The gite where I was staying fronted onto the street, and my dormitory was at the front of the house, with the result that I was woken early by the traffic. I was up well before the other inhabitants of the gite. My plan was not to have breakfast at the gite, but to use the boulangerie down the street, so I quickly got myself organised and was on my way. The others were still not stirring when I quietly slipped out the door.
There is something special about the smell of freshly baked produce in a French boulangerie early in the morning. I bought some croissants and pain-au-chocolat. I had bought some milk in the supermarket the evening before, and a short way down the trail, I found a bench where I could have a leisurely breakfast and watch the world go by.
Then it was time to get going in earnest. With my need for carbohydrate satisfied, I was soon out in the countryside while the sun was still not far above the horizon. The way was level, and it looked like a good day ahead.
After leaving Therouanne on the D341, the trail turns off to the left a little out of town. It when follows almost a straight line along country lanes going south-eastwards. There is a point, a few kilometres into the route, where the trail goes around three sides of a rectangle, and I had wondered why. The fourth side of that rectangle is occupied by a quarry, so it made sense to follow the trail on its way around. It didn’t take long before I came to the village of Liettres.
Liettres has an association with the game of cricket. A plaque in the village states that although the game is considered quintessentially British, the word cricket comes from the French word Croquet, and therefore there must be a French connection. The plaque also cites historical records of an argument during a game of cricket in the village in 1478 to document their association with the game. In 1998, the French national cricket team played a game of cricket against a team from Kent to celebrate the local association with the game, and the path now known as Cricket Avenue was inaugurated. I didn’t know that there was a French national cricket team.
The trail went on through Les Vieux Corons to the village of Ligny, with its little parish church. And from there it was only a very short distance to Auchy-au-Bois. I didn’t stop, but went straight through the village, still heading south-eastwards. That soon brought me to Amettes. I had been hoping to find a bar or café in Amettes, but as with so many of the villages that I went through, there was none. However, it does have an interesting church, the Eglise Saint-Sulpice, which was open, and afforded a short rest among its pews.
The next village after Amettes is Ferfay. Leaving Amettes, the route initially follows a small road, before taking to a track that is known as “The Path of the Dead”. For centuries Ferfay had no churchof its own, and this track was used to bring the dead for funeral services and burial in Amettes. Coming into Ferfay, I noticed that this situation has changed to the point that it now has two churches, so it can handle funerals within Ferfay itself, but the name of the track perpetuates the memory.
In Ferfay, I almost missed the turn to take me out of the village. I went through fields and into the Bois de Saint-Pierre until I came to the place to turn right and go to the village of Auchel. Auchel is a substantial village, with bars, cafes, and a couple of pizza outlets. Most were closed when I got there, but one in the main square was open, and I enjoyed a beer before going on.
My accommodation was booked a short distance away in Cauchy-la-Tour. The two villages are right next to each other, so it really was a short distance. I had booked only the room, with no meals, so that evening, I went back into Auchel to get dinner. The people in the café were an amiable crowd. I was obviously a stranger in town, and some of the locals struck up a conversation, asking me where I was from and where I was going. As I explained my quest, I was in all cases given the response “Bon Courage”. Perhaps in my doing walks like this, I am realising the unrealised dreams or ambitions of others. The meal itself was a good one, and thus with restored, I went back to my accommodation for the night.
That accommodation was interesting in its own way. The room was fitted out in a retro style with motoring memorabilia. Even the toilet roll holder was fashioned from a spanner! It was also very comfortable, and I slept well.
Walkingman 