Going out again, August 2022

Dick knows me well enough to know that it’s better not to stay at home. Then I get nervous. I’ve been home for a week now after my mini-pilgrimage and already packed my backpack three times. So, we decide to go out for another two weeks with our motorhome. I quickly make a route to France and when Dick has contacted Cor, it is also certain that we will visit them in Liart on our way back. It may also be necessary to make some arrangements for the trip that Dick and Cor are going to make.

After celebrating Henk’s birthday with the family on July 29^th and a last scuba-dive in the Oosterschelde, I put everything I want to take in the RV in our living room on Sunday afternoon and on Monday, August 1^st, around noon, Dick leaves home to get our RV out of the storage. He has been gone for a while when I discover that he has forgotten the motorhome keys, so I quickly get into the car and can pick him up a little later at the bus stop in front of our car garage, after which I drop him off at the metro station and drive back home.

At 2 pm Dick is back with our Frankia and I can load the things inside that have to go with us. Meanwhile, Dick put the bikes inside and fills our water tank. At 3.30 pm we can lock our house and drive away. It is still vacation time in the Netherlands so, even though we are driving on one of the busiest roads in our country, we can continue without a traffic jam to Nuenen.

There is only one campervan parked and we have enough space to spend the night. This parking lot next to the scouting site is not special, but we know that there is always a place to park. The temperature has now risen to 75 degrees Fahrenheit and as soon as we are parked, we open all our windows wide. Later in the week this temperature turns out to be cool, then a temperature of 90 degrees and more is normal. And you must know that we don’t have airco in our Frankia. It is now 5 pm and we think we did enough, so we drink a glass of wine before I start cooking. The simple meal with Greek seasoned potatoes and small sausages (chipolatas) tastes good. In the evening we watch the news, but it doesn’t get very late because by 9 pm I am already in bed and fall asleep quickly. Dick follows a little later.

Tuesday morning, we wake up at 7 am by the sound of roaring engines driving back and forth past the motorhome. This place is popular with motorcycle driving schools, but actually they always start at 8 am. Now in high summer they apparently deviate from this time. Oh well, it’s okay because now we’re leaving early. The route through Germany is dead quiet and consists for the most part of autobahn, which means that we arrive in Hillesheim in the Vulcan Eifel at the end of the morning. It is really noticeable that we are in a volcanic area because the closer we get to our destination, the hillier it gets. It is dead quiet on the market in the center and soon we discover the parking space where motorhomes can be parked and park our Frankia there between the regular cars. Of course, we drink a cup of coffee and then, it is now noon and therefore the hottest part of the day, we walk into the town. It is really quiet everywhere and after paying for the parking at the tourist information, we walk into the hills to look for some geocaches.

 

It is warm, around 83 degrees, but on top of the mountain there is a cooling wind so we are not bothered by the fact that there are no shadow spots in the far distance. We do have to climb steeply to get to the plateau. But we enjoy ourselves, find some geocaches and have a great view over the valley. After 7 miles we are back in town. Dick walked enough today but I want to take a look around this, unexpectedly nice, old town. It is dominated by the remains of a castle and many of the walls and towers are still standing.

 

It’s special to walk along this city wall all alone. When I see an outdoor shop, I ask if they also sell point protectors for my walking sticks and if that turns out to be the case, I quickly walk back to the Frankia to get my walking-sticks. After my mini-pilgrimage, the rubber protectors were completely worn out and the spare protectors that I had received from Nel during the walk, now also shows deep signs of wear. Fortunately, the rubber protectors seem to fit so that during my big trip I no longer have to listen to the “click clack” of uncapped walking-sticks. Finally, I am back at the Frankia. We drink some soda’s and then it’s time to leave.

 

Dick has discovered a Thai restaurant. It’s nearby and with good reviews, so we walk there at 7 pm. We are lucky, there is still a table available and soon we enjoy our starter followed by Pad Thai and green curry with chicken. What a delicious food. It is still very warm and the thermometer shows 86 degrees. With a full stomach, we really had too much food, we slowly walk back to the motorhome and search for some geocaches. Again, we enjoy the city wall, which is quite impressive from the outside. It cools down very slowly inside the motorhome, so during the night we keep all our windows wide open. It feels a bit cooler towards the morning (64 degrees) and then it is nice to have a blanket covering our sheet.

Wednesday morning, August 3^rd, we don’t get up until 8 am. Despite the fact that we are parked in the center it is very quiet. As soon as we have showered and opened the door, the heat falls on us. It is already 70 degrees and it promises to be even warmer today.
After having a good breakfast and washing our dishes, we dump our gray and black water (my job) while Dick fills the motorhome with clean water and then we drive off. Soon we stop at the Réwé supermarket to return our empty bottles (German bottles can only be returned in Germany) and then we continue our way. Because we can’t buy my beloved frühstücksaft (breakfast fruit juice) this town, Dick also parks in the center of Trier for a while, but unfortunately the kind of juice I want to have is not available there either, so we drive straight through the old city of Trier where the beautiful old gate smiles at us. One day we should definitely stay longer here. The road follows the river Saar and is quiet. Only the huge campgrounds along the river are overcrowded.

When we arrive in Mettlach it is already 88 degrees and quite warm. There is really no one in this sun-drenched parking lot and we quickly park the camper along a row of trees. We’ll be able to sit down there in the afternoon. But not now because, just like every day, we go out for a walk in the heat of the day. First to the center of town where we pay for the parking at the tourist information and then we walk to the other side of the river to look for the geocache that we couldn’t find last time.

In the meantime, the cache owner has performed maintenance and so it is now easy to find this cache. Of course, we can’t resist the terrace of an ice cream shop in the center of Mettlach and soon we are both sitting at a huge ice cream, filled with fruit, that tastes delicious.

While Dick slowly walks home, with yesterday’s 5 miles with steep climbs and today’s 4 miles, he thinks he has walked more than enough. But I continue to the Aldi, a supermarket located outside of town. Not that I need anything there, but it’s good to walk still a bit, even in the heat. And so, with now 95 degrees, I walk a total of 6 miles and I manage to do this. I’m glad I’m back at the Frankia around 4.30 pm, where we drink a non-alcoholic beer. And then, yes again, I walk to the shop next to our parking lot. I buy a nice bag in which my iPad mini fits well and also find shampoo in solid form as if it is soap. Ideal of course to take with me on my trip. You only have to let it foam in your hands and massage through your hair and your hair is washed. What an invention, I buy that. Dick has now lowered our awning and despite the heat we sit comfortably under it, but it takes until late in the evening before it cools down a bit. I’m glad that a great part of the evening we will have a seat on the terrace of the Abtei Brau next door.

 

At 7 pm we walk to the restaurant. There is still enough space to sit down. You notice the difference with weekend days, now it’s really quiet. We chat with some other guests, drink the good draft beer, enjoy the warm summer evening and of course the excellent food.

It is not till 9 pm that we walk back, only 100 yards. There we sit some time outside and talk to each other before going to bed. Again, all windows are wide open and again it is warm until very late in the evening. But nevertheless, we sleep well. I now know that you don’t really sleep well when it’s cold.

 

Thursday, August 4th, we wake up around 8 am and as the Netto supermarket is already open, I buy fresh bread rolls for our breakfast. After filling up with water, which has to be done with the watering can and therefore takes some time, we drive away. On top of the cliff, we stop at a Réwé supermarket where I actually manage to buy a few bottles of frühstücksaft. Great, because this was the last place in Germany where that was still possible. Not much later we cross the river Moselle and arrive in Luxembourg. Although the fuel prices in Germany are a lot lower than in the Netherlands, in Luxembourg the fuel is still 15 cents cheaper so we fill up our fuel tanks and then continue our way through the vineyards of Luxembourg. Not for very long because again a national border appears and we enter into France. The road is still not busy and at noon we enter the marina grounds in Pont á Mouson. Here is a parking lot in the full sun.
It’s lunchtime so everything is closed and we cannot pay. The office reopens at 2 pm so we take a look around. Even though we stay in a beautiful place along the river, we cannot enter the water here to cool down (It’s a harbor and therefore forbidden to swim) and meanwhile the temperature rises to 104 degrees. So, after 1.5 hours we leave this place and drive a little further south to the town of Toul.

We stayed here years ago and I don’t remember much about it, but there is a shady spot available. Unfortunately, we have to wait a while before we can park the Frankia there because there is an ambulance having a picnic.
However, after half an hour, lunchtime is over and the ambulance leaves and we can park in the shade of the large old trees. It is now 97 degrees, too hot to walk around, so we grab our chairs and sit in the grass next to the motorhome. With a soda because we can’t get enough of drinks at this moment.
At 3 pm the sky is covered by clouds and it seems to cool down a bit. But looks can be deceiving, it is still about 95 degrees, but fortunately a few streets in the town are in the shade.

In the cathedral and the adjacent cloisters, it is wonderfully cool and we wander around there for some time. End of the afternoon we walk back to the motorhome in the still burning sun.
Fortunately, the shadow of the trees is waiting there and we can recover in that slightly cooler environment. We still keep our hiking boots on because soon we will walk back to town to have dinner.

