Patience emerges as a trait worth valuing. “Patience Grasshopper.” I’m not going to get to my night’s lodging quickly. I realize that, at my pace, I’ll be there in four or five hours. If I hurry, who knows what might happen. I might twist an ankle. “Darn, I didn’t see that uneven part of the …
Category: 2023B Via Francigena
529. The Basics
A Sense of Humor Water. Food. Clothing. Shelter. Safety. My desires are pretty consistent. My desires are simple. My desires are expandable. My desires can include a scorecard. “Wow, that baguette sandwich is great.”Hmmm, that dinner is way overpriced (and I haven’t gotten to Switzerland).” Water. I try to keep my water bladder fairly full. …
528. Electrical Sockets
I enter my room for the night. Some people look at the bed-size. Others look for bathroom towels. I look for electrical sockets. I do this every time I check into a room. Every time. Outlet I have my iPhone, my Iwatch, my iPad, my Garmin, my battery pack, and my Nikon camera battery to …
527. ATM’s and more
I just withdrew 300 Euros from an ATM machine. I’m pretty confident that I’ll have enough cash for more than the next week. Given the uncertainty of ATM’s in village France, I want to be prepared. My transaction is cold and efficient. I don’t need the ATM to say “Good evening Monsieur, how can I …
526. Langres’ Rest Day
Rest Day in Langres! Whoohoo! What, oh what, should I do? I sleep. Since I went to sleep last night at 7PM, I’m awake and fixing breakfast at 6 AM. I make myself an omelette; I have a cup of local strawberry yogurt; and, of course, a croissant and coffee. Since I’ve been longing for …
525. Time and the Hanging of My Head
I don’t know what day of the week it is; I have no idea of the date of the month. Those are truisms of slow, long-distance walking. I know that time is changing, besides the obvious changes from the sunrise at 6:00AM and sunset at 9:00 PM, there is the obvious temperature changes which lets …
524. Walkers’ Styles
Walking. So many styles. So many purposes. Although during this past month and almost five hundred miles, I have met only four Via Francigena hikers, Ross, Alison, Kim, and Esther, I have seen all sorts of other walkers. I’ve seen several speed walkers. In Reims on the Victory in Europe holiday, they were out in …
523. French Folk Art and Street Art
While walking, I think about France, and some of its iconic art. I think of that painting of three peasants gleaning a field for food in The Gleaners by Millet. As I walk by garden after garden, I picture Monet painting his garden at Giverny. I remember some of Monet’s paintings capturing the smoke and …
522. Sigeric Getting to Rome
How did Sigeric the Serious get to Rome? In asking that question, I must be careful. I could ask somebody. If there is a local sitting on the bench, should I ask him for directions? Should I ask the local gendarmes? Sigeric may have asked the locals; I suspect that he didn't ask any "local …
521. Maps
Did Sigeric the Serious (what a way to be known by later folk!) have an ancient equivalent to Google maps? Nope! How did he get to Rome? We know that he stopped at 80 locations. Based on these 80 locations, he walked probably between twelve and twenty miles a day depending upon the terrain. But …
Journeys: Explorations in Body, Mind, and Spirit 