After several refreshing beers the night before in a buzzy local bar (karaoke night…flashbacks to the YS Lounge (Badonviller) and the French murdering 80’s classics) we happily revelled in a lazier start to the day, in sharp contrast to the rush to get going 24 hrs prior. Breakfast was booked for at 0830, and despite our enthusiastic smiles of thanks to our host, we are both now officially sick of croissants…
The efficient heating provided the opportunity to wash and dry all our walking kit, which after 7 days could probably have walked to Ypres on its own. Merino wool definitely fares better than synthetic fabrics in the anti-stink department, yet we defy even nature’s finest to remain fresh after so many days on the road. After 600km the Altra boots are starting to look rather worse for wear and we are now praying to the Gods that they last the distance, but have a roll of black masking tape waiting in the wings in case of dire emergency.
Having completed all our admin, we took a gentle stroll around Soisson, which is a rather attractive town, and were delighted to see a bustling farmers market at last, full of locals shopping in the warm spring sunshine. Taking our responsibilities to remain well-hydrated seriously, we refreshed ourselves with a small yet typically strong Belgian beer in a small bar opposite a Commonwealth War Graves monument commemorating 3987 officers and men of the British Expeditionary Force, who died in the 1914 Battle of the Marne and the subsequent advance to Soissons and sadly have no known graves.
Not wanting to eat (or drink) late in the day we opted to have a main meal at lunchtime at a busy brasserie called Le Clovis, spending several relaxing hours enjoying a couple of champagne cocktails and bottle of pink fizz to celebrate Isla’s 25th Wedding Anniversary earlier in the week.
What remained of the afternoon was spent catching up on the blog, watching a couple of episodes of Ted Lasso and generally unwinding in preparation for the ‘Big Push’ to Ypres over the coming ten days.
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