Opposite the Turkish restaurant where we used to get food (now closed for 6 weeks due to holidays), we found a small French restaurant that looks cozy.
So, we walk there at 7 pm and because there is a table available on the terrace, we have a seat and a little later, a nice glass of wine. The street is now in the shade and there is a strong wind blowing, but it is still 73 degrees, so it is nice outside.
We both order a burger that is served with homemade chips and tastes delicious. We do not regret choosing this restaurant.

 

On the way back we see two animals in the small streams along the city wall. They look like rats but a French woman says they are not rats but they arrived here from Canada. She can’t give me the name but when we see a poster later in the week with the same animals, it turns out to be Beavers. These are clearly baby’s because by far they are not a yard long and they do not weigh 44 pounds. We look at them for a long time and thanks to the fact that my small camera has a 25 x zoom, I manage to take a picture before they suddenly disappear. At home we sit outside for a long time until it gets really dark. It stays very hot during the night and cools badly. For the first time this holiday we are really late in bed. Just as we fall asleep, it starts to thunder and the wind blows so hard that we wake up. Dick closes the roof hatches and sets the windows in ventilation position. Not long after it starts to rain hard. Now it cools down and we fall into a deep sleep.

On Friday morning we don’t wake up until 8.30 am. That’s what happens when you’re haunting so late at night. It has cooled down quite a bit and the thermometer show only 71 degrees. For the first time in weeks the sky is cloudy. When we fill up with water, our hose connection breaks and only with great difficulty Dick manage to make another connection on the hose. The diameter of this hose is many times smaller than the connecting pieces, so it will not fit. But duct tape and scalding hot water allows a makeshift repair so we can continue filling the water tank. Unfortunately, we can’t leave when the water tank is full because at the end of the narrow road a garbage truck has problems and blocks everything. But after 20 minutes everything is resolved and we can continue our way.

It is now 11.30 am. Fortunately we don’t have to drive that far and we arrive in Remiremont before noon. There is a large parking lot for motorhomes near the train-station and there is still plenty of space at this time of the day. So, we park the Frankia in a place where two of them fit (never seen so much space in France) and drink some coffee.
Even though the temperature is fortunately not so high anymore, it is only 77 degrees, Dick doesn’t like going out for a walk in the hottest part of the day, so I walk alone to the supermarket that should be further away. There is no end to the road but finally I find the market and after looking around inside (I don’t dare to buy anything because I don’t have a cooling bag with me) I walk back via another way. Although this road is considerably shorter, it is not successful as I have to walk over a narrow ridge along a busy road and also have to descend a steep slope to get back on the path home. No, then the way there was a lot better, even if it was twice as long to walk.

After we have had a cup of coffee, we walk together into the town of Remiremont. It is not very special but there is an old church with a beautiful crypt and the palaces of the abbess who lived here, are impressive. Because we don’t actually come across any suitable restaurants, we buy some lettuce and meat. Now we don’t have to go out tonight and can stay comfortably at the motorhome. Due to the dropped temperature, it is now 83 degrees, it is pleasant to sit outside and we stay outside until 7.30 pm. Inside we have dinner (lettuce with bread and meat) because in the meantime the wind started to blow and makes sitting outside very unpleasant. Although I don’t understand why the French always leave in the evening, that also happens in this parking lot and soon almost all places are empty.

We now have an undisturbed view of the railway and can see how impressive the TGV is (Train Grande Vitesse, train with high speed) because at 8 pm it is parked in front of our Frankia.
Because it cooled down, we don’t have all the windows wide open. Even on the ventilation position, enough fresh air comes in to cool the inside.

Saturday, August 6^th, we wake up at 8.30 am. The sun is already shining and it is 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Really pleasant after the heat of the past few days. After our breakfast and of course the filling and dumping of our tanks we leave Remiremont. It’s Black Saturday (it’s called this name because there is a lot of holiday traffic with many accidents) and the roads are crowded with coming and going vacationers, so we’re glad we only have to drive 18 miles.
Soon we arrive in Gerardmer, a town at 2295 feet altitude, which is called the “pearl of the Vosges”. It turns out to be a picturesque place, full of tourists and situated on a lake that looks very inviting. But we don’t have time for water-pleasure. At home I solved a geocache puzzle that will take us to the coordinates of a geocache and that is our goal today. After the Frankia is parked on a huge parking lot in the middle of town, we walk towards it.

Actually, it’s more of a climb, because the road leads over a part of the route of the Tour de France and has a gradient of 13 to 16 percent. But that’s good because now I can practice walking in the mountains. As we climb higher and higher, we enjoy the view of the town and the lake is getting more and more beautiful. After we have found the geocache, we have to descent and go back to the village. This time we have an endless and steep descent and for the first time I think Dick is right when he calls me slave driver. The climb down requires a lot of our muscles and knees. For me it’s good training because in two weeks I have to cross the Pyrenees mountains but poor Dick…..
Eventually we arrive in the center of the old village with stiff muscles. To get rid of the stiffness we make a walk along the lake. It’s busy, everyone has had the same thought. This trail around the lake is therefore very pleasant.

A large rock is the end point for us and we stay there for a while before we leisurely walk back to town. After 5 miles of walking around (climbing and descending) we are back at the parking lot. While Dick takes a chair outside the motorhome, under the awning, I walk to town again, to make some extra miles and buy food for tonight. Because it gets windy late in the afternoon, we don’t stay outside. Even inside, with all windows open, it doesn’t feel very comfortable, the cold wind is no longer pleasant and at 6 pm we also close some windows. It’s just cooler here, up in the mountains.
There are many restaurants in town but we decide not to go out eating. Actually, no restaurant has the menu combination we are looking for, so we just eat lettuce and bake the small sausages that we bought in Germany. In the evening we watch some TV and we also read something before we go to bed at 10 pm, like almost every day.

On Sunday we wake up at 8 am and I go out to buy a fresh baguette from the bakery on the corner. There I am taken back to my childhood when the cuckoo clock, with a real cuckoo, calls 9 times. How funny. You used to have these clocks everywhere in Switzerland in the 60s and 70s, but afterwards I never saw such clocks in operation again. Fortunately, there is a long line at the bakery so that I can fully enjoy it.

After breakfast we leave. The back roads we follow are very quiet and we make good progress. Near our destination, the town of Vaivre et Montoille, it gets very busy. There is a biker’s festival, given the many motorcycles. We did not suspect it but to our surprise there is still a spot available in the parking lot for motorhomes and we park our Frankia there.
Of course, we drink a coffee while Dick put the coordinates of geocaches around the lake in our GPS and then, it is now noon (yes again at the hottest time of the day) we start our walk along the lake.

There are a number of geocaches hidden and a sandy path leads us along this shallow lake. It is a nice walk and there is a breeze so it’s not too hot, at least for the first half of the walk. The temperature is 77 degrees and that is good walking weather. Unfortunately, the other side of the lake is sheltered from the wind, so it is considerably warmer there. Dick is clearly more bothered by the heat than I am and the water we brought with us disappears quickly. I have to laugh when I see Dick’s face as he drinks. He doesn’t like drinking water anyway and drinking this almost “boiling” water has a special effect. Unfortunately, the only terrace we encounter is that of a restaurant. You can have a drink there, but at this moment you have to take a meal and as we don’t want to eat yet, we continue our walk. Fortunately, the walk around the lake is only 4 miles and we can relax in the motorhome a little later.

We don’t want to stay too long because inside it’s 97 degrees and therefore it is too hot. So, we leave again, now to the area next to us, where the bikers festival takes place. The festivities are already over, but it’s nice to walk past the many stalls, full of stuff for bikers and of course there is a strong American influence.

There are caps with the American flag, license plates from America and mannequins with clothing from the 50s. Given the prices that are asked for everything, it is better to pick them up in America yourself. Hopefully we are able to do that next year. Finally, after 5 miles walk, we are back at the Frankia. We put our chairs outside and sit in the shade. When the sun has set, it cools down very quickly, instead of 86 degrees it is suddenly 73 degrees. So quickly we go inside. It is now 9 pm and I don’t stay for a long time on the couch. Slowly my eyelids lower and before 10 pm we arrived in dreamland.

Monday morning, August 8th at 8 am is the sun already shining in a steel blue sky. There is no shop to be seen in the furthest distance, so no bakery either and again we have breakfast with survival bread. When we leave, we take French back roads and again we drive all alone over the French countryside. Where has everyone gone?

 

At the end of the morning, we arrive in Langres, a city built in the same way as Laon, located high on a hilltop and walled. Unfortunately, the parking for motorhomes is not really special and we decide to drive on. Our final destination will be Chaumont, where we arrive around noon. The parking here is located on a marina and despite the fact that it is a sun-drenched plain, it still looks nice. We park the Frankia along the water of the Canal and sit outside. The sun shines on the other side of the motorhome so we have plenty of shade and because there is a wind blowing, it is actually not too warm.

Because Dick’s favorite shirt is dirty, I wash it with some socks and sports tops and soon everything is hanging on the clothesline. Wind and sun work well together because everything is dry within three hours. A good test of how long it takes to dry clothes in warm weather. Dick likes it here and stays with the motorhome but I walk to the nearby supermarket. It is only one mile and easy to do and after walking back and forth twice, I have soft drinks for Dick (agrum zero and tonic zero) and food for tonight because also in the vicinity of this harbor, there is not even a restaurant in sight. And if it was here, it would be closed on Mondays.

