Lodgings on the Via Gebennensis 2012

Via Gebennensis Lodging September 16-October 4, 2012

September 14-15 Geneva Auberge de jeunesse 28/30 Rue Rothschild (large, busy place, lots of use of key cards required,

waiting at desk, good location, near hotel President Wilson)

Day	Date	Town	Lodging	km	notes
1	16 Sept	Beaumont	La Fromagerie	14.6	gite, dorm Anne very helpful, drove us to ATM!, made lunch
2	17	Chaumont	Gite d’etape rustique	26	Gite, dorm, beautiful spot, very rustic, but good vibes
3	18	Seyssel	Accueil Jacquaire Les Capucins	23	Christine Hottlet  (fabulous house, people, food)
4	19	Chanaz	El Camino	22	Denise Chatard room w/ garden view, meal! wifi
5-6	20-21	Yenne	Le Clos des Capucins	17	Lovely hotel, setting, fabulous meal
7	22	St. Maurice de Rotherens	Le Vernay – Louis Revel	17	An experience! Room, meals, views, chapel, bar!
8	23	Les Abrets	Accueil jacquaire	23	Helene et Jean Francois Guerry – lovely people, room, meal
9	24	Le Pin	Chambre et Table de Pelerins	15.5	Elisabeth et Roland Meunier – lovely people, place, meal, help
10	25	La Cote Saint Andre	Chambre d’hotes L’Allouette	25	Bernadette et Jean-Jacques Bouthier – lovely, suite, view, meal
11	26	Revel-Tourdan	Chambre et tables pelerins	22	Yves et Marie-Claude Pinget –interesting old house, helpful hosts
12	27	Le Surieu	Jean-Pierre Cartier (photographer)	19.2	An experience! Welcoming.  Photographer, traveler, cook.
13	28	Chavanay	Gite d’etape Michel Vignon	18	Nice, but crowded in center of old village center
14	29	St. Julien Moulin Molette	Accueil; Radio d’Ici	19.1	Colorful toilet, dirty poorly equipped kitchen, rain, drab, cold
15	30	Les Setoux	Gite d’etape  Le Combalou	24	Welcoming, nice!  Good meal at restaurant, heat, laundry!
16	1 Oct.	Montfaucon en Velay	Chambre Le Jardin de Mirandou	17	Colorful, Madeleine Mounier, lovely, speaks English
17	2	St. Jeures	Le Fougal	20	The best! Lovely Chambre, meal, hostess – spoke English
18	3	St.-Julien-Chapteuil	Accueil Jacquaire	18.2	Suzanne et Andre Gallien – lovely people!
19	4	Le Puy	Chambre d’Hotes	19	Yolande Rouvier – lovely! On hillside/ wi-fi, private room
		Le Puy	Logis Meymard		Madeleine DeChaux, lovely old house in center, pedestrian street

Home!

We arrived home last night after more than 21 hours of travel door to door, apparently bringing Europe's clouds and rain with us, although this storm is coming from the Pacific.  It is great to be home, and this will end the group emails.  Pictures coming on Flickr before too long, and I'll try toad some to the blog and perhaps re-organize it to make it more readable,

Linnea and Kent

Pilgrims home at last, at least for now

Paris: Il Pleure dans la ville

The other day when we were walking I began thinking of snatches of French poetry I once knew, and one misremembered poem was this one by Paul Verlaine. It is certainly raining in Paris today, but fortunately not in my heart. English translation is included in the link.

http://allpoetry.com/poem/8538093-Il_Pleure_dans_mon_Coeur-by-Paul_Verlaine

Lyon

After 2-3 hours of train rides through country similar to that through which we'd walked for 19 days, we arrived in the big city of Lyon, gastronomic capital of France. As I had remembered, the Part-Dieu station was a huge, bustling, confusing place. We found no information desk, except for train travel, and a handicapped assistance office with a bank of wheel chairs, of which I wasn't desperate enough to take advantage, so with my 12-year old pages from the Rough Guide, with handy maps, although prices were still in Francs, we set out for our hotel which we estimated was about 2 km away. Along the way we came to a couple of Sunday street markets closing up. We bought 2 apples from a Tunisian vendor. When we reached the Rhone, runners were completing what must have been a marathon along the esplanade. Just before the square where they were finishing, we decided to turn down a restaurant-lined street. It was nearing 2 p.m., so I wasn't sure we could still be served, but it turned out that the place we chose, and perhaps others, were open on Sunday from from noon until 11 pm! Remarkable. We chose a place where the diners all looked happy and seemed to be having a good time, and we dined very well on salads, two heaping bowls of moules (mussels) in wine sauce, with a jam-covered crepe for dessert.

