Day 18 / Cravant - Vézelay / 30.69 km

I wake up at 2 o’clock at night. My toe is still wining of his lost toenail.Get a life. I address some tape and take an ibuprofen. My toenail get’s high. I, asleep. Maybe it is the other way around.

5 hours later. The alarm goes. I take a shower, which is splendid for a 30 € room. Make breakfeast from the bread and cheese  leftover from my dinner yesterday and chocolate Herman(n) gave me which he brought on his bike from Germany. I pack. The sun is shining.

Initially I wanted to take some departementales (smaller French roads connecting villages). As It is only 30 km to Vézelay and the weather will be dry I decide to follow the GR/Compostella route. Before I start I go to bakery (which - I overhear- will close definitely next weekend) and have a coffee at the bar-tabac. 

I start running. Today is great. I run through fields, along a river an through forrest’s. Yesterday was already great. Today is even better, matching my romantic image of how it would be. Today the pictures can tell the story.

After some 20 kilometres I get a first glimpse of Vézelay where one of the most known pilgrim routes starts to Compostella.  Vézelay has a Benedictus abbey and related Basilique. For me,it is after Reims, my second milestone.

Although the route is quite hilly it’s a lot of fun.Today is the first day my walkingpoles bring some benefit. It’s difficult not to think about the thousands of people who have walked this path before. The path doesn’t only. looks  old, it feels old ; boulders are worn out, the path seems to be polished into the forests and fields.

Vézelay is closeby. I dive into a last valley before the final climb Vézelay starts, which is build on a hill. From the redd cross it is steep climb of 3 km into Vézelay.

I arrive before the Basilique. I was expecting some crowd but the square is empty. The sun shines and altough a cold north-eastern wind, which I had mostly in my back today, is blowing in my face I’m happy. 18 day’s and 603 kilometers away from home. I briefly visit the Basilique which is grand but sober.No other people are around.

I go to the hotel I booked. Walking to the hotel I pass a mix of closed tourist shops, galleries and restaurants. Waiting for the pilgrimage season to begin in a couple of weeks. I ask 2 restaurants which I find open if they sever dinner. They do. No empty stomach this evening. The hotel I booked is called Compostelle. Appropriate. I check-in. Drink a Leffe which I find a deserved. Do my laundry. Shower.

Later in the afternoon I get a stamp into my credential from the sisters of Jerusalem (they seem a long way from home). Walk around the ramparts. Take some pictures. No people around to applaud me. I enter the tourist shops managed by the Sisters of Jeruzalem. 2 sisters are labelling pricetags on the products they sell preparing,I assume, for the season to begin.

Every day at 7 o’clock the monks of the abbey hold a service. It seems that the singing is beautiful. I’m deliberating if I will attend the service. Not sure if I want to attend a concert, I should attend a religious service. Maybe I’m to principal and just should go to the concert. 

Today was a superb day. The best I had thus far ! The weather and and the path were just as I had imagined/hoped for. Tomorrow the predicted weather will be even better : all day sun, with temperatures around 10º, and a path that will bring me to Varzy some 38 km further. 

The rest of the week no rain is predicted. Based upon my positive experience the last 2 day’s I decide to follow the Compostela path as much as possible and avoid departemental “shortcuts”. I have another 4 day’s to reach Bourges where I will meet Bart, a friend from Gent. Looking forward to meet up. Looking forward to my second pair of running shoes he is bringing with him. Another 120 k and my current shoes will be at the end of their tether. Wussies.

Lessons learned today :

- Toes only hurt after the running.

- Vézelay white wine is recommended 

- One can have a perfect breakfeast with old bread, German chocolate, and sweaty cheese.

- Crosses are everywhere and every taste : Wood, iron, stone, black, yellow, grey, red,latex (kidding),....

- I could eat 10 coquelletes. A demi coquellete sounds impressive. Trust me it is not.

- Not all restaurant owners have used their own cutlery. Othewise they would repalce it immediately.

Song of  the day : Lonely Girl - Daniel Norgren

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