At 8 pm I prepare some burgers; we eat them with lettuce and baguette. Hopefully it’s enough but Dick says yes. The older we get the less food we need. I completely disagree with him because I am quite hungry. But maybe that’s because of my walking back and forth. Fortunately, when we start to eat, the sun disappears behind the trees and again it cools down quickly. We stay at a very pleasant spot along the canal and it is quiet although quite a few motorhomes arrive later in the evening.

The next morning, Tuesday, August 9^th we are awake at 8 am and after breakfast (again with survival bread) Dick moves the motorhome to refuel at the water tap. It is already very busy because three French motorhomes arrived. They want to stay together and the spot in front of our motorhome is the most suitable. We don’t mind that we leave today because the silence and also our view is now hard to find. Soon we drive north on the French back roads. It is quiet again and you notice that it is still vacation time. The road leads us past endless, freshly harvested, wheat fields and only when we approach the capital of Champagne, Epernay, the first grape vines appear.

Unfortunately, the parking in Hautvillers, located in the middle of the vineyards, is too narrow and sloping for our Frankia so we cannot spend the night here and we drive on and eventually arrive in Laon end of the afternoon. There is ample space along the city wall. No wonder because it sizzles here with heat on this parking strip, but we nevertheless park the Frankia and walk to the medieval town.

Unfortunately, our favorite restaurant Agora turns out to be closed, it won’t open again until Thursday and so we are looking for another restaurant. That is not easy because in the main street all restaurants are either permanently closed or on holiday for 5 to 6 weeks. Weird they are closed in the middle of the high season. Finally, after wandering around for a long time, we find an Italian restaurant with an appealing menu. It is striking, however, while we walk around that more shops are closed permanently. Unfortunately, because the charm of wandering through a town is lost when you walk from one closed shop window to another. We also pay a visit to the impressive cathedral. It remains special that they were able to create such impressive buildings in the year 1100.

Back in the motorhome we arrive in an oven, it is so hot inside, 104 degrees. Fortunately, the wind is blowing a bit so when we open the windows, it cools down a bit inside. Oh well, we get used to this heat. When we walk to the restaurant at 7 pm, the narrow medieval streets are now blocking the sun and we walk in the shade. The terrace where we want to have dinner is also in the shade and there is a cooling wind that makes it comfortable. The food tastes good. My spaghetti with carbonara sauce is tasty and Dick’s food with a meat skewer is also very good and nicely served. After our dessert we walk back at ease through the medieval streets with cobble stones. Again, we open all our windows and not much later we fall asleep, despite the fact that inside it is still at least 90 degrees. I think the red wine is also to blame for this.

Wednesday morning, August 10^th, I walk to the bakery to get a fresh baguette. That always tastes good. And then we drive down the mountain pass to the valley, looking for a supermarket. Stupid that we never write down the coordinates of a store because now we really have to drive around before we find a large LeClerc supermarket. There is a huge parking lot but it is almost full. Fortunately, we find a spot in a corner, where our Frankia fits, and we walk inside. Everything we need to have a delicious barbecue with Cor and Esmé is present in this supermarket and not much later we are on our way again. Still with a stopover in the small town of Rozoy to dump.

Perhaps it is good that we arrive here because the rooster and chickens that roam around, are clearly looking for something. Not for people but for water and that last one flows down from our grey-water tank so they are running to the motorhome. I fill the cap of our toilet tank with clean water and in no time, it is drunk by the chickens. We did a good deed. Because it will be warmer later this day, we also put a bucket filled with water in the bushes. Now the chickens have something to drink for the rest of the day. It means that we arrive at 12.30 pm at the house of Cor and Esmé. That is not entirely without problems. The narrow road is actually only suitable for one passenger car and now we encounter a large tractor and two vans. Fortunately, it has been dry for weeks and both we and the tractor have to crawl into the verge and can just pass each other. I wonder or this is also possible in the wet season.
After a cup of coffee, Esmé and I chat, while the men focus on installing the new kitchen. Cor has already fixed the preparatory work. The ventilation, pipes and drainage are all there, but now everything still has to be put in place. Also a few problems must be solved, such as the crooked wall for which both have yet to come up with a solution. But with two technicians that is no problem and the men are making steady progress. At 7 pm it’s time to call it a day and we have a nice chat on the terrace in the garden.

It is warm, the thermometer now shows 95 degrees, so one beer is quickly followed by another. But the food tastes all the better later in the evening. Cor is really an expert with the BBQ and the burger and chicken-skewers are excellent. Even though we chat for a long time, at 11:30 pm we feel really sleepy and go to bed. We don’t even notice that our head is touching our pillow.

Thursday morning August 11^th we wake up at 7:30 am and after showering and getting dressed, Dick takes my bike out and I ride to the village of Liart to buy fresh baguettes. It is a nice trip through the meadows and the distance is only 2 miles. The only shop in the village is already crowded and a long line of people forms for the baguettes. As always, this is the case in France at the bakery.

After a good breakfast, the men are back to work in the kitchen while Esmé and I wash the dishes and then we do various chores. It’s going to be another hot day. In an hour the temperature has already risen from 68 to 77 degrees and around noon the thermometer points to 86 degrees. After I’ve updated my story on my iPad mini, I can’t resist looking for blackberries in the sweltering sun. Even though I have a stick with me, it does not prevent me from losing my footing on the steep slope of the ditch and I slide down through the thorns. Not a really handy move because both my legs are now bloody. And the blackberries…. These are scattered all over the ditch.

Hopefully the ants are happy with it. I quickly walk back to the motorhome where I clean my legs and also remove the blood and blackberry marks from my clothing. After complaining to the men (they don’t pay attention because placing the kitchen is more important) I walk outside again, follow the road a bit and find new blackberries. This time they are a lot more accessible. Finally, I have a bucket full of blackberries. They are not very tasty so after I rinse them, I cook them. I hope this blackberry puree may be tasty in the yogurt or ice cream. Unfortunately, we don’t have either one so we cannot try. Around 7 pm the men stop working, they take a shower and we have a drink on the terrace. Late in the evening I cook spaghetti while Esmé makes a salad. Dinner tastes fine to us. When the big full moon rises above the row of trees we go to bed and sleep like roses.

Just like yesterday, we wake up on Friday morning at 7.30 am and again I cycle to the village of Liart in the still cool morning, to arrive a little later with croissants and fresh baguettes. We have breakfast together, chat and then Dick and I leave. In Revin we stop to dump, always important if we stayed in the same place for a few days. Of course, we also buy some groceries and fill up with fuel. The diesel in France is still cheaper than in our country. I also sniff around in the bazar next to the parking lot and there I find what I have been looking for, for a long time. A granite funerary monument for my parents’ grave.

Via Facetime I show it to my sister Hannah who likes it too and so I buy it and walk back to the motorhome. You find such small monuments on all graves in France and now we will place one at my parent’s grave.

It is now at least 95 degrees, but we also want to look for a few geocaches. To my surprise, we find a spot on the boulevard in Bergen op Zoom to park. For the first time we arrive here in high summer and it is busy. But also, cozy.

It is good outside because here, along the coast, some wind is blowing. We also could park the Frankia largely in the shade of the tall trees along the boulevard and it is not really hot inside either. Now that we are parked next to a small lake, I can try out whether it is possible to swim in shirt and underpants, instead of a bathing suit. In particular, I want to know if I don’t look really ridiculous. So, towards the evening I put that on. If it can go through, Dick has to take a picture, then I won’t take a swimsuit on my Camino walk. My thin white shirt is too transparent, but my green yellow Camino shirt, that Hannah and Henk gave me, is fine. Now I know this too.
Until late in the evening we sit outside, eat food from a Turkish restaurant, watch all the people strolling on the boulevard and enjoy the sunset. We don’t go to bed before 11 pm.

The next morning, we get up at 7.30 am, have breakfast with our last survival bread and then we drive home. It is getting warmer and warmer but compared to the temperature in our house, it is 102 degrees there, it’s cool outside. Yet we are getting warmer by carrying stuff back and forth. Not everything goes inside our house. We leave some clothes in the motorhome. After all, Dick will be taking it out again next week. Unfortunately, the parking lot behind our house is so busy with cars and caravans, returning from vacation, that we can’t park our Frankia here overnight. So as soon as Dick has cleaned the carpet with soap (now it can dry in the hot sun) he drives the motorhome to the storage. We did not clean it outside, currently that’s not allowed due to the persistent drought and heat, but it’s clean inside and the beds are covered with fresh bedding, so Dick and Cor will be able to move in next week.

The Camino is calling

I don’t really know how it started. Perhaps the desire to walk this pilgrimage is in my genes. After all, my mother and father also loved to hike and started a walk from my mother’s birthplace in Millingen to look for the sources of the river Rhine.
When I bought the book “A walk for the Sunshine” in the Appalachian Mountains, four years ago, which describes a walking trip on the Appalachian Trail, the desire to walk a Camino became stronger. A factor that may also have played a role was the discovery of a lump in my breast, mid 2018. After the operation I felt, out of gratitude that I was still alive, I had to walk the Camino: “To celebrate life”.

When in October 2021 my sister Hannah and her husband Henk started cycling the Camino to Santiago, I couldn’t get enough of their stories and photos.

