Le Mont Sion to Seyssel, 38Km
I didn’t intend to walk so far today but I stopped earlier than planned yesterday to get a hotel and then today I had to walk farther because none of the pilgrim places were available. Nothing to do with excessive demand; I’ve hardly seen any pilgrims. I could probably have found a gîte but I booked a hotel instead, a little farther on and just off the GR65. Unfortunately I didn’t notice the 200m drop from the trail to the hotel on the banks of the Rhône so it added even more distance. Anyway, Seyssel is a lovely spot now that I’m here.
The landscape is very nice as you’d expect. It’s a mixture of dairy, arable and shady woods but little in the way of welcoming settlements. After four and a half hours, I reached Frangy which is famed for its cash dispenser automatique. I threw the doors open of the first bar and ordered a Panaché. I asked for a sandwich but Madame referred me to the cafe next door where a chicken brochette was hastily prepared.
After that I struggled. The temperature was 28 (feels like 31). I met a pilgrim from Munich who had no particular plans for accommodation or destination. He was quite heavily loaded and moving very slowly so after a few words I walked on.
Next came Desnigy, an ideal location for a film set in the post war years, with subtitles. Or a Kronenburg 1664 advertisement. The first people I encountered were a couple of women doing something with flowers. I shook my virtually empty water bottle at them, drained the last centimetre and begged for water. They filled it and I drank most of what they gave me as I reached the church and the Marie. Here I found a tap and drank quite a lot of water. I went into the church to cool down. There are no pilgrim stamps in French churches so there’s no point looking for them but the Marie obliged with a self adhesive stamp which will have to do.
The thriving resort of Seyssel has everything you could imagine except a restaurant. You could have your hair styled a hundred different ways but my hotel is firmly closed and the other is full. I’ve found a bar at the edge of town which promises lasagna. I’m hoping they serve me before the band starts playing. The guitarist told me it’s going to be very loud and mostly covers of ‘80s and ‘90s hits. It could be quite a good evening if they can manage to resurrect something by The Police. I was there when they played the Marquee Club and my life took an interesting turn when I bought their first album. I used to work with an accountant called Derrick who told me that he knew Sting. Derrick was once drinking in a bar in Florida when Sting walked in and the memorable exchange took place, “Sting!” … “Derrick!”
Pilgrimage 
While you’re there, drink some Seyssel – famed for dry whites and sparkling. Very refreshing. And, btw, I am ‘Marie” (when in France), but I am not a town hall – mairie.
Yes but I always think of them like Absolutely Sweet Marie
A great read as always, although it’s a long way to go to see a replica of Hammersmith Bridge. Have you considered sleeping under the stars, for that ultimate experience?
Sleeping over the black holes in Geneva was experience enough
Hi Tim
Sounds like the heat is getting stressful.
“Next came Desnigy,” I thought I’d take a look but not on google maps.
It is quite warm here as well. Keep hydrated.
Spotted it “Desingy”
It’s definitely easy to miss
Seyssel looks cute. I do like the little flower overhanging above the streets – much better then the “used auto dealership” flags from previous post 🙂
The landscape and ancient buildings and accents are lovely as usual. Perhaps a cloth soaked in ice water will give you some temporary relief from the heat. Put around the neck like the tennis players do.
I prefer flowers to used cars too! Thanks for the tips. I also dunk my hat in cold water which is also effective
Wow…38km Tim!…wouldn’t want to be doing that too often esp with the heat.
‘Issues’ aside, beautiful scenery to walk through…lovely photos.
Apart from the walking, your problem solving abilities are getting a good work out too!
Continued happy trails. 🤗
I have one more 33Km day on Sunday otherwise it will be sensible distances only. More than 30 is no fun
Kia ora, Tim. Love the interior of the church where the decor focusses on the architecture- simple and sleek. Great photos of stunning landscapes and wonderful buildings. Kia kaha.
Cheers Vicky. I love them too
Interesting as always. Did you escape before the band started? Wonder if they got an audience? I’ve recently dusted off my electric guitar for a Zoom tuition course.
Not really but I did my best to compensate
A bench to sit on, what luxury! At the other end of the Via Podiensis finding a seat (rather than the ground) was rare and generally by the time we did discover one we were exhausted! Take it easy, high 20s temperatures aren’t conducive to comfortable walking!
There’s never a bench when you need one. And there’s always a bench just after you’ve sat on a damp log for 10 minutes
😄🤣😉😏
So true….!