Still getting it wrong, and doing some bush bashing as well!

Well tonight we are in a small village called Claivaux, made famous because Saint Bernard, co-founder of the Knights Templar, founded an abbey here back in the 1115.  Most of the original abbey has been destroyed with the ravages of time, but the rebuilding during various centuries has turned it into a massive complex.  At one time it was bought by the Government and used as a prison, but now it is regarded as a national monument, and there is much restoration happening.

Various scenes from the abbey

Today wasn't without incident, as we set off following what we thought was the correct path, only to discover that once again we were on the wrong one.  This has meant that instead of an easy 15kms all through the forest, we did almost 23kms, mostly in the forest!  However we have had a good rest, a good dinner, and all's right with the world.

Our Hotel

Since the last post we have had 4 busy days of walking.  The last two days have been mostly in forest, sometimes on lovely defined tracks, but at other times having to negotiate the muddy patches, or push our way through knee high grass.  At one point we had to cross what was probably a flood plain covered in white daisy flowers.  The only thing was that as lovely as they looked, we had to find our way through the shoulder high plants, trying to guess the logical place for the next waymark!  No flies on us though - successfully made it!

Where's Joan?

Last night we were in the small town of Columbey-les-Deux-Églises.  Joan was on top of the history of the town, which came as a big surprise to me.   As we were walking down the hill, still many kilometres away, Joan pointed out something sticking up into the sky.  It was a giant 2 barred cross, known as the Cross of Lorraine.   This has been a symbol for Lorraine for hundreds of years, and was used by General de Gaul.  This giant granite and concrete structure, 44.3 metres high and weighing 950 tonnes, overlooks the town, the place where de Gaul was born and died, and the place he and his wife returned to for rest.  This cross came to represent Free France in 1940.

The memorial Cross of Lorraine 

De Gaul's grave and the church from which his funeral was conducted.

The night before we had made our way to a small village called Ambonville.  Here we stayed in our first pilgrim specific accomodation, five star, as we each had a room with linen and towels provided, and food in the kitchen.  The only downside was we had to cook it!  The up side was that we cooked a couple of hard boiled eggs for lunch the next day.

The church in Ambonville

Walking from Joinville to Ambonville we had a very long rest at Blécourt.  There, out of the blue we came across a large 750 year old church, more or less in the middle of nowhere.   It was open, and I got a stamp for my credencial and left a message in the visitors book.

The stained glass windows inside the church

These four days began in Joinville, the biggest town in the area.  It is a very old town, but seemed quite prosperous. 

A medieval street in Joinville.  Narrow and windy.

The old and new.

Joinville

The walls of buildings and fences have been interesting.  Some of the buildings look as if the walls are dry stone, just like the fences.  We passed an old quarry and looking at it, it looked as if the stones had been laid just like a wall.  

The old quarry