I had booked our hotel through Agoda during our first morning in Le Puy -- it was also in my old guidebook, which I thought a good sign. So, a bit groggy after our lunch, we shouldered our packs once more, and found Rue Victor Hugo and Hotel Alexandra not too many more steps away. Here we are in a starkly modern red and gray attic room, with a skylight and one window about 6 inches high by 40 inches wide, however with a couple of enormous hand hewn wooden beams supporting the sharply sloping ceiling which is perhaps 4 feet at the low end. We were whisked up to this 5th floor in a glass elevator.

It has been a day of contrasts from our room in the ancient stone house in the center of medieval Le Puy, to the ultra smooth, quiet, and fast train rides to bustling Lyon, and this room that combines old and new.

A man in the restaurant noticed my scallop shell necklace, and I am sure noticed our packs as we entered, and had to ask where we walked and tell me that he too had walked from Le Puy to Compostelle.

Tomorrow it is the fast train back to Paris. It has started to rain, and clouds and rain are predicted for the next few days, which should be fine for exploring museums in Paris, although what I'd really like to do is buy a whole new set of clothes from the inside out and shoes on up after 3 weeks in these same clothes.

It is good to have wi-fi (pronounced wee-fee here) in our room once again --it will be the last time before we get home.

Linnea and Kent
Pilgrims on the road of life

Le Puy

Hello all,

We arrived in Le Puy by 3 this afternoon after a pleasant stay with a family in St. Julien-Chapteuil last night, 20 km from Le Puy. We got lost briefly for the first time since our first day, following a different grande randonnee out of town. We had bought quiches and pain au chocolat at a boulangerie, and continued on our merry way until we realized we were not heading in the right direction. We asked for help from some neighbors visiting at an intersection with big white turkeys bobbing along the roadside, and soon were straightened out. There was lots of difficult walking today, along roads with noxious fumes from vehicles and a chemical plant. There were a few lovely spots, one with a bench where we ate our pain au chocolat and were joined by a friendly orange kitten. Just before that a sweet woman with white hair and red shoes asked where we were from, and was thrilled that we were the first American pilgrims she'd encountered passing by her home. After exploring a fascinating very old church, dating back to at least the 12th century, with an earlier tower that had obviously once been a fortification), we climbed up Montjoie (Mount Joy), where we got our first look at Le Puy in the distance and had our picnic lunch. Then it was downhill for a long way, over some interesting stone bridges across the Loire, which is a mountain stream here with Mallards playing in the ripples, through endless suburban parkland, playing fields, a couple of huge supermarkets with parking lots(!), and community gardens, until we were suddenly right below St Michel D'Aighuile, and I said to Kent, "Now, we are really here." It was very emotional for me to see Le Puy again, in such different circumstances than I was in two years ago. We sat on the steps of the cathedral, from where I had set out on the long walk to Santiago, and I asked two gentlemen to take our picture.

Then we descended to the lower part of the city and sat in the Place du Plot to celebrate our arrival with a beer. Before long Corinne passed by, and I ran to catch her. Then, along came Michael and Gabi, who were actually looking for us. They had arrived just the day before, and would be leaving by train early tomorrow. We missed Bernard, as he had departed this morning.

We shared recollections of our journeys and promised to email, and then Kent and I set out to find our chambre d'hôte, which is on the edge of town, but delightful, pretty and clean. And it has wi-fi, so write!

Two tired, but happy pilgrims!

