Thursday 5th May - Up in the Heavens!!

A really good nights sleep after a good meal last night (including snails in garlic!!) in my simple pilgrim accommodation:

 











I was soon packed, gone and down to the village Boulangerie for food for breakfast and later... 
I sat next to the now dry village fountain, and munched on my goodies

 












Then I was off, following my directions... And ending up immediately behind my accommodation - that's really stopping on route!!
 
Off through some green lanes and away from habitation

with a new variation on the signs I had to follow.. 

- as long as they keep me on track I'm not bothered!!
 
The track meandered around fields, on little used tracks, very pleasant -  just me and the birds of the sky to commune together.. (don't ask about Genevieve!?),

and by 10 am I was passing through Neuville le Champlitte, and a large 'lavoire' (wash house) well preserved in the village centre,

and even the quiet beautiful church was open!

 









I had a short breather, then continued meandering and watching the birds fly, cuckoos singing, even singing myself!! The trail stretched out before me,

 I had lunch in another silent village, before meandering in to Dampierre sur Salon - today's destination.. I wandered around the cemetery, to see imposing gravestones, along with a 'cheeky' one!!

I then went into the silent village centre -,it being Ascension day , and France celebrating it by ... Shutting down !! 
















I booked into the Hotel de La Tour, a very imposing part of a somewhat unusual glass faced building in the middle of an old French village with lots of older (and nicer) buildings

 









I had a lovely big room, with long reaching views into the countryside, and down on the village... Even nicer was the fact that they opened the restaurant specially for me (as a pilgrim) otherwise I would not have been able to eat tonight!! (and free breakfast...) I just need to remember them in prayer in Rome!! 

An early night, as I've a long distance tomorrow... 

A full month has passed since I started on 5th April... And I've now walked over 1 Million steps!!!