to the gite, fortunately one of the grape pickers is away for the weekend so I have a bed for the night. There was a most tremendous thunderstorm just after I arrived so I was grateful to be indoors.

Day 10 Champlitte to Dampierre 16 kms

A short day today, again not on the official route but with extraneous signs.

 I didn't think I would be able to stay in Dampierre as the accommodation is in, what appears to be, an enormous kindergarten, and it is shut at weekends, but I phoned on Friday and she offered to leave a key for me. I have a mattress on the floor but it has sheets and a duvet, the kitchen is super equipped and I managed to get to the supermarket before it shut, so I had food for two days. The weather improved so I even managed to wash and dry clothes. It was really good to have a rest.

Mairie lavoir, though the lavoir is not very clear!

Day 11 Dampierre to Gy 25 kms +++

A somewhat confused day, it started alright, though it had rained heavily overnight and still looked threatening so I dressed for rain, it didn't take long for the rain to come. Fortunately it didn't rain for too long but I got pretty wet.

crossing the river Saone

Beaujeu

The walk after Beaujeu was through a wood, all started well but eventually I took the wrong path. The route I was taking overlapped 2 maps, I was looking at 1 but I had marked it on the other!! I took off down a path and just got deeper and deeper into the forest, I got passed the point of no return and decided to continue as the path had to come out somewhere! Eventually I got to a clearer gravel path, at this point I had the sense to use my compass and turned south, finally I ended up in a village. There was a man in his garden so I asked him where I was, I think he thought I was a bit mad! I had actually arrived in the right village, wonderful, my problems seemed to be over, so I carried on on my route, when I got to St. Loup I took the path by the river as I was supposed to do but then it started to fade out, then I came to a fence, I manged to get round that but then there was another one and a field with no evident sign of a path. After my problems of the morning I opted to return to the road and take a detour, a longer way but on a road that I could see on my map.

The Chateau of St Loup

When I arrived in Gy the gite owner said that I should have continued through the field and that I would have found the path again on the other side, all in all I had walked much further than I needed.

Day 12 Gy to Chapelle des Buis 34 kms

When I got up it was raining so it was full wet gear again but by the time I got out it had stopped. Lots of hills today and following of signs, mostly little men and arrows.

This Department has definitely gone in for marking the historic route as well as the official one. The walk to Gezier was almost entirely through forest but I managed to stay on the right track. I had a short break here and then onwards. I was looking forward to a coffee in Cussey, I went to the Vieille Auberge, rang the bell in the bar, no-one came, so I used the time to use their toilet facilities, tried the bell in reception, no-one came, so I gave up and left. It was the only bar I saw so that was my coffee break gone. A little later the heavens opened, the kind of rain that soaks you in seconds but only lasts minutes. I had happily convinced myself that I was only walking a 25k day today, though I was still not sure about whether to stay in Besancon or continue to Chapelle des Buis, having taken a short day on Sunday.

I stopped for lunch in Geneuille, it's a very up-market dormitory town for Besancon. I sat on a kind of waste pipe and got some very strange looks, by the time I got to the bar she was washing the floor, prior to closing so I gave up on that, only another 4k after all! I walked on, passed a lake with lots of wonderful seating and I regretted not having walked on a bit further, before stopping for lunch. Then, after I had walked 4k I realised that I had definitely made a miscalculation somewhere. It started to pour with rain again and I was getting tired and depressed. Eventually I got to Ecole Valentin and hopped onto a bus for Besancon, I had done 29 kms. I wondered in a leisurely fashion through Besancon and stopped for a drink, I tried phoning one of the convents that are supposed to provide accommodation but the number was wrong so I walked up to the cathedral.

I found a lady to give me a stamp and asked about the convent, it is closed, none of the convents exist anymore. The woman quite gleefully told me that I would have to go to a hotel, I got the impression she thinks that pilgrims are free loading. So, I had no choice really, Chapelle des Buis it had to be, I phoned and got directions of how to continue, and walked the 5k, steeply uphill to Chapelle des Buis. The Franciscans have a superb, fully equipped auberge, fortunately I had plenty of food with me.

