Day 23 – Très difficile but then …

Seyssel to Chanaz, 27Km

The band soon played Every Breath I take last night and although they weren’t quite in the same league as The Police, they were jolly good and it was a pleasure to hear some live music.

My hotel du Rhône in Seyssel charged 14 euro for breakfast but the town was already awake at 6am so I crossed the bridge and headed towards the boulangerie which you can sniff out from the edge of town. Even at an early hour there’s an eager queue of locals patiently waiting in line for their bread and pastries. I wondered how they coped with the British equivalent.

The walk today was delightful, along the banks of the Rhône all the way to Chanaz. Lots of shade as the temperature soared into the low 30s but “feels like 34”.

It was incredibly difficult to find accommodation in Chanaz but I had booked L’abri des Pelerins by telephone. It was a long hard climb out of town and into the surrounding hills and then my heart sank when I saw the ancient house, alone in the fields. I knocked on the door but there was no response. I called the owner, Sebastian, and he told me to just go inside, take beer and he’d be along in 10 minutes.

I followed his instructions. The house is far more rustic than any Jean de Florette film set. The fridge and kettle are the only things that work after any fashion. Sebastian arrived in a bit of a fluster because he had to take his wife into hospital this morning and he had to bring her things over there.

It was all a bit overwhelming. I had the house to myself, he hadn’t had another pilgrim for a week and I felt quite alone. Sebastian had warned me not to go to Saint Maurice tomorrow because of the distance, the gradient and the lack of water. He phoned a place called The Hermitage in Yenne and said I could stay there but there was no bedding or food. He left for the hospital and I sat in the old farmhouse contemplating abandoning the pilgrimage and taking a TGV to Lyon. I felt like I’d reached the end of the road.

Just then, the door blew open and two pilgrims fell inside, covered in sweat, enquiring if I had room for them. I grabbed more beers from the fridge, sat them down and briefed them on the situation. They are a couple from Germany, Robert and Michaela. After a few more beers we decided to join forces to get over the next few days. Sebastian returned and cooked us all a huge dinner, the wine flowed and the house felt like home. Onwards…