Domecy-sur-Cure, France

May 3, Saturday

It’s been an interesting day.  We left Vézelay at 7:30 am, walked down the hill and took a side path to St. Père. The path descended through open fields, with views back toward Vézelay the revealed the whole village and its escarpment. One thing did not go right this morning was that the sole ATM machine for miles around, was not working.  

Our Capital One account limits us to $300 per day, which does not last long if we are staying in places where we need to pay cash, which will be the case for the next four nights!

I spied a spire that appeared to be growing out of a field. Was it some kind of triangular piece of farm equipment?

No, it was the spire of the historic church of St. Pere (named on the basis of local pronunciation of St. Pierre. 

 We walked to the church, found it would not be open until 9, another, 45 minutes. I could tell from my online map (Organic Maps) that there might be a bar and hotel on the main road a short walk away. Then an elderly woman in a red car pulled up,rolled down her window, and motioned did we want to eat?  We said “oui,” and she pointed in the direction we were walking. Sure enough we found a bar and hotel, but no signs of the Vival (small grocery/convienne type store) that should have been there, too. The bar had orange juice in a bottle, not the hand-squeezed kind you get in Spain, but we were happy to have it. There were a lot of women with big backpacks there, too, but we would never see any of them again.

After back-tracking to see the church, then returning to the main road again  and crossing the River Cure, we veered off onto a small track that led us along the river, then up and down across open fields. We’d had a few drops of rain earlier, but now the sun came out and it was hot.  It seemed like a long way before we spied some buildings, and at last came to a road.  And there at an intersection sat Alain, whom we’d first met at the Bercy train station in Paris, and again yesterday at mid-day in Vézelay. He had not continued to Bazoches that day, but stopped, perhaps at St. Pere. 

Less than an hour later we encountered him again at another intersection.  A fancy restaurant was nearby, but not yet open. We had not filled our hydration packs and our water bottles were getting low.  Then we encountered two very fit-looking women we’d shared our dorm with and sat across from at breakfast, they were walking toward us, looking for the path. Alain had disappeared down an unlikely looking track that went steeply down. Kent and I decided that was the way, but the two women continued back the way we’d come, not convinced. We never saw them again.

The track began to climb, sometimes steeply and muddily,  through deep woods. Kent spied Alain ahead, and at one point a runner zipped past, making me jump in surprise.  Finally we came out of the woods onto a gravel road lined with brilliant flowers. And there was Alain, who looks about our age, taking a break.  I snapped his picture among the yellow flowers in his yellow t-shirt.

Then we came to a magnificent chateau, that also was a gite and campground. But we had reservations with Mme. Chantal Perriot. We had her address but were uncertain which branch of an intersection to take. We asked a man standing in his doorway who informed us Mme. Perriot was expecting two Americans. He also invited us in to refill our water. 

We didn’t know quite what to expect at this lodging, but we have a little cottage to ourselves with kitchen and bath surrounded by roses and wisteria and with sheep next door. Chantal Perriot has been delightful, bring us delicious fresh bread and cheese, leaving us withheld microwave dinners fresh strawberries, apples and pears and cheese, and a fridge stocked with beer and coke because we told her we have no food.

We’re quite comfortable here, and with her help have a place for tomorrow night.  She’ll give us breakfast and sandwiches for lunch because there will be nothing for 12 km and our next lodging at L’Esprit du Chemin.

The distance was supposed have been 11 km today but my phone apps say we have walked between 8 and 10 miles. We were tired enough by 1 pm to not want to go any farther.

Tomorrow we may have rain and cooler temperatures, but we’ve added a liter of water to our hydration packs to be sure we don’t run out again.

Until tomorrow.