Last update: 23 July 2005

The pilgrim's diary/journal can be found below.

We are now in the fourth month of the pilgrimage.

"LEAVE YOUR COUNTRY"

We had left. Suddenly the rhythm of our existence had changed. We had left behind us the engine noises, the mechanical deafening, and we had reconnected with the silence of the planet. We had rediscovered the oldest form of travel, walking. Also the noblest, which leaves the spirit free and brings into play each muscle in the body. To the regular rhythm of our steps, little by little we felt western impatience dropping away, that haste always pushing the civilized being toward goals soon attained and forgotten in his preoccupation with new objectives.

We walked in the immensity of rocky cliffs, dry river-beds, finding again this basic feeling that walking, like breathing, is life. The long walk of the nomad cleanses the soul and frees the spirit. The man who moves forward in the desert is thinking or gently singing, reflecting or dreaming. The nomad does not know the somber boredom of the passenger, this heaviness of wasted time which assails the human cargo carried by train, car, boat or plane.

Without anxious impatience over future phantoms, he lives his travel like his stops—as an integral part of the essential present.

Haroun TAZIEFF

(Water and Fire)

Farewell

The information from day 1 to day 20 is supplied by the pilgrim's wife, based on sporadic communications.  Additions and corrections may appear later!  Pierre has discovered that deep France doesn't possess as many internet cafés as initially imagined. Your good wishes and prayer requests are been communicated to him (by the aforementioned wife) and hopefully he will be able to do more, directly, when he gets to a larger town with internet cafés.

What follows is a combination of personal journal entries and editorial comments. There are links which will give you the pilgrim's photos.

Day 1: Wednesday 13.4

Veigy to Troinex

Statistics: 22.9 km - 10°C - Cloud cover till 14.00, then light sun. Altitude : 403 m - 491 m, total descent 201 m, total ascent 429 m. 

Surprise arrival of friends to cheer Pierre's departure from home.  First leg with John Kennedy from Veigy thru Meinier and the Genevois countryside.  Stops at his church l'Eglise St Paul, blessing by Br Jean-Daniel, Le Cenacle, St Pierre Cathedral in Geneva for stamps in his pilgrim passport, followed by mass & benediction chez Père Louis Christaens, SJ, good friend and aumonier at the Cantonal Hospital.   Stop in Ste Croix church in Carouge. Then onward through the countryside south of Geneva to first night's “gite” chez Cursillo friends Genny and Vicky.

Day 2: Thursday 14.3

Troinex to Prévy

Statistics: 34.8 km - 17°C -  Sun. 421 m - 905 m, descent 658 m, ascent 758m.

Departed 08:04. Commanderie Knights of Malta at Compesières (XV Cent.). Archeological search in St Sylvestre church. Huppe et chouette discussion with ornithologist in Charrot. First alouette seen in Neydens.  Roman Column. Deliciious “épeautre” bread at La Forge. Statue St James in front of St Etienne church in Beaumont. Chartreuse Pomier (1170) with handsome beech woodwork. Salad for lunch chez Rey at Mt Sion (former hospital). Terry brings cradle for camera. St James Chapel at Charly is closed! First hare in Premier lièvre in lucerne-grass arriving in Prévy. Arrived 19:50 at B&B of Girod family.

Day 3:  Friday 15.4
Prévy to Seyssel

Statistics: 29.9 km  - 11°C dropping to 9°C -  Drizzle or cloud cover. 255 m - 583 m

Left Prévy at 8:23. Dialog with cows in pasture with Chaumont in backdrop. Panorama Glières Bauges from Contamine-Sarzin. Malpas muddy trail. First pilgrim: Johan from Baviera, left Germany last October, back next May. Story of castle where "Chainsaw Murders" was filmed! Barbannaz waterfall from Pissieu bridge(1721) over Fornant creek. Ruins of Chaumont castle with St Agatha church (Sicilian martyr).  Inn at Frangy with old winepress from Douvaine dating 1819 + avis aux cabaretiers de1829. Commensal: Mr. Pascal, retired menuisier, and two other older German pilgrims from Freiburg met near Designy (on the old salt road from Seyssel to Geneva). Castle of Clermont (XVI). First thrush & cuckoo. Arrived 18:15 at hotel du Rhone in Seyssel: M & Mme Catoir, planning dinner-theatre.

