Need some Good Advice!

[scruffy1]

Planning my way for next April, I have the right guide books, the right maps, Randonnee, and Google Earth isonly a button push away, got down the road and planned all the way to La Charité-sur-Loire wow! a whole whopping 70 odd kilometers what a marvelous achievement only some 1000 and change more to do then...Yok! Its "You take the High Road and I'll Take the Low Road" time-Bourges or Nevers! Only trouble I"m walking alone! True they meet up again 150k +- later but which way to take? I need yhou kind people to convince me, Bourges has the nicest scenery, the nicest gites, the best food and wine or Nevers has the most fantastic Romanesque churches, the nicest people, the best food and wine, the most picturesque villages. A real dilema, which way to take??!?
The Scruffy One Scratching his head in Jerusalem

 

[FatmaG]

Hello Scruffy,
I cannot really tell you which way to take (I only arrived at Vézelay and went not yet further on)...
But: the representative from the French Association was formal: the southern road is the more beautiful one, he said.

I know a blog (in French) describing how to mix both ways to take the most beautiful from each:
http://www.radiocamino.net/itineraire/apres-vezelay-par-le-nord-ou-par-le-sud

Regards, (and tell us which one you chose)

FatmaG

 

[scruffy1]

Thanks Fatma, the blog has answered some things I was turning over in my head -St-Etienne in Nevers was indeed calling me to come visit and Biurges is a beautiful place as well, so will try and combine as the blog recommends. Bon Marche!
S

 

[jdpiguet]

Hello Scruffy,

I walked the Vézelay route via Bourges in 2007.
I really enjoy it, first because it's France's country side, so even if I met only a few pilgrims, I had a lot of conversation with local people.
It's really a peaceful journey: there is a lot of roads, but they are small country roads with very low traffic.

On the North route, there is 2 high points: Charité-sur-Loire and Bourges, both beautiful to visit.
The overall journey goes through very different landscapes: forest, small hills, big (at least for me...) wheat fields, along small rivers, ...

It's nice place to walk trough.

Bonne route, Jacques-D.

 

[Metropolly]

Planning my way for next April, I have the right guide books, the right maps, Randonnee, and Google Earth isonly a button push away, got down the road and planned all the way to La Charité-sur-Loire wow! a whole whopping 70 odd kilometers what a marvelous achievement only some 1000 and change more to do then...Yok! Its "You take the High Road and I'll Take the Low Road" time-Bourges or Nevers! Only trouble I"m walking alone! True they meet up again 150k +- later but which way to take? I need yhou kind people to convince me, Bourges has the nicest scenery, the nicest gites, the best food and wine or Nevers has the most fantastic Romanesque churches, the nicest people, the best food and wine, the most picturesque villages. A real dilema, which way to take??!?
The Scruffy One Scratching his head in Jerusalem

Hello Scruffy!
I hope you are still planning to walk from Vezelay in April. I walked via Nevers last year, and found the going very beautiful, particularly on the first day. One stop I will always treasure was an unscheduled stay at the chateau at Sarzay. It's not a 'budget' option, with chambre d'hote at around 50 euro, but it is an experience to treasure. If you don't stay, I think the chateau may be open to visitors during the day anyway. The gite at Bouzais is another really lovely memory for me, though that might be due to the extremely lovely responsable who was on duty that day. I'm not sure if this is always the case but, when I walked it, the Nevers route was the quieter one - that's why I chose it! All the other pilgrims were keen to save a few km so chose the Bourges route.

 

[scruffy1]

Thanks Metropolly-I had come to the Nevers route decision on my own but really appreciate your recommendations for lodging, already marked in my guide-I leave in two months and the excitement is building!
S

 

[AJ]

Hello Scruffy!
All the other pilgrims were keen to save a few km so chose the Bourges route.

All? Bourges cathedral is a pretty good reason to choose this route.

 

[scruffy1]

Truly spoken, however, some of us are truly moved by the Romanesque and left overwhelmed and even cold by the Gothic. Still, Bourges should not be missed, will walk to Nevers, do a day trip by train to Bourges, returning to Nevers to continue. La Charite is closer but the train connection is serpentine and long, easier from Nevers.

 

[Metropolly]

All? Bourges cathedral is a pretty good reason to choose this route.

Haha! Sorry AJ, you are right - those who choose the Bourges route undoubtedly do so for reasons other than saving their feet - though many of those I met had walked from Holland, and by the time they got to Vezelay they were desperate to find shortcuts and avoid any steep paths! Anyway my point is that there are pros and cons to both routes, and one probably cannot make a wrong choice

 

[AJ]

some of us are truly moved by the Romanesque and left overwhelmed and even cold by the Gothic.

Don't care for the flashy modern stuff eh?

 

[Metropolly]

Thanks Metropolly-I had come to the Nevers route decision on my own but really appreciate your recommendations for lodging, already marked in my guide-I leave in two months and the excitement is building!
S

One more recommendation if I may, Scruffy. If you feel ready to drop at the point where the north route meets the south route in Gargilesse, I urge you to consider staying at the lovely Haut Verger with the incredibly welcoming Angela and Willem. It's the least formal chambre d'hote I've ever stayed at, in a woozily, extravagently oversized house overlooking the lush valley. Here is their website http://www.lehautverger.nl/. There is a lot to love about Gargilesse, not least the solid lunch in the restaurant George Sand. On the subject of lunch and restaurants in general, as a lover of wine, may I suggest you stick to ordering by the bottle or half-bottle, as the standard of vin de table has dropped through the floor in recent years (or maybe I've got fussier?) - except in the George Sand, where the house white was like nectar! I realise this is an un-pilgrimlike concern, but I for one felt markedly less spiritual when faced day after day with little pitchers of stuff that tasted like stale battery acid!