Day 13 Chapelle des buis to Vuillefans 26 +++
Wednesday 13th, not known to be an unlucky day but it went very badly for me. I know it is unlucky for me, twice I have had speeding fines on the 13th!! I didn't sleep very well, I had a lovely room but unfortunately a window was open in another room and the night was windy, every time there was a gust of wind a door clacked and woke me up, it was only in the morning that I discovered which room.
I had a blessing from the Franciscans before I left and I started by following the signs;  'balise,' yellow arrows and little Francigena men. It was a walk through a wood and was quite pleasant, at the end I arrived in Morre, which is obviously on the signed route, and with hindsight, I should have continued that way but Cicerone says not to go to Morre as it is too far over so I detoured back to Veze, after that things went well for a while, then, at about 4 or 5 k I came to a fork and none of the roads were signed in any way that I could recognise and I had cut my maps down to the essential and this bit wasn't clear so I turned towards Fontain, a big mistake. I was completely off track and heading in the wrong direction. Eventually I found a road and could head in the right direction but it took me 4½ hours to get to Tarcenay which was, technically, only 10 k from the start, I reckon I had walked 8-10k extra. From here it was on to Ornans, I needed to stop for lunch but there was nowhere to stop until right at the edge, then I went to the supermarket to top up with food for the evening, not a good idea as now I was over laden, I was absolutely exhausted. I decided to try for the campsite in Ornans so I asked at the Tourist Office but the only option was a bungalow, far too expensive, so I had to continue to Vuillefans, another 6k, I stopped for a drink and decided to continue by bus. When the bus arrived I waited for an elderly lady to descend, at which point a man pushed passed me and nearly knocked me over, the driver was watching so I commented as I got on the bus, he watched me get on and then he berated me for the fact that I had got on with my back-pack and now everyone would have to wait whilst I got back off again and put my pack in the luggage hold. I couldn't believe it but this was the straw that broke the camels back!  It doesn't take much to make me emotional when I am tired out and he made me cry, I felt so stupid.  
I am very tired now and not at all sure about how I will manage in the mountains. However the campsite in Vuillefans was great, shut when I arrived but I didn't have to wait too long, the staff were friendly and helpful, I had the place to myself and there is a good kitchen.

Day 14 Vuillefans to Pontarlier 6.5kms!
I woke up to clear skies and sun-shine, wonderful. By the time I was dressed and out I could see ominous clouds coming up. I started well enough, following the signs, the countryside is beautiful. I had not left the village before I realised that I had lost my sticks, I was going to return to the camp-site but I thought about when I had last seen them and it had been the Tourist Office in Ornans, so now here I was, heading for the time that I really need sticks, and I don't have any. I walked through a wood and managed to find quite a good stick, it seemed strong enough.

The walk was pretty, it was well signed, then down into Lods, at a lower level the wind was gale force and very cold. Lods is a very long village and it started to drip rain so I quickly put on my waterproof jacket and covered my bag and walked on a few more yards then the heavens opened again. I stopped at someone's open garage and sheltered for a bit. I put on my waterproof trousers, by this time my trousers were a bit wet but it seemed best to protect them from anymore. At this point I lent on my stick and it broke. The rain was horrendous, I stood and watched it for a little while but it didn't show any signs of improving. There was supposed to be a bar in Lods so I continued walking, ever hopeful. I came to what I thought was the end of the village, no bar! So on I went, then there were more houses and finally a hotel with an open bar, so I went in for coffee and to think about how best to continue. The signed path, after Mouthier is through woods above a steep valley and often on narrow paths, Alison Raju does not recommend it in wet weather, I hadn't planned to let this stop me but Harry Bucknall also had a narrow escape with a rock slide after heavy rain and this was heavy rain, and it had been several days of heavy rain, also I had no sticks. So I continued walking on the road, but there was really nowhere to walk, the traffic was not heavy but there were enough lorries to make life difficult. I got to Mouthier just in time for the last morning bus, I decided that this was 'Divine Providence'. I'm tired, the weather is awful and I'm faced with 2 dangerous options, or take the bus, so bus it was.

It also meant that I got to the Youth Hostel in Pontarlier whilst it was open in the morning and I was able to go to a launderette and wash and dry all my clothes, well nearly all! I also found a supermarket, and a bank with an ATM that gives Swiss Francs. The Youth Hostel is full tomorrow night so I am in luck. I have a yearning for chocolate and sweet dishes and I found a caramel tartlet which is scrumptious, so I'm hunkered down, plenty of food and wine and time to rest for Switzerland tomorrow.
Day 15 Pontarlier to Ste Croix; & Yverdon 25kms
Again the morning was clear overhead and star-lit but this time I decided not to be taken in and I dressed for rain. I bought some bread and started walking, immediately a mist arose and it was freezing cold, my hands were numb and I have no gloves.  I don't know how the official route leaves Pontarlier, I saw no signs, but I left the way I planned, it was through woods, I managed to find a stick, which was just as well as the path was steeply up and then fairly steeply down. I hate ups but, often, I dislike downs even more and these downs were muddy, wet and slippery. 

When I arrived at La Frambourg I found a bakery that sold coffee so I had a break, after this I found the signs, both 'balise' and VF signs, this was just as well as the path was frequently obscure and overgrown.