It really becomes clear that the Camino is calling in November 2021. Dick and I arrive, together with my niece Inge and her husband Paul, at the Cruz Ferro, a high point on the Camino Frances. Paul brought his father’s ashes (who also walked this Camino), which, later that week, they would scatter at the end of the world in Fisterre. I got emotional in this remote place and tears streamed down my cheeks, it was so beautiful up here, high in the mountains. And that with winter-, cold weather, the ground covered with snow and surrounded by low-hanging clouds through which every now and then a ray of sunlight managed to get through. It was a magical moment in a magical place and it was nice to share this with my sister Hannah via FaceTime. Our parents would certainly have found this place special.

Dick and I don’t hesitate for a moment when it became clear that in September 2022 Dick is going to make a trip to Northern France with his diving friend Cor.
Now the time has come for me to really start walking the Camino.
Then everything accelerates. Dick and I go to Utrecht where I join the Dutch Society of St. James and buy a pilgrim pass. That same week I attend an information meeting of that society in Delft where I receive a lot of information about what it means to walk a Camino. Before I know it, Dick books the bus to St. Jean Pied de Port in the French Pyrenees and then it is certain that I will start my journey on August 20^th, 2022. I am hesitant about participating in the mini pilgrimage from Maastricht to Roermond that is held in honor of St. James and will take place from July 20^th to 24^th 2022. Do I have to participate in that? Dick puts an end to my hesitation and just sign me up during our vacation. Now, at the beginning of July, I am really happy with this decision because it offers me the opportunity to experience what it is to walk for several days in a row and to camp with a group of people in a tent. After all, I will soon experience that in the albergues along the way.
Ultimately, this decision also means that I have to adjust the vacation route with our motorhome.

Together with Dick, I want to look at a few places where I will walk later this year. And of course, we have to walk, after all, we, I mean I, have to practice. This means that our bicycles are left unemployed during this motorhome trip. So, during our holiday in May 2022, after leaving the southern part of Spain, the northern part is really dominated by the Camino. How special it is to walk with Dick from the town of Fisterre to the Cape. Here, on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, the end of the world really does exist.
Under the watchful eye of Messire Jacques, (St. James) we unfortunately do not see the sun dying. I am referring here to the third verse of the Pilgrim’s Song: “Ultreia”.
This text of this French song is as follows:

Et tous la bas au bout du continent
Messire Jacques nous attend
depuis toujours son sourire fixe
le soleil qui meurt au Finistere.

The low-hanging clouds cover all the sun’s rays. In this place, where boulders descend to the turbulent ocean, we find the effigy of Saint James under the stone cross. And while Dick waits here on the rocks, I descend further over the large boulders to the ocean. It’s very special here at this end of the world.

We continue our motorhome trip in an easterly direction through northern Spain, regularly ending up in places, the Camino Frances (the route I will walk) also follows. Of course, we stop at the monastery in Roncesvalles where we wander, look at the monastery (the place where pilgrims stay overnight) and of course we light a candle. The next day, after a long descent on mountain roads, we arrive in St. Jean Pied de Port where I will start my journey.

The pilgrim shop “Boutique du Pellerin” on the Rue de la Citadelle is too tempting to pass by and so, a few hours later, we leave this outdoor store loaded with stuff. Well helped by the friendly owners, I was able to buy an important part of my equipment.

When, after a fantastic trip, we are back home at the beginning of June, I pack everything in my backpack. It’s the first time but it all fits and the weight around 19.5 pounds should be portable. We will see. And soon too. The Camino group app that regularly keeps me informed about the upcoming mini pilgrimage comes up with news more often and makes me feel more and more excited about it. And then the moment comes when I really try my backpack on a walk with all the stuff, I need on my first pilgrimage.

Wednesday I will take train to Maastricht, so Monday July 18^th seems to be the right day to make a test run. Because I’m in the center of Rotterdam anyway, I decide to walk back home. Now I can go to the Decathlon store to buy a mat to sit on (this one was still missing). It is warm and at 12.30 pm the temperature continues to rise; it is now 84 degrees. So, when a bus passes me on the last 1.5 miles, I get in anyway. After all, tonight another walk awaits me.

At 7 pm the three of us stay in the parking next to the lake of Zevenhuizen. Besides Dick, Geordie, my diving buddy, also joins us and we start our walk around the lake between the hundreds of sunbathers.
The temperature is still 88 degrees, everyone lies in- or near the water and is enjoying a burger that is cooked on one of the many barbecues that can be found along the lake. In any case, it smells very tempting. Unfortunately, after 3.5 miles of walking I get some trouble with the attachment of my muscle to my hip. Fortunately, we manage to reach the car, walking a little slower. I am now seriously worried because the day after tomorrow my mini pilgrimage starts.

I am relieved when the pain disappears quickly and on Wednesday July 20^th 2022 I can leave with a good spirit. Of course, Dick and I arrive too early at the central station of Rotterdam. Fortunately, after a while, the other pilgrims trickle in, one by one. It is not difficult to know who is going to walk, because the backpacks with sleeping mats and mountain boots are easy to recognize. Waved goodbye by Dick, the train to the southern part of our country leaves and we have the opportunity to get to know each other better. Frank, Tekla and I chat without ceasing and before we know we arrive in Maastricht. In a pub, opposite the train station, we are warmly welcomed by the other organizers of this mini pilgrimage.

Netta, Guus, John and Jan, as well as Nine welcome us. We had already acquainted Huub because he was at the train station and arranged that we could leave Rotterdam together on a group ticket. I can’t remember if Tjitske and Gijs were also there, but luckily later on, we get enough time to get to know them too.

 

We are handed a goodie bag with a beautiful St. James shell with our name, a practical small daypack and an information booklet about the festivities in Roermond. After a briefing from John and having coffee with pie, we leave for our first miles. The temperature has risen, but with 75 degrees Fahrenheit and some wind it is good weather to walk. When there is second stop to have lunch, soon after our first stop, I prefer to walk on and because Frans does the same, I ask if I can join him. Frans has been so wise to transfer the route, written by the organization, to his phone. A line shows the road to our final destination, the small town of Catsop, and before we realize, we arrive, after 8.1 miles, at campground Catsop. Here on a large lawn, next to the cooking tent and the shoe tent, two large army tents, called Santiago and Jacobus, are set up.

 

As we are the first to arrive, we have the luxury of choosing a bed next to the entrance of the tent and after my sleeping bag has been spread over the bed, our first way is to the showers. How wonderful it is to let water run over you after this walk.
Once I have clean clothes on, I’m going to wash out my sweat-soaked clothes.
Unfortunately, when I return to the tent, I seem to have lost my bag with pegs and clothesline, so I have to spread out my wet clothes over the hedge.
The loss of my clothesline does not let me go and I regularly walk back to the showers (they are now occupied) to ask if my clothesline bag is left there. Dick is right when he says that it is very stupid to take something, you need outside, inside the shower. Because it is quite difficult to dry clothes without a line and pegs and no one has seen anything.

 

 

I walk to the campsite manager. No one brought him anything, but 15 minutes later he walks to the tent where he hands me over my clothesline bag so I can finally fix a clothesline and attach my clothes to it.

I’ll have to be more careful with it in the future. When my laundry finally flutters on the line, the other walkers are all arrived and I take a seat to finally drink a glass of beer.
The cans of beer are tirelessly removed from the refrigerator and with a wide smile handed over by Gijs and Guus. What a service. We enjoy a tasty soup. It turns out to be a foretaste of a culinary treat. Tjitske and Nine, supported by Gijs and Guus, appear to be able to prepare delicious meals for all of us. It’s fun every night.

Although the weather forecast for the evening is not really good and the sky is getting darker due to the oncoming clouds, we seem to keep it dry and, in the evening, we can enjoy the troubadour and storyteller, Gery Groot Zwaaftink from the Achterhoek (region in eastern part of our country). We listen with fascination to his special stories and songs in both Dutch and the dialect, spoken in that part of the country. The story of the passing by camel driver and the wealthy landowner will stay with me for a long time. In short, that story comes down to the following:

A camel driver arrives at an oasis and passes the gardens of a wealthy landowner after a tiring journey through the desert. He thinks how wonderful it is to be able to live there and not have to travel around. At the same time, the wealthy landowner, seeing the herd approaching, thinks how wonderful it must be to roam freely with camels, instead of being stuck in one place. Ripe fruit hangs over the wall of the estate, which is so enticing to the lead camel that it walks up to it and begins to eat it.
The landowner is so angry that he throws a stone at the camel. This stone hits the head of the camel that it kills. Then the camel driver gets so angry that he throws back a stone. Unfortunately, it also ends up unlucky and the landowner falls dead.
The camel driver is taken to court by the landowner’s sons. The judge must sentence him to death. There is no other option, because this punishment is prescribed by law. The camel driver then asks for three days respite to make arrangements at home. He solemnly promises to return after those three days, to serve his sentence. Neither the sons nor the public want to know about this and the judge decides that this is only possible if someone wants to take his place. After a long silence an old man comes forward who wants to do this and he is locked up while the camel driver leaves.

