This “Walking The Via Francigena” series of posts follow us, David and Gail, as we continue our walk along the Via Francigena pilgrimage route between Canterbury and Rome. In the fall of 2019, we completed the first leg from London to Canterbury, known as the Chaucer Way, and onward to the small town of Tergnier, France on the Via Francigena. A pandemic got in the way but now, in 2022, our trek is underway once again, this time taking us from Tergnier to Besançon over 23 walking days and 580 or so kilometres.
We arrive early and step out of the Gare du Nord in a city already bustling with traffic. It smells big city smells. Brasseries and bistros fill the air with aromas of strong coffee and omelettes. Paris in the morning. We cross the street for breakfast at Brasserie Terminus Nord. We shop Aldi for a small kitchen knife and La belle-iloise for a few tins of artisan sardines, essential staples for trailside lunches to come. We wander aimlessly around the 9th Arrondissement, discover small market streets and mount Sacré-Coeur before returning late afternoon to the Hôtel Whistler. We tidy ourselves as best we can for two backpacking gypsies and head for the Gare de Lyon and its famous Le Train Bleu restaurant. It’s our anniversary and we crave some Belle-Epoque splendour.
Paris next morning. It is a day for wandering. No museums. Just drifting about for the day. We walk through the market stalls at Les Halles and around the ruined Notre Dame. We drop by bistros for coffees. There’s La Rotunde and Le Dôme Café in Montparnasse, favourite haunts of photographers André Kertész and Brassai and author Henry Miller, all dirt poor but soaking up the creative energy of 1920s Paris.
And we return that evening to Gare du Nord where we board our train to Laon. Tomorrow The Walk begins in earnest.
Read on to view photos and a soundscape.

Click the images below to view a full-screen slideshow.





















































Bon Voyage Gail and David!
Thanks Jon. Same to you and Janet on your upcoming trip.
Wow, I’m amazed your eye can manage to see so much in a day, or days, whatever … how long it took, yes Gloria is right, the one with gail leaning against the glass railing is striking …
Thanks Neal. Paris is such a great walking city with so musca for the senses to take in.
I suppose each of us who is following your blog will cotton to particular photos. These are my first pics from among this amazing array of photos, Day One:
A perfectly relaxed and girlish Gail at the fountain, in a lounge chair
David also captures himself in the mirror, while snapping a photo of Gail
A Ukrainian restaurant!!
Gail, girlish again (!!!), in her hat, leaning against the glass railing
Gail and the pigeons
A greyhound, or at least a hound that resembles beloved Styxx!!!
Will Sacha Baron Cohen stride out, as he did in the movie “Hugo”!!!?
Thank you for sharing your anniversary with us!! Congratulations!!
Gloria
Thanks Gloria. Gail is sure it is a greyhound and was adamant that the picture be on the blog post.