Fortunately it was very well signed for kilometres but then, all of a sudden, they stopped, I don't know how I can have overlooked a sign but, after wandering around a bit, I decided to keep straight on, then I could hear a road so I carried on and walked on the road. I was grateful for my wet gear, the nettles had been big, I'd also managed to slip in some mud, the path in any low bits was soaking wet. My feet were now soaking as well. I'd enjoyed the walk, seen some animals and I was quite happy continuing to the border, after the checks in France I rather wondered if I would manage to get a stamp in my passport but there was no-one at the border.

I stopped for a beer at the hotel near the border, then, a bit later stopped for my picnic. Once in Switzerland I had planned to take the signed route but after about 100 metres there was a gate and no more signs so I gave up on that and took to the road again. My phone battery was almost dead so I couldn't take anymore photos.

At Ste Croix I took the train to Yverdon, This was something I had planned to do, I will jump a big bit of Switzerland because it is so expensive. In Yverdon I stayed at the Gîte du Passant, when I arrived it appeared to be shut, or rather very open but not for visitors, all the doors were open, the chairs up on tables, sheets out on the line but no-one here. eventually some-one came and I got a bed for the night.

Day 16 to Orsières (901m) Sigeric's Stage 50
 Up early, once again to starlit sky and then at daybreak the clouds started arriving. I wandered through the town on the way to the station, then took the train to Lausanne. I had planned to go to the cathedral for a stamp but then I decided it wasn't appropriate as I had done this bit by train and, anyway, I was too lazy. 
The army is in great evidence, it was yesterday as well, every station seems to be full of soldiers going on manoeuvres, they aren't doing security, just travelling or waiting to travel.
My first view of the mountains was a bit frightening, it looks a long way up!! By the time I arrived in Martigny I was in a minor panic, taking the train was not entirely a good idea, I was strongly tempted to continue that way!! I had planned to walk to Martigny Croix but was having second thoughts but my decision was made for me when I discovered that the trains to Sembrancher were in 7 minutes or 1½ hours, I didn't want the 7 mins and 1½ hours seemed a long time so I decided to walk. I went to the Tourist Office, had a coffee, found a shop that sold a small toothpaste, I'd been looking for one for days, and started walking.

A 3 kms walk to Martigny Croix, then a train to Sembrancher then the walk to Orsières.

The first part of the walk was fairly steep up, I'm not fond of ups but I did realise that I had 2 days of steep ups, but then there was a steep down, I could have really done with 2 sticks at this point, I ended up coming down crab fashion. My Cicerone guide tells me that in Switzerland there are strategically placed seats so that you can contemplate the wonderful views, there were certainly more seats than in France but they weren't always placed to take in the view!

The view was definitely behind me!

I don't know why Ricola advertise in German when they grow the herbs in Valais!

The walk through woods was slippery with pine needles and dust, it obviously hasn't rained as much in the Alps as in the Jura, though rain was promised. I soon realised that it is not the walk up to the St Bernard Pass that should be worrying me but the walk down the other side.

The accommodation in Orsières is really good, it is provided by the parish and I hadn't known what to expect, the sleeping is mattresses on the floor but he has really thought to provide everything, even down to newspapers for wet boots. The town is bigger than I imagined as well and has shops, bars, hotels.

Day 17 Orsières to Bourg St Pierre (1632m) Sigeric's Stage 49

It had snowed on the mountains during the night though the morning was dry.

A short walk today, in distance, but lots of ups and downs, one or two of them very steep. It is particularly annoying to go steeply uphill only to find that you have to go back down again, especially when the aim of the day is to go up. I had now found myself 2 sticks and I really needed them, though on more than one occasion I was grabbing at roots and trees.  At Liddes I had a cup of coffee and got food for lunch and the evening, the rest of the walk was not so difficult, a lot of up but seldom very difficult.

There was a lot of work being done on pipes

I saw a phone box in Liddes and I had promised myself that if I saw a phone box I would phone Maison St Pierre to confirm a lodging for the night, the lady confirmed that there would be no problem. I continued happily, when I arrived in Bourg St Pierre I went straight to Maison St Pierre only to find no-one there and a completely different phone number, this one was a French mobile number so I was less than happy to phone it, the girl on the other end kept me waiting for a while (2 minutes!) whilst she conferred with someone else and then said no, they only take groups. (The cost of this phone call was €9.90!) I told her that I had been told there was no problem but she didn't want to know. I had planned my finances on the cost of Maison St Pierre and I had just enough Swiss Francs for here but now I had to go to a hotel and there would be no kitchen, I was not happy, anyway I got a room in the Bivouac de Napoleon and paid for breakfast, using my credit card, and made a sandwich for the evening. The room was warm cosy and comfortable.

Day 18  Bourg-St Pierre to St.Rhemy on Basse 18kms

It had rained during the evening and when I got up it was misty, when I went out to cross over to the hotel it was evident that it had snowed higher up. The snow line was now lower than the tree line and I knew I had to go above the tree line.