After 3 days the camel driver has not returned and the old man is led to the scaffold. Just before the executioner can do his job, a little boy hears hoofbeats and shouts that the executioner has to wait a little longer. Someone is arriving and sure enough, it is the camel driver on his horse. When the judge asks him why he is coming back to die, he says that he had to find and return jewelry that he had in custody for a widow. If he hadn’t done this, his family would be considered a thief. After returning the jewelry, his youngest son kept clinging to him and would not let him go, so he could only leave his house at night, when his son was sound asleep. When asked, the old man tells the judge that he had faith in the man who gave his word to come back and if he had not returned, then his life had no value because he could no longer have faith in humanity. After hearing the stories, the judge decides to change the death sentence and the camel driver is ordered to pay the sons of the landowner in silver.
In dead silence we hear this fantastic story. After a little break we enjoy still some sensitive songs before a thunderstorm breaks loose and we all go inside our tents.

During the night the temperature dropped enormously and it is very humid too due to the rain. Although my sleeping bag would normally suffice (2 days ago the nights were warm) now, it is really below par and I am freezing. And I have lots of warm sleeping bags at home.  It also doesn’t help that the camp bed is rock hard and I didn’t bring one of my many (soft) sleeping mats either. The cold just soaks into my body and I don’t sleep really well. But that’s part of a pilgrimage, I guess. When we get up at 6.30 am next morning, everything is damp, but a nice warm shower does wonders and a little bit later we sit outside for breakfast. That’s possible because it’s dry. Tjitske and Nine, together with Gijs and Guus, packed large tables with food and in addition to bread, crackers and rusks with different types of toppings, there is also muesli. We are spoiled and soon we sit together, having a good breakfast with a cup of coffee or tea.

After washing the huge numbers of cups, glasses, plates and cutlery, we fold all the beds so they can be placed on the trolleys and then get ready to leave for our next destination. John briefs us on the route to follow and we start our walk. First, I wear my fleece sweater, but soon it disappears into my backpack. Unfortunately, the sun stays behind a thick cloud cover and after some time we are confronted with some drizzle. Not really desirable, at first a rain cover around our backpack is sufficient. There is quite a bit of wind but it is not really cold with 64 degrees Fahrenheit.
Nevertheless, John decides not to have the coffee stop in the parking lot, but to have the coffee in the nearby restaurant de Biezenhof. It serves really excellent cappuccino and we have double the energy to continue. That energy is really needed because not only do we walk the longest distance today, 16.2 miles, but when we leave, the rain also comes pouring down from the sky. Now it’s really necessary to put on a poncho as well. An opportunity to try this one out too.

I join the faster walkers and can keep up with them and with the navigation of both Frans (with his mobile) and Frank (using the, now wet, paper version) we find our way north. We follow a nice path along the small Geleen stream and enjoy walking through nature. It does mean that we repeatedly have to go through narrow turnstiles which is not always easy because sometimes the backpack gets stuck in it, but eventually we arrive in the outskirts of Sittard from where we set course for the center.
It is still raining incessantly and having lunch outside is not really pleasant so John directs us to the inner city, where we walk past the market where St. Michael’s Church is located.
End of August 1938, this church was packed, as always with the annual celebration of the city’s patron, Saint Rose, and the high mass was in full swing. Suddenly a buzz made the people turn, and screams echoed as an escaped lion walked in and trudged leisurely to the altar. Everyone panicked for a safe haven. Fortunately, there were no accidents, but the photo in the church with the lion does refer to this incident.

Just outside the city walls we find a terrace in front of the library with huge umbrellas and we soon occupy the terrace chairs. It is not really cold, only wet and so we can hang out our wet ponchos and not much later we enjoy our sandwiches with a nice cup of coffee. I order hot chocolate with whipped cream. Not really good for my body but with this rain it tastes excellent. When everyone has finished their lunch and drink and survived the traffic jam in front of the toilet, we set off again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We continue our route along the small stream and after passing a beautiful Maria chapel, we cross the border to Germany. Finally, after an endless walk along a huge and luxurious holiday park, we arrive at Campground “de Hommelhof”.
A large lawn, where the two large army tents disappear (in each of them 20 people have a sleeping place) is in front of us. Washing clothes makes no sense today. The weather is too unstable and rain falls regularly. This also means that it is not possible to have dinner outside and after a nice cup of soup we enjoy, with plates on our laps, a delicious meal. Again!

This time we get potatoes with creamed spinach and eggs in mustard sauce and cucumber. The beer that Gijs tirelessly takes out of the fridge is also great. Of course, after our meal, we do the dishes together. The men are now adept at transporting the cart with plates, glasses and cutlery over the bumpy grass. Not an easy task. The others, conducted by Tekla, are devoted to washing and drying the huge mountain of utensils. In the end we manage to get everything back to the tents, clean and at one piece.
The permanent residents of the campsite are not really happy with us and grumble. We had so many dirty dishes that we emptied the entire hot water boiler. It’s a good thing we only stay one day. Although, the next morning, we do dishes again and of course, empty the warm water boiler again.
Unfortunately, we can’t enjoy an information evening with pictures from Jan. The connection cables required for this do not fit and the laptop can therefore not be connected to the projector. Unfortunately, but it is no different. We still hold this information.

Since the precipitation has stopped, the rest of the evening is spent outside and the 20 residents of tent “Santiago” can set up their camp beds, something that goes very smoothy if you have built some. Unfortunately, due to the heavy rain, the beds have become a bit damp. I myself am less bothered by this because Netta spoils me with a thin aluminum blanket that can be placed on the camp bed. This also keeps the moisture out of my sleeping bag. However, the night’s sleep remains somewhat irregular because of the cold and damp night. But I sleep enough because the next morning I wake up refreshed. Although that can also be due to the lovely hot shower.

We don’t need to rush the next morning. The first part of the program is a visit to the Basilica and treasury in Susteren. However, due to an unexpected funeral, that visit cannot take place at the scheduled time, so we have enough time to talk to each other after doing the dishes (every day this consists of an endless pile of plates, cups, glasses and cutlery). Riekje gives morning gymnastics on the large field in front of the tents. Not really an unnecessary luxury after the walks of the past few days. In the end, however, we can leave.

Unfortunately, the funeral is still in progress so we wait in the square in front of a pub. The manager doesn’t know what hit him when a horde of women storms him and asks to use the toilet.

Fortunately, this is allowed, when we pay each 50 cents, and a long traffic jam forms in the square. Eventually we can continue and the group splits up. We first visit the treasury and have a tour to the special relics and clothing. Everything is explained in a fun and enlightening way. Then the groups switch and we go to see the Basilica. Once again, we are surprised by a nice tour with a lot of clear information that is also given in an appealing way.
It is already around noon when we leave the basilica and on the church square, we are spoiled by Tjitske and Nine with coffee and homemade cookies. It tastes delicious and refreshed we leave to continue our walk. Not directly to the final destination because after a few miles, we have a stop at the St. James church.
While we wait for our “credentials” to be stamped, we take a look around this beautiful church. When everyone has their stamp, we leave immediately. It is hot but walking is doable. Walking this mini pilgrimage together is special because one moment you walk with one and another moment you come into contact with someone else from the group. Talking about the things that are important in life. A very special experience. The road eventually leads through the floodplains and also follows the dyke with a view of the river Maas. It is hardly conceivable that where meadows are now seen, last year everything was flooded around.

The surroundings are beautiful and the group meanders like a multicolored ribbon over the dyke, until we arrive at the bridge and enter Belgium. Due to a cultural event, the old church of Aldeneik is open and we quickly take a look inside before finally arriving at the “Boomgaard campsite” in Belgium. We are somewhat tired due to the heat. Day 3 with 8.1 miles of walking has ended successfully. I am pleasantly surprised when I enter our tent, Santiago. Frans has reserved a bed for me next to the entrance, my favorite spot.

After my bed is covered, I walk to the shower which is wonderfully refreshing and when my clothes have smelled the soap, they can be attached to my washing line. I have dirty clothes from 2 days walking so I hope everything dries quickly. I’m glad I have three short-sleeved shirts with me because I wouldn’t have made it with two.
Fortunately, Mirjam is also doing well. She unfortunately had to give up on the way, but arrives safely at the campsite by bus. Unlike yesterday where we had a huge lawn at our disposal, the spot here is like a postage stamp, but the two army tents and the cooking tent, as well as the round tables and chairs, have found a place. Everything is just a little closer together.

While Netta is taking care of any blistered feet we talk about the walk and we enjoy a nice cool beer, meanwhile we are treated to delicious food scents. In huge bowls Huub is busy mixing the ingredients for a spiced noodles meal, prepared by Tjitske and Nine. This evening we will be spoiled again.

In the evening we have to bring in our laundry. Tonight, rain is expected again. I don’t notice it myself because I sleep very deeply and only wake up regularly because it is cold.
When we get up on Saturday at 6.30 am, the sun is already shining in a steel blue sky. Like every morning after packing our backpacks, we fold our beds and put them in the trolleys and then have breakfast. It has been arranged that fresh bread and rolls are obtained from the bakery in the village and that tastes good.

After Netta and John discussed the route we are on the road again.There is some confusion about whether or not we have to wash dishes. Some of us understood that we didn’t have to do the dishes this morning, so a small group is already leaving, which includes me, while others are busy doing the dishes. Obviously, this is causing some friction. Yet we set off in good spirits, promising that we will do our chores tonight. Immediately after leaving the campsite, we walk over the dyke along the Maas. It is a beautiful route and it promises to be a beautiful (warm) day. We chat with the owners of the nice holiday homes along this part of the Maas and while walking, we also talk a lot with each other and have fun.