Linnea and Kent
Pilgrims on the road of life

St. Jeures

Hello all, After our fairly long haul to Les Setoux, we have had two shorter days of about 18 and 19 km each day. The morning starting from Les Setoux was glorious with mist rising out of the valleys and sun breaking through onto green hills as we made some fairly steep descents and ascents through woods and farmland. By noon when we stopped on a grassy slope to picnic on bread and cheese, clouds were forming and we thought we would be caught in rain. We arrived in Montfaucon en Velay, cold and under clouds, but still dry, finding our way to a pretty, colorful giite with no one there. The door was open, so we left our packs and took off our boots, jotted down the phone number of the place, and found the friendly tourist office -- the first we've even seen -- who called for us, made some additional reservations, and let us check email. We had a room to ourselves, and beautiful modern bathroom down the hall.

Brilliant sun this morning, with moon setting. I snapped a lot of pictures, and would have taken more except that we stopped in a church to look at a fascinating series of 16th c Flemish paintings, each of a month of the year and referencing a gospel passage. It would have been nice to have had more time there. We had more ups and downs with marvelous views of distant villages and hamlets. A most amazing experience was entering a very dark fir forest from brilliant sunshine. It was like walking into a black hole or a dark theater. The canopy was so thick that nothing grew on the brown needle-covered floor. But at the edges of the circle of woods a halo of light surrounded the dark., with brilliant emerald green undergrowth edging. After awhile we came to a place where beams of light penetrated, creating a carpet of green moss on the ground and the tree trunks.

Wednesday morning. We are in a most delightful chambre d'hôte where we had our very own room with sheets on the bed and attached bath, and warm radiators. The dinner with 3 French non-pilgrims and two pilgrims with whom we have been for two and more nights, Corinne from Switzerland who is walking the entire way to St. Jacques from her home for a second time in 12 years, and Manfred, a rather heavily laden German, the only pilgrim we've met who is slower than we are, perhaps in his 30s or 40s.

We go up again today, over one big peak up to nearly 1300 metres We are in crisp clear mountain air, temps in 60s during the day, and much colder at night. Tonight with a family in St. Julienne-Chapteuil, and Thursday the last 19 km to Le Puy.

We are holding up well. Especially since their soaking my boots seem to have accommodated better to my feet, and the assorted pains in hips, thighs, and back I was experiencing in the first week have disappeared. Legs and feet still are very tired by the end of the day. It is amazing we stay so healthy given some of the primitive conditions we have faced and lack of sanitary amenities. It must be a healthy life to be outside walking for 8 hours a day. It is hard to believe we are almost done.

We we will be back in Paris at Hotel Esmeralda for nights of Oct 8-9-10. Meanwhile, more adventures on the track to Le Puy, and perhaps meetings with Gloria and some of our camino acquaintances there.

Linnea and Kent
Pilgrims on the road of life

Les Setoux

I am writing this tonight (Sunday 30 September) and hoping I can send it tomorrow morning. We just walked back from a lovely ordinary pilgrim dinner of a green soup, a huge casserole of scalloped potatoes, pork cutlets, fromage, and an ice cream desert, all with red wine and French bread. The fog was so thick we could see only a few feet ahead, and it is very chilly. Fortunately we have heat in our room -- a standard 4 bed room, but we have it to ourselves for 15 Euros each. Nice showers and toilets down the hall. And the little restaurant where we ate with 3 Germans and one Austrian has wifi, although I had to type in a 20 digit code of mixed caps and numbers twice on the iPod to get it to work. We were also able to wash our clothes in a machine after 4 days walking in them--whew!--and they are drying on a rack in a heated room.

We had wanted to travel fewer miles these past 2 days, but places are closing for the season, and there was nothing in between selected spots. Today we left Saint Julien Molin-Molette before 8 am to walk 24 km with nearly 700 meters of elevation gain (about 2100 feet). It had been raining and miserable the night before, but the morning sun was brilliant. We climbed up high through green fields and then after about 2 hours down into the lively village of Bourg-Argental where we had coffee in a cafe and bought quiches and pastries in a boulangerie. People talked to us and were most helpful and friendly. By 10:30 we were heading out of town, 16 some km straight up all the way to this little hameau of stone buildings on the downhill side of the highest point on this Geneva-Le Puy route. We walked mostly in mossy for forests. Many people were out picking mushrooms. The sun gave way to clouds and mist, and we thought we would need our rain gear. But although it got increasingly cold and misty, which was good for pushing uphill, we stayed dry, and arrived here a bit after 4 pm., very happy to be here, and starting to get a bit chilly.

