April 16, 2019
After a day of rest and lots of muscle creams, I’m only ‘normal’ sore (like after a hard workout) which is completely manageable. Woo hoo!
I was up at 6 and saw the sun rise! I got some rest, but I’m still running on a lot of excitement.
It’s my first time as a foot passenger on the Channel Ferry because I’ve always just driven on. In my research I’d heard all sorts of horror stories about the way foot passengers get treated at P & O, but I think, like most online reviews, 15% reflect genuine experiences and the other 85% are entitled people who have unreasonable expectations or foolish people who didn’t listen to the rules/procedures/regulations and were penalized for not being prepared. My experience was great.
I was one of 12 foot passengers and a bus picked us up and took us through passport control and then dropped us off at the ferry. The ship we were riding was called The Spirit of France.
Because I got a discounted rate for having a non-flexible ticket time, I went ahead and upgraded to the club lounge (and was still under my pilgrim budget by 8 pounds!). I was hoping that being more comfortable might fend off seasickness. About 20 minutes into the voyage Aaron, the porter in the lounge, handed me a glass of champagne. 🙂
I’m not sure if it cured the seasickness or if I *was* seasick and just didn’t care, but it was the most pleasant channel crossing I’ve ever had. I’m assuming the early pilgrims didn’t have champagne on their trips to France, but I quickly assuaged the guilt by reminding myself of two things: 1) they didn’t have GPS, either, and I’m using that constantly, and 2) this trip is not supposed to be about replicating the authentic travel experiences from 900AD. 🙂
Calais is a buzzing port town. I walked off the ferry and had a bit of confusion as to which direction the town center was, and as I went to pull my phone out to check, I saw this marker on the ground!
(the GR145 is a French hiking route that overlaps much of the Via Francigena route)
It’s hard to put into words the surreal feeling I get when I spot a marker right when I need some reassurance. It’s especially strong when it’s a sly little bugger like that one wedged in the sidewalk or this one below, just sitting there on a major electrical pole by a busy road. It’s like I’m being given a little wink from pilgrims who have gone before me, saying, “Hey, no worries! You’re doing great.” It makes me feel cared for in a cheesily cosmic way.
I had some time before I could check in to my lodging so I went and got my stamp, and then stopped at a friterie for lunch in the park. Mon français n’est pas très bon, but I’m determined to try to speak as much as I can because it’s the best way to get better at it. I was able to get my stamp and order lunch, and check in to my lodging 100% in French (thanks in large part to the generosity and patience of my interlocutors).
After checking in, I called M and then ventured out to explore for the afternoon. My phone died as I was out because though it was plugged into the charger all morning I hadn’t pressed the button to activate it, so I only have one picture from this afternoon (and it’s crooked because it was at that very moment I noticed the phone was on 2% power), but I also saw the Rodin sculpture and the Eglise Notre-Dame in addition to the watch tower.
I guess it’s worth acknowledging for the record that yesterday was the day the Notre Dame in Paris caught fire. It’s emotionally charged and everyone here is obviously talking about it. I find the public performance of mourning on the internet that’s increased over the the last 10 years to be a somewhat troubling genre, one which I have many mixed feelings about. So, I won’t say much more here, except that like many people, I had a very intimate experience of the cathedral when I visited, and it’s an obviously sacred and historically significant building that is profoundly important to many people. I’m glad no one was severely hurt (except for the injury of the firefighter).
I’m back in the room getting some work done and double checking my route for tomorrow. It will be another 20 mile day tomorrow from Calais to the village Guînes and then Guînes to Licques, where I will stay at the house of a woman named Delphine. I’m really looking forward to getting back to walking the path. These light days helped my shocked muscles to heal, but I already miss roaming the country. 🙂 It’s supposed to rain off and on tomorrow, so I’m looking forward to seeing how that changes the experience.
Tomorrow—Licques bound!
Canterbury to Rome 