Avancon to Chalons

A 70km ride which I managed easily in three 90 min stints taking long breaks in between to lie in the sun and read. Someone told me that this was the hottest day of the year so far. I have fallen into the habit of stopping in village churches, and if they are open, saying morning prayer there. This morning I sheltered from a short shower in the porch of a church. And in the afternoon I stopped again in church grounds to rest.

I was staying tonight with Aude's cousin Thibault and his wife, Beatrice, and their five children who live in a large rambling town house with an extensive rambling garden. The children showed my all the chickens in the back garden, and every fruit tree, and I was to sample fruit from each, which they climbed to bring down to me. 

Chalons isn't in the Rough Guide despite having a UNESCO World Heritage site in the church of Notre Dame. I managed to get to a 6:30pm Mass there, though I admit to sitting through the communion rite, as my legs were feeling a bit wobbly.

En route to Chalons I had passed through what Jane Austin would call a garrison town, a kilometre of barracks on either side of the road, as well as an extensive military zone,a nd various military personnel. This is the heart of military France and Thibault is a military man who commutes to Paris daily. They were gracious hosts, we ate well, and I slept extremely well.

The city parish is now run by three priests of the Community of St Martin. Beatrice was meeting one of them in the morning, so I accompanied her to get my passport stamped. As it turned out all three priests, soutane-clad appeared at the door, and I wondered what they thought of this scruff of an english priest. I got my passport stamped and headed off.