hiking
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Leffond to Seveux via Dampierre-sur-Salon: commemorations, conviviality and more canals
Yesterday I awoke early at the gîte belonging to the Leffond commune and busied myself making breakfast. VE Day is a public holiday in France, usually just referred to as 8th May. I was grateful for the baguette that had… Continue reading
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Langres to Leffond: tis in my memory lock’d
My memory served me both well and ill on this long day’s walk from the hilltop city of Langres to the riverside idyl of Leffond. I had booked into the gîte above the Mairie at Leffond the day before, but… Continue reading
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Perrancey-les-Vieux-Moulins to Langres: a hop, skip and a jump
The morning after the night before. I expected to require some sort of heavy lifting equipment to hoist me out of bed into an upright posture, however on checking feet, legs, knees and back, everything seemed to be in surprisingly… Continue reading
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Montsaon to Perrancey-les-Vieux-Moulins: several steps too far?
I’m sorry not to have published this update earlier. I know that some people like to read my blog before bed and they will have missed their bedtime reading last night. I assume that my ramblings are conducive to a… Continue reading
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Cirfontaines-en-Azois to Montsaon: even the sparrow has found a home
I don’t know whether it is because I am spending up to seven hours a day in the outdoors, or whether avian life is more abundant here, but there are birds everywhere. Walking though forests is a delight: always a… Continue reading
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Vitry-le-François to Montmorency-Beaufort via Drosnay: lost socks, lost churches, found kebabs
It is said that when the then monk, Martin Luther got irretrievably behind in his prayers, he came to the realisation that God loved him simply because of his faith and not because of anything he did, (or didn’t do).… Continue reading
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La Chausée-sur-Marne to Vitry-le-François: fragile stones
I had treated myself to breakfast at Le Clos de Mutigny hotel and on arrival surveyed what was on offer. I decided I would try to tick off every single food group, which included boiling myself an egg and operating… Continue reading
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Châlons-en-Champagne to La Chausée-sur-Marne: a crossroads
Châlons was, in Roman times, known as Catalaunum, and was founded on the junction of the Roman Via Agrippa and the River Marne. A number of canals traverse the town, although most now run under elegant wide streets in the… Continue reading
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Charmes to Laon
Thursday morning dawned, fresh and bright. I awoke feeling neither fresh nor bright. Indeed, after the turbulent evening I’d had, the dawn could just jolly well wait for a bit. I pulled the covers over for another hour, before venturing… Continue reading
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Peronne to St Quentin
I should begin by saying that Peronne and I go back a bit. Roughly ever other year since 2001, my friend David Chambers and I have gone on battlefield tours together. It was on one of these first tours that… Continue reading
The Loafing Pilgrim 