When travelling on foot, it is amazing to meet so many interesting people, all with their own unique stories. Thus far, we seem to have been particularly fortunate. From Chantal, the owner of a La Haie Cerf, a small B&B in Watronville, who spoke no English and was recovering from a broken hip yet insisted on waiting on us hand and foot, to Karina and Patrick, owners of 8 Gites in Ban de Sapt, who provided us with an excellent home cooked supper and were keen to talk late into the evening. Delphine, the receptionist at the Hotel Madeline, treated us as if we were the only guests in the hotel and Lena and Jan, Dutch owners of Arara, provided delicious food and great company. And of course, Hans, the genial, garrulous owner of Hotel Fantastique, in Berzieux. (Please note that Jonathan can’t pronounce French place names so has lapsed into squaddie speak: Berzieux is now Busby).
Leaving Busby, after a great night at the Hotel Fantastique, we headed west in glorious sunshine across the rolling fertile countryside of the Champagne region. Since leaving Lorraine and Verdun, the change in the landscape has been quite marked. The villages seem better cared for and the farms more affluent with acres of arable cropland. We have also started to notice the welcome arrival of spring, with the trees beginning to bud and everywhere looking greener after the long winter months.
After a quick, 15 km march to St-Jean-sur-Tourbe along excellent farm tracks we came across the first of 2 Military Cemeteries, the second at Somme-Suippes, 5 km further west. Some 7000 French soldiers are buried in these quiet and well-maintained corners of France. Most were killed during the 2nd Battle of Champagne in September 1915, where over 138,000 French and Germans were killed or wounded. The French 2nd and 4th Armies attacked along an approximately 20 km front, with the 4th Army in the west making the most gains, advancing 3-4km beyond their original positions. In the east the 2nd Army attacked La Main de Massiges, and while they managed to secure a foothold on the ridge the Germans quickly counterattacked. The French buried their dead in campaign cemeteries near to where they fell, and the bodies were later exhumed after the war and reburied in cemeteries like those at St-John-sur-Tourbe and Somme Suippes.
Having talked all the way to Suippes, we arrived in good spirits just after 3 pm hoping to take a taxi to Bussy le Chateau (aka Pussy Galore) where we had booked our accommodation for the night. This would save us an 8.5 km walk off the WFW route along a busy road. Could we find a taxi? NON! However, whilst in the local Pharmacy buying more Compeed and Nurofen, a very kind shop assistant offered to phone and arrange one for us, and when she too had no luck, she drove us to Bussy le Chateau herself, refusing to take payment. We have met some truly kind people over the past two weeks, retaining our faith in humanity…
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