2023

Day 25 – continuing through the French countryside

Yenne to Romagnieu, 22 Km

Delighted accommodation last night, L’Hermitage in Yenne. We had a mini apartment in a small complex in the middle of nowhere. After such a fabulous and late lunch we finished the last of our picnic and then retired for an early night.

My French pronunciation is improving or at least becoming more effective. I went into a boulangerie yesterday, asked for two croissants and the lady duly obliged without even a pardon?

Today wasn’t the greatest day. We got off to a late start because the owner of our accommodation wanted to drive us to the boulangerie. He said it was just 5 minutes but we lost an hour. And then we decided to visit the supermarket which opened at 8.30. More time was lost and when we eventually started walking at 09.30, the sun was quickly heating up the countryside. One distraction followed another and when we finally arrived at our next rustic farmhouse at 6pm we were a little bit exhausted.

Madame cooked us a big dinner and we dined on the terrace. There was much conversation in French, English and German so that’s why I’m a little late today. We haven’t made a plan for tomorrow as yet except that we’ll continue our journey through the French countryside.

continuing through the French countryside
Broken shell
The church in St Maurice-de-Rotherens
a farm

17 comments on “Day 25 – continuing through the French countryside

  1. Kia ora, Tim, all that walking on the flat must be a bit boring after the challenging terrain of the past! What do you do to relieve the boredom? So many walkers seem to meander along, heads down, looking just ahead of their feet. Fascinating stuff – not! Kia kaha.

  2. It is when it gets aleatory that I enjoy it the most! I am sure you will find extra happiness tomorrow. Tim

    • Are those sturdy gates designed to keep the pilgrims from breaking in, or out?

      • They probably remained from the previous house

    • It seems like too many more tomorrows remaining on this trail

    • I must remember aleatory. Everything is left to chance when I walk

  3. Tassie Kaz

    The bliss of flat-ish terrain 🥰
    A chance for the mechanics of walking to go on auto pilot rather than concentrating on each foot placement & less concerns about the ol’ ticker! Also you can truly absorb your surroundings without eyes down all the time…enjoy the freedom! 🤗
    Was there perhaps a touch of cranky today Tim….? 😉

  4. Philippa T

    I had to look up aleatory to find out (a) if it’s a real word, and (b) what it means; still not sure that I understand it in this context (pilgrimage) but I too hope that tomorrow is more enjoyable, random (?) or not!

    • I think just the randomness of the start struck me, and plans going adrift.
      I think for aleatory music, you would throw all the pages of the score up in the air and pick them up and play them in the order they came down! As a non-planner, it appeals to me. Of course sometimes one does have to make SOME kind of a plan.
      I think there is a novel by BS Johnson which just comes as pages in a box to be read in any order. I suspect that maybe tells you why it is not well known! 🙂

    • Thank you it was more enjoyable. I think it’s good when someone can introduce a new word for the good of us all.

      • Philippa T

        Yes it is; it’s prompted me to look up the Oxford Dictionary (vs Google) which tells me that it derives from the Latin for dice player. I knew I should have continued with Latin at school …

  5. The French countryside looks and sounds better than your experience when walking north to south through France as I hear no reference to abandoned villages and the dreaded midges?

    • That’s my lapse. Plenty of insects and derelict properties, many serving as pilgrim accommodations

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