I have to laugh when Frans keeps one of the many gates neatly open for Annelies, but assumes that Frank, who, after Annelies, has to go through this gate, has to open it himself. Of course, it leads to hilarity. This part of the Meuse consists of many excavations and we regularly walk on a platform over a gravel hole and enjoy the beautiful flower wealth around us. We also have to keep insects off, but that’s what you get in this water-rich environment. Of course, we can’t help but to stop at a tree with Mirabelle’s. This delicious, plum-like fruit is now ripe and tastes delicious after walking an hour and a half.

Not much later we arrive in the beautiful white town of Thorn. The tourist did not arrive yet, it’s still very quiet and we walk around a bit. Johannes takes a seat on a terrace in front of the church and order some drink. We want to join him, but change our minds when less than a minute later Tjitske drives by with her motorhome. It takes a while to find out where she parked her RV, but a phone call from John provides clarification and we soon walk out of town again on our way to the parking space where the motorhome has found a place. Once again, we are spoiled with coffee, tea or soft drinks and home baked cookies. A lovely break from our walk. From here we stay together more as a group because we don’t walk all the way to the campsite. Somewhere, 5 miles from the next campsite, we will board a cab to campground Hermans, just outside of the city of Roermond. This afternoon we have to be on time at the St James chapel for the opening of the “Shell path”. The last part of this walk is too much for Tekla. She sprained her ankle and cannot continue after more than 6.5 miles, so we walk the last part without her.

Campground Hermans is a surprise. It is located on the shore of a lake and the tents are set up next to the waterline. What a beautiful place. Marianne thinks so too. She arrived together with Tekla by car and is now sitting on a camp bed, enjoying the view of the boats in the lake. Slowly all the walkers trickle in, dropped off by the cab with its friendly Afghan driver. When everyone has a bed and the backpack has been put down, we walk to the center of Roermond at 3.30 pm.

Guards, dressed in colorful uniform, are waiting at the St James Chapel. They will accompany us to the Cathedral. A stop with a minute of silence is made at the house of the late brother Chiel. He died the day before yesterday and was an important member of the order of St. James. After a salute of honour, we continue walking through the center.
Our beautiful St Jacques shells dangle from our green daypacks. The organization really did its best on this. I am really happy with this beautifully described shell, we received from Netta in Maastricht, on behalf of the Rotterdam region of the Dutch Society of St. James. While we wait next to the entrance door to the Cathedral, the carillonneur suddenly starts to play the church bells and we are overwhelmed by the impressive and all-pervasive bell ringing. I myself cannot prevent my tears from streaming down my cheeks. It’s an emotional moment.

After the chime has lasted at least 10 minutes, the Dean of Roermond appears who, after a speech by one of the men of the brotherhood of Saint James, consecrates the newly bricked St. Jacques shell. We, the bystanders are blessed too. The dean says that not only objects but also people should be blessed. Something I totally agree with. After this solemn moment, we all walk together to the Paradies complex, a meeting place in the city center, where we have a nice chat and a drink. Around 6.30 pm we walk back to the campsite at the “Maasplas” where, again, we are spoiled with a delicious meal. This time pasta and a well filled sauce with lots of vegetables. We love it. When we have washed everything, after all those days that runs like a well-oiled machine, we enjoy the evening warmth and drink coffee. Of course, with a homemade delicacy. The beautiful Camino cookies baked by Tjitske look beautiful and taste good too. Of course, like every evening, we are treated to music by Jobea. This time, under the inspiring leadership of Nellie, we also sing a few songs in which we thank our excellent organizers of this fantastic event. We continue to chat with each other until very late in the evening. It stays nice and warm and at night, for the first time during this trip, I don’t feel cold. Today we walked all together almost 13 miles.

Sunday July 24^th we all wake up in time and about 7 am all the beds are folded and the backpacks are packed. We all have breakfast with the leftovers, but there is still so much left that everyone has enough to eat. Then we wash dishes for the last time and help folding the tables and pile up the chairs and carry kitchen stuff next to the vans. Then we leave for the Cathedral. We can store our backpacks at the Paradies complex.

That gives me the opportunity to enter the hotel, practically next door, where my sister Hannah and her husband Henk are staying. What a surprise that they came to Roermond. Dick is also on his way to this city and I will see him soon. After chatting for almost an hour, Hannah and Henk continue their breakfast and I leisurely walk to the Cathedral. It is still quiet and I quickly discover the places reserved for us in the front of the church. I take a seat and enjoy the singing of the Roermond Men’s Choir. Slowly the other walkers trickle in and high mass can start at 11.30 am. It is very special. Also, because not only the name day of St. James is celebrated, but also that of St. Christopher, the patron Saint of this city and also the protector of travelers. There is no better combination. The service is impressive and after the pilgrims have received a blessing, the church door, only open in the holy year, is opened and we can go outside.

I am not one of the first, because in the meantime I discovered Dick in the back of the cathedral. Naturally I want to hug him first. I’m so glad to see him again. And of course, Hannah and I admire the largest relic of “St. James the Greater” outside of Spain.
The relic is tucked into a forearm with an axe, symbol of a martyr. Not really strange when you consider that this apostle of Jesus was the first to be martyred. This in contrast to his brother John, another apostle of Jesus, who lived the longest and was allowed to grow old. When we are finally outside everyone gathers around the Dean and a nice group photo is taken in the presence of the members of the brotherhood of St. James the Great.

Not only is an official photo taken. At the same time, the cell phones of the many visitors to the church are also used to make pictures. Afterwards, we take a leisurely stroll through the sun-drenched streets of the city center of Roermond. It is now 79 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

While Dick, Hannah and Henk have lunch on the terrace on the square, I walk to the Paradies where we all the pilgrims have lunch together and then we say goodbye to each other. It feels like I’ve known my fellow pilgrims all my life. This is how we have grown together over the past few days. I will miss everyone. On the way home, Dick and I decide to go to café St. Jacques in the market hall in Rotterdam next Thursday. We hope to see many other participants. Since Dick likes to come along, he immediately becomes also a member of the Dutch Society of St. Jacob when he returns home.

After we have thrown off my backpack at home, we drive to Tekla and Bert. There we hand over Tekla’s luggage and have a nice chat about the past few days in their garden with a cooling drink. When we arrive at home, I tell Dick everything about the wonderful pilgrimage that has now, unfortunately, come to an end. Although, it is also wonderful to be home again and to sleep in a soft and warm bed.

And again heading south, part 3
April to June 2022

Wednesday May 25^th there are still some clouds but the blue sky has the upper hand and the sun is shining again. A strong wind is blowing and it is not really warm outside with 57 degrees Fahrenheit. It is still 136 miles to Andorra but the road is beautiful.
We pass turquoise colored water-reservoirs and drive through a narrow gorge where tunnels lead us through an mountain valley. In the distance we see snow-capped mountains. After this valley with its towering mountains we climb higher and higher on increasingly narrow winding roads. I’m glad we don’t run into oncoming traffic because that would give some problems, but we’re lucky. We only encounter oncoming traffic when, two mountains further, we arrive on a wider road leading to Andorra.
Although there are at least 30 motorhomes parked behind the supermarket River, there is still space for us and after we have parked the Frankia we walk to the restaurant to have coffee and cake.

Unfortunately there are few pastries, but the double hamburger with bacon and cheese is also tempting, so instead of a cup of coffee, we soon have an extensive lunch. It is now 2.30 pm and we don’t have to eat the rest of the day. After this lavish meal we have to move around so we enter the supermarket. Of course, first to the non-food department. Unfortunately, the water bottle, I bought earlier, is completely sold out. It’s a pity because I like it so much that I wanted another one. Even when climbing up a kitchen staircase, which I took from elsewhere in the shop, I cannot find one on top of. Now we quickly walk to the socks, the reason to return to Andorra. There we discover that there is only one pair of socks left. The replenishment of goods does not run smoothly here. When we’ve finished shopping I decide to walk to the outlet on the other side of San Julia de Loria. It means a walk of 5 miles (back and forth) so Dick stays at home. For me, however, it’s a good exercise and I’m on my way. The sun is shining and it is wonderful weather to walk. It’s 59 degrees. However, the a strong wind is slightly less pleasant. When I arrive at the outlet store, I am immediately recognized. After all, I bought my sunglasses here a month ago and now I want a second, exactly similar, pair. This sunglasses are nice colored and light, protect my eyes well and are not expensive, so a second one for in the car is not an unnecessary luxury. Especially since my old Adidas sunglasses, after years of intensive use, show considerable damage. Since the Adidas glasses are no longer made, it is difficult to buy other glasses. Of course I also look around in this store and search for fanny packs. But I don’t immediately find the wooow factor so, with only a new pair of sunglasses, I return to the Frankia where I arrive at 7 pm. Just in time to stop Dick from calling the police to look for me.

Since we have enough time to travel north, the weather is nice and all the stores are open on Ascension day in Andorra la Vella, we decide to stay another day on Thursday May 26^th. After breakfast with a fresh baguette from the River supermarket (the price has now increased by 20 cents) we walk to the bus stop where fifteen minutes later the bus to the capital picks us up. Although we neatly put on our mask, it soon is obviously that this is no longer mandatory, so the masks are stored.

