On the Road to Calais
/Day 84 – Isbergues – Saint Omer
Did you ever have ‘one of those days’? Of course, you have. And today was definitely ‘one of those days’ for us. This was supposed to be a medium mile day … 13 miles. When David did the final path plot, however, it was actually closer to 14+ miles. Just a mile or so longer, but when you have the mindset for 13 miles, that extra mile or so can make you grumpy. It’s an extra 20-30 minutes of walking. We adjusted our expectations and headed out.
Evidently, Maps.me was not at the top of its game today or perhaps we can blame French cartographers, but roads that were supposed to be there, were not. Paths that should have continued along the canal, did not continue. We walked along the canal for most of the day. At one point, we needed to cross to the other side, but the stairs leading up and over the pedestrian bridge were gone. We walked an extra half mile to find a crossover point, then an extra mile back to the canal.
Tromping through the hayfield
At another point, the route showed KSO (Keep straight on), but there was no ‘straight on’. The path ended abruptly with a huge pile of gravel and heavy brambles and bush beyond. We spotted a small dirt road above us that ran parallel to the path and backtracked to access it. Maps.me showed it ended in about ¼ mile, but connected to another small road. The road did end in a quarter mile and we traipsed through shoulder-high grass, thistles and thorny bushes to find the non-existent connecting road, but rather a freshly mown hay field. We walked on stiff hay stubble which crunched under our feet, then came to a beet field. Yesterday’s heavy rains had left the fields muddy and wet and soon our shoes and pants were wearing a part of the field.
Beet fields were wet and muddy and hard to maneuver
The only positive thing about the field trek was watching two deer, a doe and a buck, frolicking in the distance, initially oblivious to our presence then wary of our approach.
Muddy, wet and tired, we finally spotted a farm road and made our way towards it. Unfortunately, it was fenced with heavy barbed wire with no gate in sight. We could see an industrial site across the field, but it, too, had a high, impassable gate. Frustrated, we backtracked through the beet field and the hay field to an overpass, but all access was fenced off. We backtracked once again and finally found a small farm road which dumped us into a village neighborhood, led us through an industrial park and finally to our hotel. At last!
“Sorry, we do not have a reservation for Lynn at this hotel!” Really? There were two Ibis hotels in this town and we chose the wrong one. The other hotel was only ½ mile away … up the hill. We finally got there, got checked in, cleaned up and had a beer. St. Omer looked to be an interesting town, but we were too tuckered out to explore.
By the way, if you happen to be the farmer whose beets we trampled, we have a significant amount of your dirt in our room which we’d be happy to return to you.
Day 84 – Isbergues – Saint Omer
17.46 miles walked / 40,599 steps
Leg distance: 17 miles / 4 walking days to Canterbury
Day 85 – Saint Omer – Tournehem-sur-le-Hem
We left St. Omer after a good breakfast at Ibis and right off the bat, the day portended to be better than the day before. The streets were quiet with few people stirring and no traffic. The buildings had a Flemish look to them.
Saint Omer was quiet and peaceful when we walked through early in the morning.
We passed through lots of villages during the course of the day, but nary a one had an open boulangerie or a cafe at which to stop. It was a shorter walk today, much appreciated after yesterday’s fiasco.
Recently, we’ve begun carrying a bottle of mint tea which we brew in our room and take with us in place of one of our water bottles and a bag of ‘gorp’ … in our case, crunchy granola cereal with whatever dried fruits and nuts we can find and, when they’re available, M&Ms. When we can’t find a place for a morning coffee, we stop wherever we can (sometimes on the steps of a church) and have a snack. It seems to work well and was especially appreciated this morning.
Bal Parc was across the street from our hotel.
We arrived in early afternoon at Hotel Bal which we discovered was across the street from Bal Parc, a small nature and amusement park aimed at the 2 to 12 year old set. The hotel itself was quite nice and very accommodating, but did not serve lunch.
Medieval portal into Tournehem. This same road was purportedly walked by Caesar and his legions on his way to invade England in 55BC.
We walked past all the amusements into the small town of Tournehem-sur-le-Hem and passed through a medieval portal used by pilgrims and travelers for centuries. This same a road was purportedly also used by Julius Caesar on his way to invade England in 55 BC.
We found Cafe de la Maire open and inviting.
David ordered a Croque Monsieur which sounds ever so much more elegant than the grilled ham and cheese sandwich that it is.
Back at the hotel, we took a nap and were awakened abruptly by the sound of heavy equipment just outside our window. Three combines were mowing and threshing the fields behind the hotel.
Dinner was at the hotel and I only mention it because David, ever adventurous, opted for a house specialty, potchevleesh, described on the menu as a combination of rabbit, pork and chicken. It’s evidently an acquired taste because it was a thick slice of a gelatinous ‘potted meat’ served cold with french fries and a small salad. I, on the other hand, ordered chicken and enjoyed my meal.
Potchevleesh … a Flemish specialty and definitely an acquired taste.
Day 85 – Saint Omer – Tournehem-sur-le-Hem
13.05 miles walked / 30,358 steps
Leg distance: 13 miles /3 walking days to Canterbury
Day 86 – Tournehem-sur-le-Hem – Calais
This is our last walking day in France and it’s bittersweet. We’ve enjoyed France ever so much and leaving also means we’re almost to the end of our adventure.
The sunrise was beautiful over the farmlands. At first, the terrain was hilly and huge, rolled hay bales dotted the freshly mown fields.
A rather large white rabbit appeared in the middle of our path. He was so still, we thought perhaps he was stuffed rather than a domestic escapee. It portended to be an Alice-Through-the-Looking-Glass kind of experience. The rabbit did not move as we approached. He held his ground and we thought for sure he’d finally bolt ... ‘late for a very important date’, but he just nibbled grass in a leisurely manner and let us pass without a nod. We reckoned he’d be fox fodder if he didn’t find his way home soon.
Red admiral butterfly along the canal
The terrain flattened out and we followed a small canal for miles. The resident coots, moorhens, ducks and grebes floated along, searching for a morning snack. Butterflies flitted from flower to flower. Every once in awhile we’d see a black headed gull … a sign we were nearing the sea and one step closer to Calais.
The Hotel Meurice did not have our room ready, but they stowed our packs for us. We celebrated our arrival with a late lunch and our last French feast of moules-frites … they’re just soooo good. We roamed the city for awhile, but a nap seemed more in keeping with our energy levels. We plan to spend a little time here before heading across the English Channel to Dover.
Day 86 – Tournehem – Calais
16.39 miles walked / 38,119 steps
Leg distance: 16 miles / 2 walking days to Canterbury
Yup, it’s almost over … only 2 walking days left. Next time, we’ll explore Calais a bit, then say goodbye to France and hello to the White Cliffs of Dover. Join us.