Day 4: Saturday 16.4
Seyssel to Chanaz

Statistics: 21.9 km - 2°C -  Melted snow + continuous rain. Low Point (LP) 230 m, High Point (HP) 325 m, descent 226 m, ascent 226 m.

Day 5: Sunday 17.4
Chanaz – Hautecombe – Chanaz

Rest day, but walked 10 km, without bag to the Abbey of Hautecombe. Left at 09:14 in the snow (0°C) and arrived at 11:34 at the Chapel Sanctuary of the House of Savoy.  Snowed or rained all day long, but warmed up by the welcoming friendliness of the Chemin Neuf Community. Lovely Eucharist by Fr. Olivier and international chorale preparing for the World Youth Days of Cologne. Lunch with retired dam builder (Roselend among them). Meditation & sharing on life of Pope John Paul II (video by founder of C.N., Fr. Laurent): Vision, Incarnation, Initiation, Pardon, Passion, Joy in Faith. Br. Arnaud. Srs. Marie-Noël, Pascale. Family Gérard (from Motz) takes me back to Chanaz. Dinner with Urs from Basel, journalist.

Day 6: Monday 18.4

Chanaz to St Maurice de Rothrens

Statistics: 34 km - 3°C AM, 15°C PM -  Clouds, fog with occasional sunshine. LP 230 m, HP 851 m (Mt Tournier pass).

Day 7 : Tuesday 19.4

St Maurice de Rothrens to Les Abrets

Statistics: 23 km. 8°C AM, 16°C PM -  Clouds AM, one shower PM, then sunshine. LP 206 m (St Genix sur Guiers), HP 643 m (St Maurice).

Departed lodging at 09:51. Caught up with Arabella, then Marc & Yann who suffers from left knee. Easy descent to St Genix, stopping at Syndicat d'Initiative to find way to transport Yann back to Seyssel, then croque-monsieur near church. Guiers bridge over 5-meter rapids. Dike. Mt Tournier. Chartreuse. Arrived Château du Colombier at 17:05. Tea with farmer's wife Mrs. Genet. Daughters Florence (once treated by my doctor brother François), Fabienne. Mr. Genet de-activates alarm and opens house so I can bathe and wash my clothes. Ferdinand & Jacqueline (my uncle & aunt) return from Marseille. Lovely pasta dinner.

Day 8 : Wednesday 20.4

Les Abrets to Le Pin

Statistics: 18.8 km. 5°C AM, 8°C PM -  Clouds & rain. LP366 m, HP676 m (Bois de Lambert). Descent 487 m, ascent 40m.

Departure at 09:57 from Le Colombier after funny attempt at warming up century-old wax to insert a Savoy cross seal in my "credencial" (pilgrim passport). Visit to the cemetary of les Abrets to pay respects to Ferdinand's parents: Henry and Denyse who are buried there. Steady climb over the hills of the Terres Froides (Cold Lands) which deserve their name. Snow on the ground in the woods. Arrive Le Pin at 14:12 and find Urs (from Basel) in the bistrot where I stop to eat a sandwhich. He departs for Le Grand Lemps while I decide to stay overnight in Le Pin. Find a "chambre d'hôte"(guestroom) in a delightfully restored house belonging to the Grange family. Joe the dog and Arnaud (16) welcome me. After shower & nap, I meet Christine, the mother, Elise, her daughter who studies medecine. Later, walk without bag to the Paladru lake and back (3 km which seem real easy). Good chat with Pascal the father, and Samuel the eldest, on job issues.

Day 9 : Thursday 21.4

Le Pin to Bévenais

Statistics: 17.9 km. 15°C AM, 13°C PM -  Clouds, occasional sunshine. LP450 m (Le Grand Lemps), HP 705 m (Entre fermes Quétan & Fléteau). Descent 390m.

Departure at 10:34 after description of Cursillo for Pascal & Christine. Calvinist Baptists with a budding church in Grenoble. Uphill, in woods with lots of broken limbs or uprooted trees to former Chartreuse of La Silve Bénite now in private hands, then downhill to Blaune where I overtake 2 very talkative female pilgrims who move their hands, chatting, more than their feet, walking. Beautiful calvary near Oyeu. At ferme du Crêt, 2 dogs chase me, but I manage to keep them in check by authoritative gestures and voice commands. I eat chestnuts found during descent in muddy trail from  ferme du Futeau to the Grand Lemps. There I stop for chocolate, I buy snacks. I also buy flowers for my hostess for that evening: Mme de Dumast, whose husband (now deceased) used to work  with my father. I arrive at her house in Bévenais at 16:38. Lots of souvenirs from my youth in Champ-sur-Drac come back during a very warm discussion with this lovely lady. 