I am able to send this morning. Now, breakfast! Montfaucon en belay tonight. Only a bit over 17 km of ups and down. still foggy this am and full moon.

Pilgrims on the road of life

Some notes about the route

The trail is well-marked and follows the French Grande Randonee 65 with red and white balises and also the pilgrim route to Compstelle marked by yellow scallop shells on a blue background, which are the ones we really look for. The direction of the shell points to the direction of the trail. We have maps and 2 guidebooks, one in French and one entirely in German which we can't read except for basic elements. Too bad as it has lots of details about places we pass through. Sometimes we are on small country lanes paved or unpaved, occasionally on bits of two-lane highway, usually for short distances, and sometimes on real hiking trails. We pass through many tiny clusters of houses, often named on roadsigns, but not on our bigger maps.
We have a series of topographic maps (3 for the entire Geneva to LePuy route) which I have cut up to carry just the parts that show our trail, which is marked by a dotted red line that I also outlined in yellow. These show more detail than the two guide books in terms of other trails, roads, and nearby towns and villages, giving us a bit of sense of just where we are in relation to these and to natural elements of the landscape such as mountains, lakes, and rivers.

Dinner

Dinner! Ah.... Do not feel sorry for us eating a microwaved dinner. Here it was: a green salad with tomatoes and an aspic with vegetables and a sliver of prosciutto. Then fish filets and small potatoes that went in the microwave all on a dish with a lovely green herb sauce. Then a plate of cheeses and thin slices of brown bread. Finally, a dessert with thin slices of pear and marinated cherries, with a marvelous gateau of chocolate and?? Called, said the enthusiastic young man who showed us everything, a Capucin. Mmm. Perhaps, best of all, in addition to the jug of red vin ordinaries, was a small amount of white local wine that was probably the best white wine I have ever had. The grapes were picked by hand, the label says Roussette de Savoie from Monthoux. Michel and Xavier Million Rousseau bottled on the property Earl Miliion Rousseau. Ahh.

Tomorrow we walk. Linnea and Kent
Ps thanks for writing. We want news!

Rest day in Yenne

We have been so very tired at the end of each day that after a lot of agonizing last night, we decided to spend an extra night here in Yenne where we have our own room and bath in a modern hotel built out of an old monastery Le Clos Des Capucins. We said goodbye to Michael, Bernie, and Gabi at a pleasant dinner here at the hotel last night, joined by another German pilgrim, a very fast walker we are unlikely to see again.

We washed clothes this morning and hung them on a line out back. Then we walked around the town, got the rubber separating from my (new!) boots glued back at a shoemaker (un cordonnier). We visited the 12th c church, sat on a bench by the Rhone, walked across a suspension bridge to the hamlet of St. Didier on the other side. We thought we saw a church steeple, but up close it was a tower on a very large, elegant old house. No shops in this sleepy little village on a hillside overlooking the river.

Yesterday's walking was extremely beautiful with a lot of uphills first through woods and fields, through some beautiful old stone hamlets, and then through vineyards of the Haut Savoie. We passed "caves" for "degustation," but did not stop or we would probably have never reached Yenne. We finally topped out at a Chapelle St. Romain with stained glass windows depicting the various seasons of the vineyards that made lovely patterns below us and in the surrounding hills. Some large mountains were in the distance, including one called Le Chat and the tooth of the cat. On the other side of the hill we looked down on the Rhone and its flood plain. We then descended sharply on switchbacks through the woods for a very long time.

After winding through some pretty stone houses and gardens, through a cornfield, past a house with a gorgeous blue swimming pool at which we looked longingly, we had nearly an hour's fast walk through a woods path along the Rhone to Yenne. Tired though we were we walked lickety-split and for once matched the speed projected by the signs. In most cases the projected 50 min of walking takes us closer to 2 hours, which is not good for morale or self esteem.

Tomorrow we climb straight up almost 2000 feet and then start back down. We are planning to stay up high on the other side of the peak and continue on down the next day. This big climb is one reason we thought we would rest today.

It is clouding over though. Yesterday, although sometimes warm, was mainly crisp and clear with wonderful refreshing breezes in the high places.

