Breakfasted on bread, jam and orange juice, plus the remains of last night’s small bottle of wine. Ready to leave at 8 30, but couldn’t find the key to the gate. So I rang Gerard, who told me there wasn’t one, you just have to push.
I found the instructions and waymarks difficult to follow, so once I found the D50 I decided to stay on it. Then Gerard rang to say I had left my Kindle behind, and he would bring it to me. This would have been much more difficult to negotiate had I been following his route and been off-road.
I was nervous about making it to the Carmelite house in Avon by 17:00, so he drove me to Barbizon, where it was an easy walk through the forest to Fontainebleau. I lunched there before setting off: home-made lemonade, a large salad of which I could eat less than half, and an ice cream. Came into Fontainebleau by the business school where some of the Anglican congregation work, and vaguely remembered the walk to the town centre. After a bit of delay trying to find my way from the castle to the Avenue of Cascades , I reached the red door in the park wall leading to Avenue Père Jacques where the Carmelites are. It was 3:30.
At 4:55 a woman gave me the key to my room, and a bill to be settled before I leave, with times of meals and services on the back. It was good to change into clean clothes and wash socks and undies. Will they be dry to pack?
Went to Vespers in the Chapel, and stayed attempting silent prayer until supper time. There were three of us in the Nazareth dining-room, and we agreed to conversation during the meal. Beetroot, pasta, cheese, fruit and desserts, plus water and wine. After the meal, Frédéric showed me the extensive garden backing on to the Castle Park.
Perhaps this night in a quiet place will make it easier to sing and pray on the pilgrimage.
emeritablog: life after work 