Day 10 : Friday 22.4

Bévenais to Marnans

Statistics: 23.3 km. 14°C AM, 19°C PM -  Full sunshine. LP 342 m (Bièvres plain), HP554 m (Grosjean). Descent 333 m, ascent 308m.

Departure at 06:43. After 1.6 km, I realized that I had lost my hat which I had probably poorly secured to a strap on my bag. I feel awful because I have started to like this hat: it has become like a pet! I almost run back to find it and even stop 2 cars asking the startled drivers whether they saw a hat on thq road! I end up walking all the way back to Bévenais, my starting point, without success. Desperate, I pray St Anthony of Padua (patron of lost things) and restart, resigned to the loss of my companion hat, when suddenly, there it is, hanging to a hedge : somebody must have found it on the road and hung it there. Bless his/her soul!

At Gillonnais I leave the direct route to Le Puy and turn South, crossing the Bièvre rich plain. Old chestnut trees are refuges for peregrine hawks who survey the ploughed fields. Interesting Hotel de Ville at St Siméon de Bressieux: late 19th C. style. Toughest climb to Grosjean. Arrival at Marnans 11th C romanesque church at 12:43, a steady 6 hours walk! Terry comes by car form Veigy to join me in this little hamlet nestled in green hills. We have a delightful lunch on sunny terrace of the charming Priory Inn beside the church. Then we decide to stay there, enjoy relaxing afternoon, and another gourmet meal in the evening. Cécile & Bruno are perfect hosts, and their 2-month-old baby Vinciane is a gem...

Day 11 : Saturday 23.4 Marnans to St Antoine l'Abbaye, with visits to Roybon and La Trappe monastery (trappistine sisters). Night's lodging with L'Arche community. - See Postcard

Day 12 : Sunday 24.4 St Antoine to Triors. - See Postcard

Day 13 : Monday 25.4 Triors to Roche-de-Glun (above Tournon en Ardeche). - See Postcard

Day 14 : Tuesday 26.4 … Roche-de-Glun to Leyrisse (crossing the Rhone) - See Postcard

Day 15 : Wednesday 27.4

Leyrisse to Chalançon

Sunny day except for a quick shower early afternoon, time when I meet 3 ladies training on the Camino which they would tackle the following week. They worry about what to take and what not to take and I give them the universal advice: take a minimum and be ready to wash your laundry often! Beautiful forests of chestnut trees, which was for a long time the main staple of people in the area. I converse with cuckoo birds, and manage by echoing their song to get one to come close: I am happy because the bird is very shy and usually difficult to see. I rush to arrive to the village of Chalencon, a tough uphill climb, but I have to arrive in time to get a call from Nico. I arrive sweating on the village square, and great luck: the phone cabin is just across from a bistrot! I get a cool beer served by the lady at the bar while waiting for my son's connection: people look at me quite bemused by this odd pilgrim sitting on a chair squeezed in the cabin door opening, phone in one hand, beer in the other! Next I find the "gîte d'étape" (pilgrim accommodation) and realize that I am alone in a place that could house 15 people!

Day 16 : Thursday 28.4

Chalançon to St Agrève via Vernoux-en-Vivarais

See Postcard

30.5 km. Sunny. 14°C AM, 21°C PM. Depart 06:46, arrive 17:48. Low point : Les Nonières 664 m (11:05). High point: Emballes 1171 m (14:17). Ascent: 1205 m at 230 m/h. Descent: 850 m at 260 m/h. Total up & down: 2055 m.

Departure through the old "oppidum" (mediaval fort) of Chalençon. A green lizard (lacerta) accepts being photographed. Very cute bridge and house with blue shutters before breakfast at St Julien Labrousse, where old ladies chat about the village rumor mill. Nap on a bench below the cross (with a great ironclad Chist 18th C.) of the Nonières. Old cemetery and chapel in reaching Pouzat, then Emballes, last summit before going down through beautiful forests to St Agrève where I arrive sufficiently tired to decide to sleep in a hotel where I can book a room with a bathtub!

