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:
This was the rainiest of the last three rainy days. Morning was particularly damp and cold, requiring gloves and our fashion conscious bright blue (and waterproof) fishing mitts. Add a grey plastic rain skirt and we were quite the eyebrow-raising pair. Which may explain that, when we came across a rare open restaurant at lunch time, we found ourselves being seated out of sight of “regular” customers in the back, back corner of the dining room. Not that we cared. We were happy just to have a warm place to sit and be served a good three-course menu. Our destination this day was Langres, a fortified hilltop city, where we will hold up for two nights, tomorrow being one of our zero days. And, far from being stuck in the corner, our lodging is the fairly luxurious bed and breakfast, Le Belvédère des Remparts. Dinner at the nearby restaurant, L’Aromatic, focused on an exotic burger, smoked under a bell jar and revealed in all its aromatic splendor at our table. After three long days of soggy walking, it is time for some pampering!
Walk Date: Sep 29, 2022
Distance: 28.0 km
Elevation Gain: 594 m
Read on to view today’s photos 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.
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