 

[AJ]

If I recall correctly Gargilesse has one of the best gites on the whole route. Key from the tourist office or Mairie

 

[scruffy1]

George Sand already in my notes, the gite is there now! Thanks again

 

[scruffy1]

Don't care for the flashy modern stuff eh?

You have, alas, discovered my secret! I am not of the Christian persusion and have come to walk the Camino five times now from my love of history and architecture. The splendid experience, the camaraderie, the personal spirituality of the Camino keeps bringing me back. We will not agree on things artistic-Gothic will work but don't get me started on say Baroque or even worse the Neo-Classical-I truly don't care for the flashy modern stuff.

 

[Metropolly]

George Sand already in my notes, the gite is there now! Thanks again

The gite I'm sure is wonderful, I only mention the CH in case you wish to make a two-night stopover in Gargilesse, as I was forced to do for reasons beyond my control! By the way, are you starting in Vezelay? As you are such a fan of the great wines, if you have a little more time you could always begin back in Reims. There's a well-marked path and guidebooks are available in the cathedral there. Then you could enjoy the Champagne region as a kind of aperitif, before the big guns of Burgundy! It is a wonderful route for many reasons, not all of them grape-based

 

[scruffy1]

I will be leaving Jerusalem April 6 for Paris, train schedules force a night in Paris then on to Auxerre on Monday hopefully in Vezelay Monday late or early Tuesday. So very difficult to decide! Are you familiar with Abbye de Loirlac closeby Saint-Armand-Montrond?

 

[FatmaG]

As you are such a fan of the great wines, if you have a little more time you could always begin back in Reims. There's a well-marked path and guidebooks are available in the cathedral there. Then you could enjoy the Champagne region as a kind of aperitif, before the big guns of Burgundy! It is a wonderful route for many reasons, not all of them grape-based

Indeed, I walked this one - first through those lovely Champagne vineyards (Reims, Epernay…), then cities like Chablis, Auxerre, Irancy with definitely most delicious wine.
Nice cities, beautiful (but perhaps not spectacular) landscapes…
You could perhaps start in Auxerre, follow the GR 654 to Vézelay, it was just a two days walk.

Whatever decision: enjoy!
(and tell us afterwards)

PS I walked till Reims on the GR654, from Reims to Troyes I was following the description of the Jacobean association, and from Troyes, went to Brienne-le-Chateau to follow the GR 654 again.

 

[scruffy1]

Fatma you have read my mind! The train to Sermizelles goes through Auxerre and I cannot and will not admire the cathedral from a train window. Less then two months to go!

 

[mspath]

Will you be walking from Auxerre to Vezelay? A nice route to follow is
Auxerre, Cravant, Mailly-le-Chateau, Chatel-Censoir to Vezelay. In late autumn 2008 I walked from our farm located on the Marne over the hills to Vezelay. Although I intended to continue on to SJPdP and Spain my knees did not !
http://allmycaminos.blogspot.fr/2013/07/fourtest.html
MM

 

[scruffy1]

Will you be walking from Auxerre to Vezelay? A nice route to follow is
Auxerre, Cravant, Mailly-le-Chateau, Chatel-Censoir to Vezelay. In late autumn 2008 I walked from our farm located on the Marne over the hills to Vezelay. Although I intended to continue on to SJPdP and Spain my knees did not !
MM

Thanks Margaret-a very good idea, better than Sermizelles by far. I only have six weeks to walk so Santiago is not the last stop this time another two days here or there don't matter and this is a very good option. Thanks

 

[Metropolly]

I will be leaving Jerusalem April 6 for Paris, train schedules force a night in Paris then on to Auxerre on Monday hopefully in Vezelay Monday late or early Tuesday. So very difficult to decide! Are you familiar with Abbye de Loirlac closeby Saint-Armand-Montrond?

I'm afraid I'm not familiar with that particular abbaye. Are you thinking of staying there for a night? Some of my loveliest times on the camino were staying at the lovely abbayes and attending vepres etc. I think you're going to love this trip. I'm just writing up that portion of my camino, and the notes are all 'another 12th-century church' and 'brought back from the 7th crusade'

 

[FatmaG]

Auxerre, Cravant, Mailly-le-Chateau, Chatel-Censoir to Vezelay

Hi Margaret,
which way did you follow?
The one from the Jacobean association or did you follow your own intuition?
Regards,
FatmaG

 

[mspath]

Hi Margaret,
which way did you follow?
The one from the Jacobean association or did you follow your own intuition?
Regards,
FatmaG

Hi Fatima,

I simply climbed the hill behind our farmhouse and started walking south! In 2008 I was unaware of the Jacobean association info. Following some small roads and eventual marked paths I generally stayed in chambres d'hotes.

During the cold, foggy 26k slog to Laroche Migennes I bought a welcome goody at a small boulangerie and ate happily while sitting on a public bench, too lazy to remove my pack. When I continued walking a car of Gendarmes stopped and checked my papers!! Rural France just can't be too careful about old ladies out hiking alone late in November! These police were rather stunned that I was aiming for Vezelay; I didn't dare mention I then intended to continue to Spain and Santiago! ...This journey to Vezelay is described in my blog AllMyCaminos.

Ultreia,

Margaret