Day 17 : Friday 29.4

St Agrève to St Front

See Postcard

29 km. Sun and blue sky. 19°C AM, 23°C PM. Depart 09:17, arrive 19:32. Low point: St Romain 947 m (12:19). High point above Lake St Front:1288 m (18:39). Ascent: 796 m at 180 m/h. Descent: 628 m at 250 m/h. Total up & down: 1424 m.

I get lost at the beginning of this stage when trying to take a shortcut for St Romain du Désert which the postman had told me about! But I discover beautiful forests of fir-trees with big pray birds. I take picture of the remains of an old cart in front of ruins. Lunch in Vastres, the Ploughman Inn belonging to Mr. Couderc, an emule of Raymond Devos (French story teller). Interesting discussion with his daughter Sonia and his son Nicolas avout what religion can bring. Side trip to the St Regis fountain in Faye-sur-Lignon where this Saint accomplished a recognized miracle. A gorgeous horse pauses in front of the church and village cross in the background. Long climb towards St Front along the Cévennes mountains (Mt Gerbier de Jonc, Mézenc). In St Front, the communal hostel is closed, but the mayor, Mr. Philippe de Labre opens for me the mairie's council room where I sleep on gym mats!

Day 18 : Saturday 30.4

St Front to Le Puy

See Postcard

29.5 km. Hot sun. 19°C AM, 29°C PM. Depart 07:40, arrive 17:41. Low point : Loire river in Brives-Charensac 669 m (16:41). High point: St Front 1276 m (07:52). Ascent: 500 m at 150 m/h. Descent: 980 m at 260 m/h. DTotal up & down: 1480 m.

After ascending above the village of St Front, I miss a turn and get going, without realizing, in the wrong direction. The road snakes around but seems to be heading left more and more when I am supposed to go West. After 3 km, I stop at a farm to ask my way and hear with horror that I am almost back into St Front! A nice man takes me to the crossroad where I should have turned earlier, and now I am double careful not to get lost! The woods I cross are gorgeous, I cross the Gagne bridge (direct translation: "Winning" bridge - quite ironical, considering the time I have lost!), and I climb to la Chapelette where I see a door lintel on a house dating back to 1747 (two centuries before my birth!). Nap in a pine forest smelling with such a good smell... Then under the sun, tough, till St Germain Laprade where I catch back the GR 65 trail which I left _ days earlier in Guillonnay. Reason for rejoicing by lunching with frog legs - a disappearing meal in our France that "globalizes" itself... I climb the last hill, Montjoie (Mount of Joy), from where you can finally discover Le Puy with its needles covered with churches and statues. Joy, for sure! Crossing of the Loire river where you can see a very old bridge at Brives-Charensac. I stop at the old St George seminary of Le Puy, just below the Virgin statue. There, I meet Gilles who knows Eric Angleys, and Chantal who came with her son Pierre-Antoine to listen to a concert. The concert takes place in the cathedral, and although tired, I decide to attend: no regret, it is performed by Sister Mary Keyrouz, from Lebanon, who signs prayers and psalms in the antique Syriac and Coptic traditions, with an incredible orchestra mixing occidental instruments (piano, cello) with oriental instruments (cithara, tambourine). It is top notch and I buy a CD which I send to Terry.

Day 19 : Sunday

Rest day in Le Puy

Day 20 : Monday 02.5

Le Puy to Monbonnet

Took it easy today. Feet were starting to swell, but found a great ointment made from bee venom. It's working well. Did 13.5kms. In 20days I've done 400kms, so far so good: we're on schedule!

See Postcard

Day 21 : Tuesday 03.5

Monbonnet to Saugues

25kms of ups and downs. A full day, but the feet are doing well. Talked to the webmaster. Had my emails read to me. Prayer is good.

Day 22 : Wednesday 04.5 - Saugues to St Alban

See Postcard

Day 23 : Thursday 05.5 - St Alban to Quatre Chemins

See Postcard

Day 26 : Saturday 07.5 - Aubiac to Estaing

See Postcard

Day 27 : Sunday 08.5 - Estaing

Day off

See Postcard

Day 28 : Monday 09.5 - Estaing to Conques

See Postcard

Day 29 : Tuesday 10.5 - Conques

Day of rest

See Postcard

Day 30: Wednesday 11.5  - Conques to Décazeville

See Postcard

The pilgrimmage contines in the 'second month' page.