Well today has been a long and eventful day. After bragging yesterday about the lack of rain there was sunshine, wind and rain today – happily the wind and rain were never head on.

I walked from Liettres to Amette: the end of one stage and then, bypassing Bubure headed for the end of the second stage, Bruay. A total distance of 32 km (20 miles). The last 7 km were hard work! Once again, for a good proportion of the route I walked alongside the Chaussee Brunehut.

Last night’s storm had been impressive and my host, David told me over breakfast that a tree in a neighbouring village had been struck and set on fire. I was very glad the storm had not blown in until the evening, to have been caught out in the open fields in that would not have been pleasant.

It appears too that there was some truth in the cricket rumour! I passed the chateau, imposing with round medieval towers and 17th Century additions. Leaving the village, I came to the hamlet of Transvaal. Not a typical French village name and one that I had a hope of pronouncing correctly. Ir must have taken its name from links with South African mining as a tell tale slag heap, or “terril” heralded the former coal fields. Coal workers cottages were in evidence too (however I suspect this one may have been for a manager!)

I followed a railway track bed through this first coal mine, now a nature reserve. These slag heaps have their own unique micro climates and attract many rare wildlife species. On the other side of the former workings an embankment was reminiscent of the “Line Bank” in Ledbury, the Gloucester branch line that is now a footpath through the town. It brought back many happy family memories.

The walk continued to Auchy-le-Bois where I received a stamp at the Mairie. The village also has a very fetching life size cut out of a VF pilgrim.

Amettes was the end of this stage, although it is not a large place. However it was the birthplace of St Benoit-Joseph Labre. His family home is a shrine which clearly touches many people. Along with the stations of the cross, it did indeed feel like one of those thin places where God is near.

After attempting a monastic lifestyle, he opted instead for the life of a pilgrim. He travelleded to most of the major shrines of Europe, subsisting by begging. Benoit Labre is patron saint of the homeless. So a fitting place to visit on the Via!

While looking at the stations of the cross set up on the hillside above the house, I saw a figure I recognised. It was Marcel who I had last seen at Wisques. We had a good chat, compared destinations for the day (he was going to the pilgrim hostel at Burbure) and the ranged off towards the state of the world and the importance of European cooperation. As individuals from countries outside the EU, this was an interesting conversation.

Recognising that we weren’t going to put the world to rights that afternoon, we wished each other “Bonne marche”. He too is headed for Switzerland, so I hope to see him again.

I called in at Amettes Church and found a wonderful, and well-kept building. Clearly St Benoit Labre has helped to keep the place alive.

Over the fields to Fernay, I was able to get some lunch from a boulangerie. (I ate again in a bus shelter (see yesterday’s thought piece on sitting down!).

Through more former mine workings I came across a flooded section of the path. I managed to shin up a bank and along the edge of the farmer’s field, before finding my way back on to the route. Flushed with success I managed to catch my foot in a cleft branch lying on the ground and fell flat on my face. It was one of those tumbles that happens in slow motion and I clearly saw a concrete post lying in the ground. Happily, despite the help given to my fall by my heavy pack, nothing was damaged beyond my pride!

I now diverted off the Via and headed into the post-industrial town of Auchel. Here I caused havoc in a supermarket by not pre-weighing two apples and was stared at by a cow, whose eyes followed me all the way down the street.

And so finally, four miles further down the road I arrived at Le Cottage Hotel at La Buissière. Tired, but looking forward to tomorrow.