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.