Le chemin est un succession de paysages qui ravissent chaque jour les yeux mais aussi tous les sens. A tous les paysages entraperçus le long du chemin s'ajoute l'autre paysage, plus grand, plus beau, ce paysage intérieur que l'activité quotidienne finit parfois pour effacer.
- Michèle ed Alain, pilgrims from Soissons, near Laon
Today's short 14-kilometre walk was planned to bring me into Laon before noon, so I would have plenty of time to spend exploring the town.
In the morning my host family turned out en masse to say goodbye to the first paying guest in the new studio apartment next to their home. I was sorry to leave their little studio, it was so comfortable! But the road beckoned and so I left behind the pleasant village of Cessières and returned to the path through the forest to Laon. It had rained quite hard during the night, and the path was a succession of mud puddles, with intervals of wet grass.
A German war cemetery was set in a clearing in the woods, a lovely quiet spot.
I left the forest and walked along quiet roads through the fields to the outskirts of Laon. The city is divided in two: the upper medieval town and the modern suburbs below. I came into town through the lower part, then turned and climbed 265 steps to the old city above, coming out close to the cathedral.
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| Coming into Laon |
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| Laon cathedral visible at the top of the hill |
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| 265 steps - just what you need at the end of a stage! |
Finally, a building older than 1918! Laon cathedral was constructed between 1150 and 1180, with some modifications in the 14th century and reinforcement in the 19th century, permitting installation of its grand pipe organ. Which was playing, the second time I visited the cathedral: a wedding had just finished, the guests thronged the square in front of the church, and the organist had stayed behind to get in some practice. I sat and listened for some time. The immense early Gothic cathedral is divided into two parts, so visitors can mill about the lower end of the nave even while services are taking place at the front end, by the altar. This spring Saturday was a busy one: I witnessed two weddings and a christening as I kept passing by the cathedral all afternoon.
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| St. Martin's |
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| Former convent, now the city library |
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| Vintage graffiti |
My accommodations were only just around the corner from the cathedral, in the former prior's home, now converted into holiday rental flats with an attic apartment made available to pilgrims on a donation basis.
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| The courtyard |
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| The attic |
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| A whole attic apartment to myself! |
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| Mysteries of French plumbing, part two |
Today's accommodations: Le Refuge des Cordeliers (pilgrim apartment in the attic)
Cessières - Laon 14 km
Great news about the new accommodation en route on that section to Laon. I recall we had to catch a train to help cover part of the 40kms that day.
ReplyDeleteWhat a welcome stop for future pilgrims to have.
Loving your daily recaps.
Yvonne
Yvonne
Yes, I figured there must be a way to shorten the 40 km day! And there was... I found it just by looking at Google Maps for places along the trail!
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