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09:07: Up at 08:15 and into the shower block. Washed. The water was very not warm so it was a perfunctory wash. A very monk-like experience. Prepping breakfast now, then I’ll break camp and head for the next destination. Looking back on yesterday’s walk, it was wonderful. 32km, no hardship, beautiful day, interesting and varied terrain.
09:38: Breakfast was delicious, with two scoops of chocolate powder and a good handful of walnuts and raisins. It’s too cold to add honey — it won’t pour in this temperature. It’s less than 5°C. Packing now. I’ll do some shopping in Charly-sur-Marne, then onwards to tonight’s AirBnB.
10:19: Heading for Charly-sur-Marne.
10:32 Exited Villiers-Saint-Denis.
10:34: Charly-sur-Marne town limit.
11:00: In the Netto supermarket. No chocolate powder or porridge — but Super U is just around the corner.
11:11: €4.04 for 500g couscous, deodorant and a new notebook. I also need to take time to check in with AirBnB hosts.
12:43: Shopping re-bagged and packed. Moving again. €1 in Super U for food for today and tonight and porridge and hot chocolate.
12:49: Beautiful cloudless day, no wind, not too hot.
13:06: Exiting Charly-sur-Marne. Still haven’t had lunch, though. I’m going to find a spot and drink a gallon of water.
13:08: A climb through vineyards on both sides of the road. Charly is a hub for champagne production and sales.
13:22: Up on the side of a hill. I decided to take a shortcut directly up the slope between the vines. I can follow the contour from here back to the road. I’ll have shaved off a kilometre of uphill slog. Right, time for lunch.
14:02: That was wonderful. An entire sesame seed baguette, buttered, with mackerel fillet in a very good olive and lemon dressing (which I mopped up entirely — most unusual for tinned fish) hidden among a giant bush of lamb’s leaf lettuce and a giant scallion. For dessert, the last two slices of rye bread — buttered of course — with honey drizzled on each mouthful at the leading edge. Now I’m packing up and washing up.
14:25: Moving again. It’s going to be a tough afternoon.2
15:34: Stopping for a rest and a drink of water. Just heard my first unambiguous cuckoo.
All the south-facing hillsides have vines. The north faces have other crops.
15:48: I’m following the Marne river. A village named Crogis.
16:03: Another named Mont Court.
16:08: Essômes sur Marne.
16:33: Château-Thierry.
16:55: Stopped for a break and a sup of water. The bridge (which I don’t cross) is in sight.
17:09 Château-Thierry ends and Brasles begins. I’ll probably skip taking the GR — it’s too awkward to find.
17:48: Up on the vineyard slopes following the wide river valley east. Beautiful views.
19:27: Down from the vines back on country town streets.
19:37: Chartèves.
20:25: I was a bit late checking Google Maps on my phone to find my host Bruno’s address, but I found his place in the end. He’s a real gentleman and his place is lovely. I may stay an extra night.
21:31: Just finished a very delicious and filling spinach and couscous meal. I boiled a half to three quarters of a litre of water and tossed in two stock cubes. Separately I fried a chopped shallot in butter, wilted a bag of spinach in it, threw three-quarters of the box of couscous into the stock and served!
21:50: I. am. wiped. out. I didn’t sleep that well in the campsite last night; the ground was hard, my pillow (a compacted bag of clothes) was hard and it was cold — but not as cold as the previous night in the ice caravan.