I also still have 2 blisters on heel and big toe of left foot -- something I did not get on my other caminos. I think they will be fine though. I added a second layer of socks yesterday afternoon, which helped. I've now sewn them through with thread, and with moleskin they were painless when I was walking.

We are hoping this rest day will help with the creaky and complaining old joints.

I thought I had lost my bottle, and then found it under the bed this afternoon. Yesterday our little group of pilgrims was joined by a large group (maybe 50 to 75) of French tourists, but tonight we are the only guests in the huge place with over 80 beds, so no dinner and they say everything in the village will be closed, too, so the staff is leaving us something to microwave in the staff lunch room. Our second microwaved dinner in France!

Linnea and Kent
Pilgrims on the road of life

Chanaz morning day 5

We had a flat day walking along Le Rhone yesterday, and we are at a lovely little gite with our own room again (!) last night. Weather is fine with a few big clouds yesterday, but some nice breezes. It was 19 or 20 km yesterday. 16 + today. With some big ups and downs, over mountains between deep bends in the Rhone. By the end of the day (and before!) our feet, legs and shoulders hurt. I got a blister on one toe during steep descent into Seyssel on Tuesday.

We had a very lovely evening that night in Seyssel with elegant dinner made by our hostess Christine. In the morning Jacques (former pilgrim on a hiking trip) was playing guitar and singing and sang a goodbye song for us, Suzanne, by Leonard Cohen which some of you may know. So I walked along the Rhone singing snatches all day. I am sure it will make it into the next slide show.

Keep us posted on home events, and think of us huffing and puffing up the hills. There is so much more I could write, but time to walk!

We met the German women and our group of 3 and Jacques and his friend Michel all here in this little village last night. But today will be the last day for the women as the return home.

Onward to Yenne. The 3 have just departed, and I am catching up on email.

Linnea and Kent

Pilgrims on the road of life

First 3 days walking

Hello all. We have been out of Internet range until tonight. We have walked 3 days through some wonderful scenery. Many ups and downs. We have met interesting people, but only 2 other groups of pilgrims, 2 German women who are at our lovely Acuille Jacquaire in an old monastery of some sort now turned into a very elegant house and apartments. We have a room of our own tonight!

The other group with whom we shared lodgings the first 2 days are a German couple and English man. Last night we had enough energy to all run up to the ruined 11thc castle above the torn to se the sunset and Mont Blanc's
snowy peak turning pink in the distance.

Time to go as we are in a smoky bar although smokers officially standing outside the door, and our lovely hostess will soon have dinner ready for us. Our room looks out on the Rhone. We are in the village of Seyssel.

Apologies for the typos especially in the email version.

Linnea and Kent
Pilgrims
on the road of life


On Sep 14, 2012, at 10:19 PM, Linnea Hendrickson wrote:


Lovely train ride, smooth and fast on the TVG. Warmer here than in Paris, where I woke in time to see a pink sunrise behind Notre Dame. The shock of the morning was not finding my camera charger and extra battery. As a result we spent a wild 3-4 hours this afternoon tearing about Geneva on foot looking for a replacement charger. At the 7th store we were referred to, I found one, not as compact as the one I left behind, but it will do. I should perhaps have bought a new camera (by the time I paid for this). I seriously considered trying to travel without pictures.

Al this was accomplished by trying to communicate in a mix of French and English. We had beer in front of the Cathedral to celebrate and decompress, and walked by the beautiful lake and investigated restaurants, finishing with a lovely Italian pasta, pizza, and Chianti meal in a place on Rue de Lausanne not far from the Youth Hostel. We havent seen anyone even half as old as we are here at the hostel yet, but we are finding the ethnic diversity of Geneva fascinating. We are in a room with bunks--6 beds, and have not yet seen our roommates.

As I sit in the lobby writing this, however, people keep pouring in.

Hoping to hear from more of you!

Tomorrow will be an easy day here before we start our walk.

