A hilly walk today through a mix of farmland and forest. A couple of long uphill stretches that got the heart rate going.
The pilgrim route to Charpuis is dotted with picturesque vistas, providing ample opportunities to be immersed in the essence of rural France, to breathe in the country air and listen to the sounds of nature as you traverse the well-marked route from Vezelay.
My hosts last night called ahead to arrange for the Le Relais Vauban in Bazoches to make a sandwich for me for lunch which I collected on the way. Followed the way though the town of Neuffontaines and stopped for morning tea at an intersection with a wayside cross located inside four trees. The size of the trees may indicate they were planted at the same time as this cross was placed there?
Met a Dutch pilgrim couple who are walking the whole way to Santiago de Compostela 1,700 km to go and they have already walked from Holland to get here! Maybe I will see them here and there over the coming days.
The Dutch couple were staying at the Gite L’Esprit du Chemin so I called in to say hello and refill my water bottles. A Gite is run by pilgrims for pilgrims with volunteer’s from Holland. It was tempting to stop here but I had already arranged my accommodation at Charpuis.
The highlight today is where I am staying at l’Herminière in Charpuis. Charpuis is a small hamlet with just a few houses surrounded by farmlands. I am being hosted by a retired French couple in a converted barn. We sat in the garden for the late afternoon with a beer and wine. I joined them for a homecooked dinner sitting outside overlooking the farmland. Listening to the cows mooing and chatting over cheese and local wine until 11pm.
This route is also known as the Via Lemovicensis, Camino Vézelay, chemin de Vézelay, Vezelay route and the Vezelay Way.
