April 27, 2019
I’ve had spotty internet access, so I’m trying to get posts up soon!
The lodging in Doingt was comfortable, but when Laurence, the hostess, learned I was leaving before she planned to serve breakfast in the morning, she came in while I was sleeping and left me breakfast. The intention was really lovely, but it was mildly unsettling to learn someone had entered my space while I was unconscious. I chalked it up to cultural differences and gratefully ate the raisin pastries and banana.
I originally planned this route months ago with a stop in Villequier-Aumont but about 2 weeks before I left the US I was notified that my lodging had permanently closed. It threw a wrench in my plans, for sure. Many pilgrims don’t know where they’re staying until the day they walk and then they look for lodging when they stop. For safety reasons (and to appease my own anxiety) I really didn’t want to do the trip that way. Overall I’ve certainly been better off for planning in advance. However, this is one example of how the advance planning can make the trip trickier to navigate. I had to stick to a general schedule because I had reservations in places on certain days.
I had found a place to stay in Chauny (a village a little bit past Villequier-Aumont), but it meant a very long day. When I booked it weeks ago it wasn’t a big deal, it was a daunting schedule.
I left at 6am to get a good start because it was raining.
The rain started to lighten up a bit, so I took advantage and tried to snap some pics.
I arrived hungry and sore in Ham. I stopped and ate a ham sandwhich because the thought of eating ham in Ham amused me (hey, it’s the little things, right?).
The sun came out for a bit and I was grateful.
About 40 minutes later a downpour started. I didn’t want to risk getting my phone wet, so I marched on and checked myself into Chauny at 8pm.
Canterbury to Rome 