 I had a good breakfast in the hotel, well worth paying for as there was to be nowhere else to stop, and then I started off. I followed the signs until they turned off the road and I discovered that the route was barred  and a note said to take the detour by the church, I had been busy looking at the church tower which dates back to the 9th century and I hadn't seen the sign.

Like all deviations signs after this were few so I was glad to have a map. I could see that I would rejoin the signed route just before the dam and reservoir. I decided to follow the signed path to Bourg St Bernard and then follow the road, I had no desire to slip on a snowy stone and fracture anything. The path was pretty good and though there was snow around the path itself was clear. I saw 2 marmots but wasn't quite quick enough to get a photo.

The road was not easy, after Bourg St Bernard the heavy traffic has disappeared to take the tunnel but there was still a fair amount of traffic, cars, motor bikes and the occasional coach. The worst were 6 German Mercedes Benz, obviously out on a get together and just trying to prove how quickly they could go on a mountain pass, fortunately I was on the other side of the road. I had to keep swapping over as some of the bends were quite dangerous, rock face on one side and sheer drop on the other, the road is also 2k longer. The last 4k were an uphill drag, there were lay-bys but no seats, nowhere to sit down and take a break. I would not recommend the road to anyone but I am not sure how much better the path would have been.

By the time I got to the top it was bitterly cold, but I had made it.

I went to the Hospice for a stamp, a volunteer lady was organising the loads of people there to visit the museum, she asked what I wanted and then took me to a dining room, full of teenage girls eating picnics, there she asked the waiter to stamp my credenziale. He offered me some tea, I was reluctant as I was a bit stuck financially but he assured me it was free, I found a seat at the end of a table and drank sweet black tea, I'm not really a tea drinker and I don't take sugar but it was delicious. The room was warm and I realised that it was the ideal spot to eat my picnic so I asked if it was OK and then I ate. It was so much better than a bench in the cold.

After lunch I was revived, I had decided to continue down a little bit, especially as the weather was good, so I walked down a couple of kilometres to a refuge.

another set of signs!

This refuge is supposed to have a kitchen but it is shutting shortly and they are cleaning up so no access to the kitchen, I had to eat in the bar across the road. By the time I had paid for bed and an evening meal I had €2 left and the meal was awful, I don't like gnocchi and the cold meats and cheese were served with a bread that was almost mouldy, I would have done better to make my own sandwich, also it was snowing outside. Two Italian pilgrims turned up, they had walked up from the Italian side, in order to start at the top, they intended to get a bus up but, apparently the Italian busses have stopped already, though the Swiss busses are still running.

Day 19 to Aosta 26 kms

I started without breakfast! It had snowed during the night but was not too bad.

Looking back up!

The path was fairly clear and I was not very far above the snow line, the worst thing was the wind, it was very strong and very cold, fortunately the path soon went round the mountain a bit and I got out of the wind, it was still very cold though. To start with the path was wide and gravelly and reasonably gentle. it was much easier than I had anticipated as I had been dreading the descent. I went gently, I had started very early so I was in no hurry. The path is well signed, until I tried to get to St Oyen, here the path was signed but was closed for roadworks! Fortunately there was a lady in a car who offered to show me an alternative, otherwise I would have been really stuck.

I planned to have a cup of coffee in Etroubles, at least I did if I could get one for under €2, but I also hoped that I might find a bank, it was my only hope before Aosta.  It is always difficult to recognise banks in foreign countries and Etroubles is dissected by a very busy main road, one half is pedestrianized, I started looking there but it was the wrong place, so I headed for the Tourist Office, then I found that the building next to the TO was a bank. Super, I got some money and went to a nice hotel and had not only a coffee but a croissant as well. 

The weather was fine but when I looked back I could see that a storm was building up on the mountains and every time I started to feel hot and wanted to take off my jacket it dripped a few drops of rain on me.  Mostly today was downhill and mostly comfortably down hill, there were only a couple of occasions when it became steep, there were also a couple of uphills these were really annoying as it meant another steep downhill straight after.

I met a French couple just outside Aosta, they had started the day before on the Pass, we chatted for a little while as they had done various caminos.

In Aosta I walked to the Parish of San Martin which is supposed to have accommodation but they don't do it any more, it was a long walk so a little annoying. They gave me a couple of names of possibilities but by then I had had enough and just headed off to find a hotel. I went to the Cathedral to get a stamp on my passport but no such luck, then I found the Town Hall, a lady there sent me next door to a government building and I got one there. Eventually I found a hotel and here I stopped being a pilgrim and became a tourist.  I went out for a nice meal to celebrate that I had climbed up to the St Bernard Pass and got down again safely.

To Turin