Today is our second from last day. Tomorrow we will be in Arras but today…
“The shortest distance between two points is a straight line!”
That’s a simple enough principle. So why did we walk three sides of a rectangle, more than TWICE!? And not even straight sides of the rectangle.
I’m not really complaining, not really. Well, ok maybe a little after the first 10km. It just gets a little obvious in places that the route isn’t EXACTLY going in the most efficient direction. But I gotta admit the scenery, the views, even the forest was beautiful, quiet, serene, inspiring…etc. And we unexpectedly arrived at a place of very solemn remembrance. More about that when you see the photos
We stopped for refreshing beverages at the “military canteen“ at the top of the hill and I forgot to hit “resume” when we left so there’s probably another 120 km to add to today’s walk 😏well maybe not 120 exactlyCrossing more fields looking back at the village in the distance Cart tracks, single track, gravel roads…the rocky ones are the hardest and most painful to walk on. Catharine walking on the grassy centre section. It’s easier and less painful than walking in the rock filled tire depressions.Shaded lanes with wide dirt packed paths are the best.Some sign posts and markers can be a little confusing where many paths meet or diverge. That’s why I carried the guide book with the map, a recent map. But even despite that, we ran into more than a few head-scratching scenarios Along the way, in a shady corner of two crossing paths that very few people likely visit is the tiniest church, more like a shrine, that we’ve come across and someone lovingly cares for it. As we come up the hill and get closer we catch our first glimpse and the impact is literally astounding. Over 40,000 young men buried hereThe graves read that they gave their lives for France. I wonder how much more they had to offer had they been allowed to live and gone to school to become doctors, or researchers, teachers, farmers, skilled workers, parents… This is 43,000 French soldiers who died here. After a truly emotional experience walking around the perimeter of the cemetery we went to the canteen for a lunch break Catharine coming down the stairs from the Notra Dame de Lorette French military cemetery A lot of steps down through the woodsPassing by the horses that totally ignored us. Every other animal; sheep, cows, even the chickens, were all curious and watched as we walked by. Not these guys though!The bombes out ruins of a church in one of the small villages we passed through The Marie or city hall of one of the larger villages Back on track and hiking across the fieldsThe ruins of the cathedral in Mont la Eloi in the distance On the outskirts of Mont de Eloi, a car club with some fascinating old cars. Using up the last of our food to make room for souvenirs once we hit ParisThe paella in a bag. The Quinoa was the best but both were good, and I don’t say that just because it was Monday and everything in the village was closed. Catching up on messages to home.
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