Routes from Scotland ?

[alan.jamieson]

Hi I'm Alan and I have just tasted the Camino in France, I thought by chance , but I met people and experienced feelings which took me by surprise. I feel I have a journey to do before it is to late to become a whole person again. I would like to walk from were I live in Scotland to the ferry from here to Zeebruge in Belgium. Any advice on a good route from Belgium down across France ?
Thanks to all.

 

[ksam]

Hmmmm...Alan meet Gareth...Gareth...meet Alan... LOL....there are a few sarcastic folk out here (oh wait...no that would just be me!) Seriously, check out Gareth Thomas blog..he started in Worchester...and is doing it all on foot to Santiago...someone who while currently on the road, has left some excellent notes in the forum and a fantastic blog, with the best pictures and recommendations! Welcome, enjoy, write!!
(Here let me see if I can add his link... http://whizz-kidz-pilgrim.blogspot.com there that should work when actually post this!)

We leave tomorrow evening...I'm so excited I could puke! I have my pack, fully loaded, sitting next to me in my cubicle...to be weighed again in our shipping dept. at work!! What a sight...walking in here in heels, skirt & jacket...the usual female office stuff, and a full pack over my shoulder!! For once they get to see, the REAL me!!

Alan, wishing you all the best in your planning! Besides Gareth there are a lot of really experienced people here who will share whatever they have to answer and help you!

Buen Camino
Karin
http://ksam-caminoportuguese.blogspot.com

 

[sillydoll]

Hi Alan,
Brave guy!! Your best bet would be to contact the CSJ group in Belgium:
http://www.compostelagenootschap.be/

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hi Alan

I think our friend Dael from Fife has also done this route - the ferry is from Rosyth to Belgium I think? - anyway have a search through his postings. If you want Ill contact him to see if he has any further info and try and put you two intouch with each other.

Slainte

John

 

[Dael]

Hi all,
I am up to my eyes in D.I.Y at the moment. I will dig out my journal and pop off a P.M. tomorrow re our cycling route from St. Andrews tae Paris and onward.
Dael

 

[alan.jamieson]

Thanks for all the replies ! That looks like tonights research ready to start, I feel more positive already, great to feel your not alone, even if being a pilgrim is , I assume , a minority quirk these days.

Alan

 

[brendan nolan]

Hi Alan and welcome to the Forum
What you are aiming for is perfectly feaseable. In 2005 I set out from home, Tynemouth, got the ferry to Amsterdam and walked south to Le Puy to pick up the GR65. I think Zeebruge is further west than Amsterdam so Le Puy wouldn't suit, but the Vezelay route is now marked all the way. Difficulty is that there are few gites d'etapes as you go through Belgium and northern France and not a lot on the Vezelay route. I didn't take a tent and so tended to walk on fairly major routes so as to hit the towns that appeared big enough to have a B+B - didn't always get it right.
Buen Camino,

Brendan

 

[alan.jamieson]

Hi Brendan

Thanks for the information, did you go east of Paris to get to Le puy and is there an obvious route this way ?

Thanks

Alan

 

[Peter Robins]

you'll have to do it this year, Alan, as the ferry co has just announced they're closing down the service in September
http://www.aferry.to/news/viewpost.asp? ... 00&Lang=UK

 

[alan.jamieson]

Thanks for the information Peter, I hadn't heard that, that's a blow I was hoping to go next spring,well I shall just have to walk down to Newcastle or Hull instead if no one takes over the route.
Alan

 

[Bridget and Peter]

Hi Alan

I've just picked up on your question. Last year we cycled through Belguim and Northern France to Reims (we're going from there to Vezelay later this year). We used canal and river towpaths all the way from Bruges through Gent, Tournai, Mons, Charleroi, to Namur where we turned south along the Meuse. Useful info at http://www.gamber.net/cyclebel/

We also had brilliant guides to the RAVeL network which also is based on the waterways - I emailed the Wallonia tourist office and they sent them to me free. See http://met.wallonie.be/opencms/opencms/fr/ravel/

From Namur we also had a French GR 654route guide which will take us all the way to Vezelay. As its a walking route we haven't been following it too closely, but it does have a useful list of accomodation including some specifically for pilgrims (eg Abbeye de Leffe where the brothers no longer make the lager but they still have plenty to offer pilgrims -a cup of tea was less easy to supply!)Also detailed maps. I think the following is the book we have although the cover is different
http://www.stanfords.co.uk/stock/gr654- ... ay-142563/


I think for walking you would still find the 'chemins de halage' good. (We learnt a lot of french canal terms!) There are villages and small towns along them. One of our best nights was in a gite a la ferme in a small town, Pont a Celles. We arrived too late on a Saturday afternoon for the tourist information in the town hall to be open, but once we were brave enough to approach the locals sitting outside the bar and ask in school french for their help, we had lots of help to find somewhere for the night.


Do get in touch if you want further information or discussion. We really enjoyed our journey and can't wait to get back on the road this September. We crossed Harwich - Hook because we live in East Anglia, having cycled to Harwich on a previous weekend.

best wishes

Bridget and Peter

 

[alan.jamieson]

Hi Bridget & Peter

Thanks for the information, the canal tow paths sound a great idea, I live right beside the canal here in Linlithgow, it would be home from home !
Another evening checking out the websites !

thanks

Alan

 

[Peter Robins]

that's a blow I was hoping to go next spring,well I shall just have to walk down to Newcastle or Hull instead if no one takes over the route

NorfolkLine have just announced they're taking over the route next spring, 3 sailings a week.
http://www.aferry.to/news/viewpost.asp? ... 34&Lang=UK
You'll have to hope it's not like their Dover-Dunkirk route, as there's no foot-passengers on that.

 

[alan.jamieson]

thanks for the ferry information Peter, I shall keep an eye on their web site.