travel
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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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Saint Quentin to Clastres
Following my long walk the day before, and probably because I had skipped a meal, I didn’t feel full of my usual vim an vigour the following morning. However, the up side of walking so far yesterday was that I… 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
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Guînes to Audenfort: warm winds and sneaky stamps
Day two began following a broken night’s sleep. I think the sun from the previous day and the costly detours took a little more out of me than expected. However, I woke full of vim and vigour and had a… Continue reading
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Dover to Guînes: more learning opportunities
The day began with Rosie and the boys praying over me the pilgrims’ blessing used at Canterbury Cathedral. As we’d had to miss the two stages through Kent, it was great to be sent off in this way. Even if… Continue reading
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Changing plans and planning changes
Robert Burns in his 1789 poem To a Mouse commented that “The best laid plans of mice and men, gang aft aglay.” Although I think I prefer Willie Rushton‘s contribution to a “complete that quote” round in BBC Radio 4’s… Continue reading
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Take heart
A few days ago I spent another day walking the Malvern Hills. A foray up to Dinmore Hill and a return along the ridge running behind the Vicarage was enough to convince me that lower-lying walks would still be very… Continue reading
The Loafing Pilgrim 