Linnea and Kent
Pilgrims on the road of life

Geneva

Lovely train ride, smooth and fast on the TVG. Warmer here than in Paris, where I woke in time to see a pink sunrise behind Notre Dame. The shock of the morning was not finding my camera charger and extra battery. As a result we spent a wild 3-4 hours this afternoon tearing about Geneva on foot looking for a replacement charger. At the 7th store we were referred to, I found one, not as compact as the one I left behind, but it will do. I should perhaps have bought a new camera (by the time I paid for this). I seriously considered trying to travel without pictures.

Al this was accomplished by trying to communicate in a mix of French and English. We had beer in front of the Cathedral to celebrate and decompress, and walked by the beautiful lake and investigated restaurants, finishing with a lovely Italian pasta, pizza, and Chianti meal in a place on Rue de Lausanne not far from the Youth Hostel. We havent seen anyone even half as old as we are here at the hostel yet, but we are finding the ethnic diversity of Geneva fascinating. We are in a room with bunks--6 beds, and have not yet seen our roommates.

As I sit in the lobby writing this, however, people keep pouring in.

Hoping to hear from more of you!

Tomorrow will be an easy day here before we start our walk.

Paris, day 2

A second good day in Paris, and got our boat ride this time. Still a bit jet-lagged and cold enough that we wore our mountain parkas all day. By TGV to Geneva tomorrow and 2 nights at youth hostel before walking to Beaumont, France on Sunday.

No, I can't send pictures as there is no way to get them from camera to iPod, on which I am typing with 1 finger. I gave up on phone as Vodaphone is no longer in France, so I gave SFR (French phone company) the phone.

All is well in Paris

I am sitting in the lounge at Hotel Esmeralda, and all is well. We've done lots of walking already from Notre Dame to the Tuileries and Place Vendome, then Isle St.Louis to the Marais and Place Des Vosges, a detour in unsuccessful search for a boatride and back to the hotel.

It is chilly. We are bundled up.

Linnea and Kent
Pilgrims on the road of life


On Sep 11, 2012, at 10:20

Through security with no hitches! The hardest part is over, maybe? Thanks for all the good wishes. Ultreia!


Linnea and Kent

Pilgrims on the road of life

Countdown!

Maybe the last photos.  Here is Kent celebrating finishing one stage of the little bathroom with champagne.

And here I am wearing 3 shirts, one of my pairs of pants, my Mexican dress, and my "evening shoes."

Three more days before we fly to Paris. We are making last minute preparations, including testing whether I can post to the blog from my iPod. Alas, no photos from this iPod.  I'll see if I can get a "departure" photo before we leave.  Also note I added a gadget in the upper left corner, so you can subscribe (that is be notified of subsequent posts).  This may be an alternative to my email list.  I'll see.  Meanwhile, exploring the capabilities of my iPod, I have downloaded (for free) and started reading Robert Louis Stevenson's Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes, 1879, an account of his travels in a region not far from where where we will be walking.

I didn't realize that this quote was from Stevenson's Virginibus Puerisque, 1881:

"Little do ye know your own blessedness; for to travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive, and the true success is to labour."

How perfect for a pilgrimage!  I also didn't realize that the title of Steinbeck's  Travels with Charley, a book my mother and I read together and loved years ago was inspired by Travels with a Donkey.

Chemin Geneva-Le Puy 2012 Preparations

Chemin Geneva-Le Puy 2012

Beginning on September 16, 2012, Kent and I will begin walking the Chemin de Saint Jacques de Compostelle from Geneva, Switzerland to Le Puy-en-Velay, a major starting point for pilgrims headed to Santiago de Compostela, and where I began walking in April 2010.  I hope to post updates from time to time.

All my clothes (l to r): black fleece, rain parka, 3 pr. underpants and 2 bras, 5 shirts (1sleeveless, 2 short-sleeved knits, 1 long-sleeved knit, 1 buttoned long-sleeved), 1 Mexican dress, 1 small silk scarf (to dress me up and cheer me up), 1 pink bandanna (handkerchief, head cover, napkin, washcloth), hat, 2 pr. hiking pants (1 w/ zip-off legs). On bottom. Rain pants, cheap plastic poncho, bath towel, light shoes and socks, boots and 3 pr. socks.  Still need to add books, maps, phone, ipod, charger, camera, batteries and SD cards, toiletries.  Pack, fanny pack, pack cover, hydration pack, and water bottle.