"Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore.” So says Dorothy. "Folks, we're not in France anymore." So says Curt. I’m not walking far, maybe 3-4 miles. I enter the last French village. “Wait a minute, that hiker with the guitar is going back to Canterbury!” I see the last French bench. I visit the last French …
Category: 2023B Via Francigena
539. Deviating from the Trail Deviation with Encouragement
Today is the hardest day since the rainy days in northern France. According to Sandy Browns VF guidebook, about 24 kilometers with 700 meters ascent and 300 descent, he labels the route “Hard, terrain and climb”. The high point of the route though is the source of the River Loue, one of the VF “most …
Continue reading 539. Deviating from the Trail Deviation with Encouragement
538. Joan of Arc
Every nation state, and probably all religious or ethnic communities (think of the Armenians and Uyghurs), have foundational figures. Stories told, paintings painted, statues and busts sculpted. These are ubiquitous; they are placed in significant locations. Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln. Independence Hall, the US Capital, the Washington Mall. Growing up in Springfield, Illinois, I saw …
537. French People and Scenes
Besançon proud and shy baker Within a few days, I'll be leaving France. I want to post some of the individuals and scenes that I'll remember. The French love being outdoors, whether in the woods or in a market. The man is smiling even though I'm only buying one apple from him! How many times …
536. Recognizing Famous French People
Street Voltaire Each country recognizes famous individuals. Greece and Rome had their statues. The Mediterranean region, along with museums around the world, testify to their prolific production. In fact, when I studied in Athens the fall and winter of 1970, I mailed my parents a Christmas gift which I knew that they would love, a …
535. Walking Alongside a Buddha
“Butterfly, Its' late, We've miles to go with each other." Basho “Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.” Thich Nhat Hahn Many of the best experiences of long-distance walkers are their new-found, even if temporary, friendships. Because of the widespread practice of yoga and cultivating “mindfulness”, I’m sure that during my long-distance …
534. Schedule: Four More Nights in France and then Switzerland
Only Four more nights in France. Hard for me to believe! It is amazing where one step at a time will take one. Tonight I’m in Ornans. A small river side town that has plenty of hotels, restaurants, and outdoor sports shops. Think Cherokee, North Carolina. Wednesday- Mouthier-Haute-Pierre Thursday- Pontarlier Friday- Les Hopitaux-Neufs Saturday- Orbe …
Continue reading 534. Schedule: Four More Nights in France and then Switzerland
533. Memorial Day in France: Remembering the Others
The Commonwealth Commission on War Graves cares for numerous sites. The Thiepval Memorial remembers over 72,000 soldiers who died, but whose graves are unknown. During the first day of the battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916, more than 57,000 British soldiers were killed, wounded, or missing, the worst single day in British military history. …
Continue reading 533. Memorial Day in France: Remembering the Others
532. Memorial Day in France
Since it is Memorial Day, I want to look back at some of the French memorials that I’ve seen. However, I want to preface my comments about a remembrance tendency. Similar to all empires and countries, France has its shares of monuments to the great general or the great political leader. The “Great Man” theory …
531. Being Blessed: At Strasbourg on Pentecost Sunday
Sunday in Strasbourg. Pentecost Sunday in Strasbourg. I’m off to the Cathedral for the 9:30 AM Mass. The Cathedral is a skyscraper amidst three or four story buildings. With the tallest tower in Europe from 1647-1874, this gothic Cathedral is distinctive. It is certainly not hard to find. Since I’m early, I walk to the …
Continue reading 531. Being Blessed: At Strasbourg on Pentecost Sunday
Journeys: Explorations in Body, Mind, and Spirit 