We decided to make an early start today as we had a long way to go, so we’d asked for breakfast at 0630. Our hosts were retired farmers and conversation was wide ranging over a delicious supper, which included wild boar shot by our host who is a keen hunter. We can confirm that it is very good to eat! We were all surprised when an English pilgrim turned up at 2115, unannounced, looking for accommodation having left Langres many hours after us.
Our understanding of pilgrim etiquette is that we should be making contact at least 24-48 hours ahead, especially in remote areas where it’s a long way to shops, or you’re going to be staying in private homes. We were a bit embarrassed by a fellow countryman/ pilgrim’s focus on personal flexibility over good manners. Our hostess commented about this in the morning, and we could only agree.
The day started overcast and very humid but relatively cool, with thunderstorms forecast for later. Down the road we passed through the town of Chalindrey, which is a major railway junction with a large maintenance area. It reminded us of Swindon, and seemed equally soulless though not burdened with complex roundabouts. (Apologies to fans of Swindon!)
From Chalindrey we departed from the VF route in favour of more direct roads and tracks – anything to shorten our day! – and struck out across country heading generally southwards.
After all the overnight rain we saw lots of slugs and snails, but fewer butterflies today. One brightly coloured slug was obviously keen to warn off predators!
Agriculture in this area is extensive and more mixed than we’ve seen for a while, with both arable crops and pasture, often in quite small hedge-lined fields, all interspersed with woodlands, making for very attractive scenery. Most of the hay had been safely gathered in before last night’s rain, but a few stragglers were fetching in their roll-ups today.
We found a convenient log beside the road across the valley from Rivieres-le-Bois to sit for lunch. We were joined by a cricket which seemed interested in our rucksacks, hopping from one to the other. The horse-fly interested in Tom’s leg was more problematic and definitely not encouraged to hang around!
Apart from one short sharp shower mid- morning which lasted just long enough for us to get togged up in waterproofs and dig out the backpack covers, we seemed to dodge the showers going on around us.
Indeed, at Maatz the sun finally emerged for the first time today. After refilling water bottles at the churchyard tap and sitting a while in the cool of the church, we set out for Coublanc which should have been the end of the day’s walk but for lack of any accommodation.
Earlier in the day we had met anotherVF pilgrim, a young Czech student, Hedevika, who has been wild camping, living on rice and beans, and covering greater distances than us. She caught up with us again in Coublanc and we walked together across the fields to Leffonds.
By this time there were three big thunderstorms going on around us, with black skies, continual rumbling of thunder, and occasional flashes of lightening. Finally, at Leffonds, our luck ran out and, with a mighty crack of thunder very close by we hastened into the village to look for shelter, diving down into the lavoir (wash house) just as the rain started in earnest.
It then poured with torrential rain and hail, with continually rumbling thunder and the odd crack overhead, for almost an hour. We cowered under the lavoir roof, hoping it was sound, and kept away from the open sides where rain and hail were bouncing in. The trough in the bottom was initially empty but soon filled several inches deep with run-off from the road and the roof.
Once the rain had eased off we got back into our waterproofs and set out on the final 6 kms walk along the road to Champlitte. We realised how fortunate we’d been to arrive in Leffonds when we did because there was no shelter to be had either before or after.
Just as we came into Champlitte a barking dog rushed out of a gate and charged across the road at Tom, who waved it off with both walking poles and appropriate verbal encouragement! We could hear the owner talking to the dog from behind a hedge, but he didn’t have the decency to emerge or apologise. We would like to have suggested he took himself and the dog to the canine training school we’d passed just up the road! We have been bothered by a lot of dogs over the weeks, but most of them have been behind fences, so more annoying than dangerous, but we feel sorry for anyone walking without poles.
About 11 hours after setting out this morning we finally arrived at our hotel, which fortunately also has a restaurant so we will only need to totter downstairs to find supper, thank goodness.
Highlights of the day? Arriving at the end intact if completely exhausted!