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.