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.
Notes from today’s walk:
The first twenty kilometers flashed by. We were in the zone; our strides came naturally as we climbed steep slopes to farmscapes animated with monumentally-scaled tractors moving to and fro across their fields. We lunched under a lone tree along the roadside before attacking the last ten kilometres. Brienne-le-Château appeared suddenly and gloriously with the appearance of the substantially-proportioned Château, which dominates the city’s landscape no matter where you stand. We arrived mid-afternoon, which left enough time to take in the Napoleon Museum, located in the former military school where its namesake world leader-in-the-making got his early education. All that was left was a solid evening meal before retiring to our down-to-earth hotel for a good night’s sleep before attempting tomorrow’s equally long walk.
Walk Date: Sep 23, 2022
Distance: 30.3 km
Elevation Gain: 471 m
Read on to view today’s photos, a soundscape captured along the route and an interactive map.
Click the images below to view a full-screen slideshow.
Today’s route.
Overview map of the route from Tergnier to Besançon.
We are really enjoying your footsteps / journey. The photos are remarkable and really tell us something about your daily encounters. Great to see the map and see and hear what you are eating along the way.
Thanks B & M. The trip is going well and we are certainly eating all the calories spent while walking.