What with the heat and blisters, I decided to walk along the river Yonne from Sens to Étigney, 12 km, and then take a train to St Julien. It was a lovely walk, completed in 3 hours, but I then waited another 3 hours for a train that stopped in Étigney.
I wondered about getting off the train at Villeneuve sur Yonne, having a look round, and catching the next one. However, the station didn’t seem to be in the town centre, so it could have been a long hot walk.
At the entrance to the hotel, I was greeted by a large dog who wanted a good sniff at my trousers. The place mat at dinner hinted at exotic regional specialities, but the choice I was offered was just beef or chicken. The haricot beans accompanying the latter were delicious, and the chicken had a tasty glaze. Four young French men at the next table treated me to a glass of Mystic, the cherry beer they were drinking.
My feet are still quite painful, especially when I don’t have my boots on, and the hot weather continues.
I could do a short stage again tomorrow: half on foot, half by train. And I could scrap the idea of a rest day in Vézelay and take the extra day to shorten the stages after Auxerre.. But it’s proving difficult to find accommodation. I keep getting answering machines from private hosts, and the only vacancies in the right locations on booking.com have terrible reviews. The place I’ve booked for tomorrow is a bit mysterious.
Sorry, I wish I could write a more cheerful and uplifting blog about today. Parts of it were excellent, like the curate’s egg in Punch. Even the three hours waiting for the train included at least 20 minutes of peaceful prayer.
emeritablog: life after work 