 

 

The drive is only 5.5 miles and after 15 minutes we get out near the main shopping street of the capital, the avenue Meritxell.
Shop after shop invites you to enter their store. A true shopping paradise, especially for women. We stop at the tourist information office to pick up the map with the bus stops for the return bus and then leisurely walk past and through the shops. I still have some desires such as a quick-drying, lightweight towel and of course some socks. But when we pass a headlamp, that one is also added to our shopping basket. This Headlamp also has red light which I can use during night time so I don’t need to disturb sleeping people. Shopping in the big “Pyrenees” store I neither can’t resist a beautiful lightweight shirt.

 

Unfortunately Dick doesn’t want to buy anything for himself, even though I think he really needs new shirts and pants. After drinking a coffee at Starbucks mid-afternoon, Dick says it’s enough.
For 6.5 miles, we walked from shop to shop, I admire his stamina. Now he stops and we walk to the bus stop from where a bus return to our motorhome. Only Dick gets on the bus. I still want to see some shops before walking back. I cannot get enough of shopping but also want to walk through the narrow streets of old Andorra la Vella, far from the area of ​​the big shopping giants. The weather is lovely despite the wind, around 75 degrees and it’s no punishment to walk back the 5.5 miles. When I am home at 6 pm, we raise a glass of wine on a wonderful shopping day and admire the new purchases. Not only I have plenty new hiking socks now, I also bought them a lot cheaper than when I had to buy them here at the River department store. We feel rosy because of the strong wind and the bright mountain sun.

Friday May 27^th it is significantly cooler, only 61 degrees, but the sun is shining again and the sky is steel blue. After breakfast, with fresh baguette, we drive straight through Andorra to the mountain pass at Grau Roig.

We won’t stay tonight at the parking lot of the ski lifts at 6562 feet, but do stop at the top of the mountain-pass to look for a geocache and to take one last look at the beautiful mountain world of Andorra. It is and remains my favorite country in Europe.  And not only because of the beautiful mountains and wild nature, but also because of strolling through the wonderful shopping streets, with shops that are always open.

The border is just after Pas de la Casa but apparently customs has no interest at all for people entering France because we don’t even have to stop and that while the traffic on the other side of the road, a continuous stream of cars driving up the mountain in a traffic jam, is regularly held. I’m glad we’ve refueled in Andorra before, because here, at the border, the traffic jams in front of the gas stations don’t really make you happy. After crossing the border, an endless descent follows through hundreds of hairpin bends, but eventually we are at the foot of the pass.

We decide to drive on to the town of Venerque, a small village with a parking space between large trees. We are lucky because two motorhomes soon leave and we can park our Frankia in a beautiful spacious place. Then we walk into the village. We went here once on my birthday, years ago. Then there was a big party along the banks of the river and we enjoyed a concert (according to Dick especially for my birthday). There is not much to do now, but there is a large supermarket so we can buy some food and after wandering for 3 miles, we are back. We read in our books and look at a follow up route that takes us further north.

Saturday, the weather is still good with a sun shining in a steel blue sky and the temperature climbs till 79 degrees. The only bakery is closed and the supermarket is not yet open, so we have breakfast with our old Oroweat bread from Spain. Then we set out on back roads to the north. We drive straight through Toulouse and after 2 hours we arrive in Albi where a new parking lot for motorhomes is made. There is still place to park. We find a nice spot on the edge (my favorite place because then at least we have an unobstructed view on one side), drink a cup of coffee and then walk to the center of Albi. That is not really far away and soon we are at the bridge over the river Tarn.

Above the houses we see the imposing Cathedral of Albi, which has the allure of a fortress. The city is nicknamed “the red city” (because of the red bricks) and is on the world heritage list. It is a pleasant city to wander through and your gaze is constantly drawn to the historic, half-timbered brick houses and impressive city palaces. The cathedral, like the surrounding houses, is also built of brick and is not only the largest brick cathedral in the world but also the largest painted cathedral in Europe. Its construction lasted two centuries from 1282 to 1480 and every spot on the inner wall is painted. One of the oldest depictions of the Last Judgment can be seen in the front, dating from the 15th century. It is impressive to look around here. And the narrow medieval streets? We can’t get enough of wandering through and time and again we end up in another hidden corner, wandering in a monastery garden and sneaking through narrow covered alleys, where we think, at any moment, we will see a figure from times gone by. We really are back to the Middle Ages.

Just in time before the restaurants on the square close their kitchens, we manage to get a seat on one of the terraces. I have good food but Dick’s starter, lettuce with gresiers, looks a bit less. Even though Dick says it tastes good and he has eaten this dish before, the fact that one of the ingredients is gresiers (stomach, not directly involved in the digestion of the food) is reason enough for me to never recommend this dish. And then knowing that, without looking, I told Dick that it would be goat’s cheese. Poor Dick!

Because we keep wandering through this fascinating city, we feel our legs when we head home, but when we sing the pilgrim song “Ultreia” together (we know the melody and the chorus but not yet the whole text) walking immediately becomes a lot easier and we arrive safely at our Frankia, end of the afternoon. As always when we eat something late in the afternoon, we only have a few toasts with French cheese and a glass of wine in the evening.

Because the reviews about the parking in the town of Mende says that it is already full at the end of the morning, we don’t get up too late on Sunday and drive through the French countryside early  morning.

When we arrive in Mende there is more than enough space to park and we can even stay parallel to the river. It is a beautiful spot and the flowing water gives a wonderful sound. After the usual cup of coffee on arrival we walk into the town. It is Sunday and Mother’s Day and therefore extinct everywhere. Of course all shops, but also the few terraces, are closed. That makes a place not really attractive and after we wandered around for a few hours (actually only the old lavoir (washing facility) that the leather workers used, is nice) we walk back to the motorhome. We open all the windows wide. It is now 77 degrees and in our closed camper the temperature has risen above 94 degrees. Fortunately there is some wind so the Frankia can cool down a bit and while Dick stays inside I walk to the river below to write about our experiences at the water’s edge. It is very pleasant sitting on a rock next to the river. After a while Dick comes to see where I am, but does not stay with me. Motorhomes arrive until late in the evening, but nevertheless there is place left to park.

Monday May 30^th we first dump our gray and black water, which is not an unnecessary luxury and also fill our water tank again, but then we leave this pleasant parking and drive to Issoire. The landscape is mountainous and we slowly climb over the narrow roads of the French countryside to 3608 feet. Dick’s hakuna keeps refusing to indicate the road we want to drive, so we ride on my hakuna. By the way, I call my GPS Hakuna, because with this one I never ever worry to lose my way. The refusal has to do with a weight restriction at the Issoire exit. There, access by heavier vehicles is only possible for local traffic, but Dicks Hakuna thinks there is no such exception.
We arrive in Issoire at 11 am. Some motorhomes already left so there is plenty of space to park. When we are levelled, we take the bicycles and the two laundry bags and ride to the laundromat in the center.

This one is better than the one at the supermarket, so we prefer to ride the mile and soon we wait at the rotating machines until our clothes are clean and dry. This time we don’t wash our bedding anymore. That goes back home dirty because we have an extra set in our closet. It means one machine less in operation and at 3 pm we can walk into the town. The last time we did laundry this holiday. We have enough clean clothes to come home. The weather is beautiful again, 77 degrees, and so wonderful to walk around in this pleasant town. A lot of shops and restaurants are closed because today its Monday and we cook ourselves and enjoy a burger with a salad.

Tuesday May 31^st the weather look a bit different. The sky is completely cloudy and the temperature does not rise above 57 degrees. After breakfast we first face-time with Hannah and Henk. They now stay in Zanzibar, Africa. Of course we want to know how they are doing and so we leave Issoire no earlier than 10 am.

 

Again our route takes us over narrow roads and through small towns and for a moment it is questionable whether we can drive on when we come across a low and narrow gate in the city wall, but with Dick’s driving skills we manage to drive under the watchtower of Ainay le Chateau. Fortunately in Bourges it clears up and we can choose a nice spot to park. Then we walk to the large supermarket of Leclerc. Our kettle has broken and needs to be replaced. But no matter how we look, such a kettle is apparently not used in France, so we walk back. Dick has to use ducktape to repair the kettle so that we can use it for a while. In the evening we buy a burger with fries at the Quick restaurant. It tastes good but is of slightly less quality than the previous ones we got here. This is probably caused by the enormous crowds. At 8 pm the final match of a ball game starts in the stadium across the street and the hundreds of visitors not only fill every parking space with their cars, they also have an urgent need for a burger. And in my opinion the Quick restaurant can’t really handle this crowds. But the food tastes good and we have a full tummy. We look at the huge mass of cars driving into the parking lot and looking for a place to park. I don’t see nor hear them leaving again because then I’m already deep asleep. Dick finds it incomprehensible because it is a huge noise.

