Monday 18th April. The first two weeks!

A cold but clear and frosty morning in Serancourt les Grandes, 

as we said Goodbye to our little comfy abode, and we strode across the hills and fields, the sun soon being high in the sky...

again across the battlefields of The Somme, imagining the horrors of those people in the Great War - long flat panoramas with no shade, or anywhere to hide!! 

Soon we were following a railway line for several kilometres,

before we came upon Canal de St Quentin..

and followed it all the way in to our days destination Ternier

we searched all around, every hotel we tried had... Closed down, until ultimately we decided to catch a train to the next town Laon, to continue from there... Although we still had to wait out the afternoon in the station... Wasted time; although, just before we left in came the two Australians Sandy and Peter..... I'd last seen in Canterbury !! 
- they did have a hotel place... But not until 630 pm... We left Tergnier in a hurry !! 

Arriving in Laon, we quickly found our Hotel, washed and changed and went up to the Abbey, perched in the old town up above.... What a great sight! and with great views across the plains below.. 

Inside the very impressive Cathedral of Notre Dame, and wonderful stained glass windows

 
























Their 'door of mercy' was situated inside the church, very effectively focussing visitors eyes on the Blessed Sacrament altar:

I couldn't resist gazing in awe at the colours of the Windows, really mesmerising!!

 


















Then it was back to the town for food and bed!! 

I've now done 14 days walking, averaging almost 24 kms a day, and walking over 35,000 steps a day!!
 
Hope I can keep going... 

Thanks for everyone's prayers and messages... I think of you all every day !!