Category: Uncategorized
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Day 51: Pontarlier to Jougne (25 km) Every Cloud has a Silver Lining.
Margaret, are you grievingOver Goldengrove unleaving?Leaves, like the things of man, youWith your fresh thoughts care for, can you?Ah! as the heart grows olderIt will come to such sights colderBy and by, nor spare a sigh Gerard Manley Hopkins – Spring and Fall The Hotel F1 in Pontarlier, partially redeemed…
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Day 52: Jougne to Orbe (20 km) Sewing the Seeds of Wanderlust and Living to Tell the Tale.
O’er the hills and o’er the main Through Flanders, Portugal and Spain. King George commands and we obey Over the hills and far away. English 17th century folk song adapted by John Tams I was in reflective mood as I headed out of Jougne, past the chapel dedicated to St…
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Day 53: Orbe to Cossonay (28 km) Follow your dreams, they know the way.
From the window or the door. I shall set forth for somewhere, I shall make the reckless choiceSome day when they are in voice And tossing so as to scare The white clouds over them on. I shall have less to say, But I shall be gone. Robert Frost – The Sound of the Trees I…
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Day 54: Cossonay to Lausanne (28 km) The Thousand League Journey – The Full Monty.
The journey of a thousand leagues begins with a single step. Lao-tzu When I originally planned the ‘Raise the Roof’ charity walk from Winterbourne Stoke to Rome, I’d hoped to complete the walk in one go, starting in early June and finishing in late September. Covid put paid to those…
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Day 55: Lausanne to Villeneuve (36 km) All about Pierre and Patrick.
The important thing in life is not to triumph but to compete. Baron Pierre de Coubertin – founder of the Olympic Movement Today was an epic day! Fantastic scenery around the shores of Lake Geneva, a blog post all nicely worked out and then a radical reworking of my planned…
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Day 56: Villeneuve to Saint Maurice (30 km) Will This Do?
If you asked me now who I am, the only answer I could give with any certainty would be my name. For the rest: my loves, my hates, down even to my deepest desires, I can no longer say whether these emotions are my own, or stolen from those I…
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Day 57: Saint Maurice to Sembrancher (30 km) From ‘La Via Dolorosa’ to ‘Walking on Sunshine’.
Don’t leave me this wayI can’t surviveI can’t stay aliveWithout your love, no baby Don’t Leave Me This Way – song by The Communards (Album – La Via Dolorosa) I’ve always had an eclectic love of music which ranges from Gregorian chant, classical, jazz and English folk music to Ska…
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Day 58: Sembrancher to Bourg-Saint-Pierre (20 km) As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning
How clear, how lovely bright,How beautiful to sightThose beams of morning play;How heaven laughs out with gleeWhere, like a bird set free,Up from the eastern seaSoars the delightful day. A.E.Housman – How clear, how lovely bright. When I got up this morning I was still undecided on how far I…
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Final reflections on my walk
I will weep when you are weeping;when you laugh I’ll laugh with you;I will share your joy and sorrow,till we’ve seen this journey through. Hymn – The Servant Song (Brother, Let Me Be Your Servant) I must confess that I’ve become slightly addicted to blogging. In fact one of the…
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Providence and a Pilgrim’s Harvest Welcome Home
It’s amazing don’t you know?He visits in the place of a loved one,That sadly had to go.He comes to show they miss you,Just as you do them,And they too, long for that day,That you shall meet again.They’re by your side forever more,And that will remain so,So they send a little…
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Pilgrim Encounters – The Kindness of Strangers
Pilgrimage had shown me what was radical about the wandering life, as on the road all tokens of status were left behind. Guy Stagg – The Crossway One of the huge pleasures of going on a pilgrimage is the opportunity it gives you to meet people whose paths you wouldn’t…
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Time to ‘Get Serious’ about Sigeric, 10th century Renaissance Man.
“They have sent me to you, the hardy sea-men—they bid you be informed that you must quickly sendrings in exchange for protection, and it would be betterfor you to buy off with tribute this storm of spears,otherwise we should deal in such a hard battle.” The Battle of Maldon –…
Pilgrim's Progress - Long Distance Walks in Europe and the UK 