Wednesday, June 1^st, I walk in the morning to the Lidl on the other side of the parking. Great to be so close to a store and one that is open at an early time. We have again a  croissant for breakfast. We leave this always pleasant place with a well-filled stomach and drive through the hilly landscape to Auxerre. Once there, it doesn’t seem like there is a spot and while I ask Dick to drive backwards I walk away to see if we can squeeze in somewhere. A wrong decision because moments later I hear a sound of a car coming into contact with stone. And yes, Dick, who has never been able to see the low concrete edge, touches this stone. Unfortunately we have some damage, not very much, but still enough to be seen. It’s my fault because I really didn’t pay attention. And that while I did see the concrete edge and also thought it was directly behind the motorhome. Immediately the owners of two parked motorhomes appear, looking at us. One of them drives away. So beside damage we also have a spot.
After a few deep sighs (it’s no different) we drink coffee and then walk into the old town of Auxerre. It is dominated by three large churches and around it are small, narrow, medieval streets. A pleasure to walk through. Especially because it is now 2 pm and all the shops are open again. We walk around for a while and notice that we are too late to sit on a terrace and order something to eat, all the kitchens are closed.

Yet around 4 pm we pass a kebab restaurant that is still willing to prepare food and so we have a nice meal, stared at by every passing Frenchman. Eating at this time of day is not something you do here. But we think it’s fine. We no longer have to cook and we had a good meal. Still, at the end of the afternoon I walk to the supermarket, 550 yards away, because our orange and mandarin juice has been drunk and new has to be purchased. The parking lot empties as the evening progresses. Only three motorhomes stay overnight and it is very quiet.

Now that we’re back in the middle of the city, with shops around the corner, I can’t resist the temptation on Thursday morning to get fresh bread at the supermarket and so we don’t leave Auxerre until 9.30 am. It is only a 80 miles drive to Mailly le Camp, but because we first stop in Troyes to buy something for my pilgrimage at a Decathlon (yes again to this sporting shop) we arrive there three hours later. The parking is located in the middle of the small and deserted village and after dumping our gray and black water here, we decide to continue driving.

There is nothing to do here and three quarters of an hour later we arrive in the village of L’Epine. Also very small, but with a huge cathedral, which we naturally want to visit. It turns out to be a special place because inside the cathedral is a well, where pilgrims have quenched their thirst for centuries.
Of course we drink (I mean I drink, because Dick doesn’t like the water) from this ancient, 85 feet deep, well. The water is cool and tasty. Unfortunately my bottle is still completely full so I can’t fill it. Let’s just hope that I will encounter such sources more often when I walk to Santiago de Compostella.

 

We also wander around town and look for a geocache that takes us past the Stations of the Cross. End of the afternoon we are back at our Frankia where we have a nice chat with our fellow motorhomers. We feel sorry for the Englishmen who are on their way home. They have to because they almost completed their 90 days stay in the European Union. Since Brexit, that is their maximum length of stay in a period of 180 days. For the next 90 days they will have to tour their own country. After that period, they are welcome again in the European Union. By the way, the weather remains good even though there are some veil clouds around noon. Towards the evening the sky always clears up and the sun stays in a radiant sky. We enjoy a temperature of 77 degrees.

Of course we have breakfast on Friday June 3^rd with a fresh baguette, after all, the bakery is open from 6 am. When washing the dishes, a beep finally goes off, to warn us that the French propane tank, which we were able to fill at the border with Portugal, is now really empty. That’s nice because now we can exchange this tank before we leave France. That doesn’t work in Reims because the Hyper “U” doesn’t sell the brand Antargas, but just before Laon we find a supermarket where we can exchange.
It actually works out well because in the supermarket in Reims I thought I had done all the shopping, but I have forgotten the meat for the BBQ at Cor and Esme’s house.
While Dick exchanges the propane tank I buy some meat. When the new tank is connected again and the meat is in the fridge, we drive on to Laon.

 

 

We love this nice little town and (more important) our favorite restaurant Agora is located here. Tonight we will of course have dinner there. Unfortunately, the veil clouds get the upper hand and the sun that shines so beautifully, disappears behind a cloud cover. But it is dry and warm, 74 degrees, so we still wander around town in the afternoon. It is busy, mainly with English people. Possibly the result of the car rally for old cars that will be held here on Sunday. After wandering around 3 miles through the narrow streets of this town located high on the hill, we of course pay a visit to the always impressive cathedral (it’s really huge) and then we walk back to our Frankia. It stays no longer alone but got a neighbor motorhome.
After drinking an alcohol-free beer, it is time to walk to the center and at 7 pm we are seated in our reserved place in the restaurant and we enjoy, as always, an excellent meal.

Saturday morning the sun shines again in a blue sky. It is wonderful to take a morning walk to the bakery through the deserted medieval streets. After breakfast we drive to Liart where Esme and Cor have their house.
We do stop on the way in Rozoy to dump because that is neither possible in Laon nor in Liart. But the town of Rozoy is on the way and we don’t have to make a detour. Because we already did the shopping for dinner yesterday, we arrive at 11 am in Liart where we are warmly greeted by Esme and Cor.
Not much later we sit on the terrace enjoying coffee and exchanging information. Time flies and before we know it is 2 pm and lunchtime.

Then Cor and Dick go to work. There is still a lot to be done in this house. Esme clean out her closet and stock up and I sit down behind my laptop to write down our story. I’m behind on writing. We had too much to do this holiday. I’m in a writing mood so it goes fast and since Dick and Cor don’t stop until 6 pm, I have a lot of time.
After the men took a shower, they really made progress with placing an extra wall in an upstairs room, we have a drink together. The Alsace wine we bought in L’Epine is really good so we will have to return.
Since Cor is a master at barbecuing, the barbecued meat, together with the vegetable dish and melon prepared by Esme, taste very good. At 11 pm we go to bed, stared at by the cows that have gathered next to our Frankia. Fortunately, behind a fence.
That this fence is not a guarantee that they will stay there is obvious when, next morning  I see 4 cows strolling along the road. A strange view because they walk without any human being present. Later it turns out that they have escaped.

Sunday morning June 5^th we wake up early because I want to get fresh bread in Liart. Despite the fact that today is Sunday, the supermarket is open in the morning. It is also the only shop in the village. Liart is, back and forth, 5 miles from Cor and Esme’s estate. I could have walked but then everyone had to wait too long, so Dick takes my bike out of the garage and soon I ride through the rolling countryside of the French Ardennes to the supermarket in the small city. The croissants and baguette taste good.

Then it’s time to talk about the journey Cor wants to make. Cycling from his home in the Netherlands to this house in France. Dick will join us on that trip, hopes to cycle parts along the way, but will mainly drive the camper from overnight place to overnight place. Cor has now planned a route along the Maas of about 500 kilometers that we will view and comment on and which I can further work on to look for places to stay for the camper.
We drink another coffee and discuss the men’s journey and of course my hike to Santiago the Compostela is also discussed.
But then it’s time to work again because there is a long list of jobs to do in this house in France.

Since a concrete floor has to be poured today, they are really busy. Unfortunately it is pouring rain, a big contrast with the sun yesterday, so staying outside is not really pleasant and I am going to sit at my laptop. Esme is reading. It continues to rain all day long. Fortunately, it clears up towards evening and it becomes dry. We see clearly that a lot of water has fallen. Small lakes have formed on the lawn. After the men have showered and we admired their nice poured concrete floor, Esme, Dick and me become guinea pigs for Cor.

Soon they will organize a tasting evening for Alsace wines at the wine guild. Flammkuchen are served with it and we have to test them. We have no objection at all and the homemade flammkuchen tastes good. Late in the evening I make some spaghetti carbonara. Despite the earlier tasting that also tastes good because there is only a mini leftover. Of course we chat for a long time and have fun. Again we go late to bed, 11.30 pm. It is dead quiet outside on this narrow back road and only the cows are seen and heard.

Monday June 6^th we cannot buy fresh bread because the shop is closed today but there is still some bread left and we also have French survival bread so we are not short of food.

After the breakfast together, we leave, waved goodbye by Cor and Esme, who are staying another day. We had nice days together again. In Givet we dump our gray and black water and then, because we miss a turn, we continue along the river Maas. This is part of the route that Cor and Dick will take end of August. A beautiful route and when we drive through the lively town of Dinant, I definitely want to return there. After Dinant we climb up inland and soon arrive on the highway that leads north. When we arrive in Bergen op Zoom, Netherlands, there is space to park on the boulevard. This is probably due to the fact that the weather is not particularly good. There is a strong wind blowing and now and then it drizzles.

The beach bars don’t really have customers. Because the wind is blowing so hard I don’t really want to get Chinese food tonight so I walk to the supermarket close by and buy food. Once again stew because with this weather it fits well. In the evening we can watch TV. After maneuvering the motorhome back and forth, we manage to avoid the trees in such a way that we have a signal. Although the rain stopped, the sky remains gray and there is still a strong wind blowing.

Tuesday June 7^th we drive away after breakfast with fresh croissants. Fortunately the sky clears up as we get further north and arrive at home at 10 am. Now the sun is shining. Dick parks the Frankia behind our house and we start unloading. It’s like a migration, especially when we’ve been away for so long. After everything is piled up in the living room, we polish the inside and outside of the motorhome.

Not really an unnecessary luxury and when Dick is going to polish the carpet with detergent, a lot of dirt comes off. End of the afternoon everything is clean and Dick returns the Frankia to our storage. In the meantime, I bring all the things where they belong and the washing machine starts working overtime.

We had a wonderful time but it is also nice to be home again.

In total we drove 4878 miles with our motorhome,
We cycled 51 miles and
We walked 208 miles.
The latter was an absolute necessity because I had to make miles.