DAY 238 - LONGWY TO DAMVILLERS: 25.9 MILES (51,800 STEPS)

17 December, 2011

25.9 miles (Total: 2362.5 miles) –51,800 (Total: 5,070,001 steps)

It was time to leave the Residence in Luxembourg and it was a wrench; a bit like choosing to go back out into the freezing cold and driving rain when settled in front of a roaring fire, with good friends and watching a great movie. The plus side was that Alice, George and ‘Dido’ decided to give me a lift down to Longwy and then, taking pity on me, took my rucksack on to Damvillers where I was staying that night—it was a fantastic final gesture by fantastic hosts and it turned out to be absolutely critical.

Pete and I had spent the previous evening searching for accommodation midway between Longwy and Verdun and we could find none. The only place was in a place called Damvillers, which was well over half way, around 45km. I concluded that was my only option, but thought that I might be able to navigate a route which was nearer 35km by going via St. Laurent-sur-Othain. Ever the optimist I set off and as is often the case when I get moving and on the road, I was glad to be clocking up miles again.

My first target point was Longuyon, which I had thought was about 15km, but in fact was 21km—this was my first clue that the great short-cut was not going to in fact be much of a short cut at all. I decided to try and find somewhere in to eat and get some shelter from the rain, but the only place open was a betting shop where they clearly had not heard of the EU  ‘smoking ban’—I didn’t last long and was out on the road again, without having had any food, and heading for St Laurent.  I approached as it was getting dark and the rain stopped and a glorious evening sunset appeared as I looked beyond St Laurent and towards the battlefields of Verdun. I paused near a memorial with a wind-worn crucifix that seemed to capture the mood of these killing fields of 1916, in which over 500,000 young men lost their lives.

In St Laurent I sought some directions—in the square a large number of cars were arriving and well dressed people getting out and milling around. It turned out to be a sixtieth wedding anniversary and I talked with some of the younger members of the family who spoke good English. They advised me that it was just too far to get to Damvillers and that I should seek out somewhere to stay and they offered to speak with some fellow family members who might be willing to put me up—it was very kind, but my rucksack was at Hotel Croix Blance on Rue Carnot, Damvillers, the room had been paid for and they were expecting me. I decided to walk on, even though by this time it was dark and there was another 14 km to go.

What I should have thought more of was that the last 10 km of the walk from Merles was to be through a dense forest. It was pitch black in the forest, freezing cold and without my head ‘power torch’ I wouldn’t have been able to see one foot in front of the other. As well as been pitch black it was also eerily quiet so that I could hear every flutter or rustle of leaves and then my mind would imagine wildly what was causing it. I would then imaging that I was actually on the wrong path and would strain my eyes for any sign of lights in the distance indicating a road or a town. I decided that I would produce my second high-powered torch and hold it so that it would look to anyone or anything that there were two of us. Still there is nothing like been a little scared to up the walking pace and I pounded the path at an almost running pace. It was at this point, around 35km into the day’s walk, that I realised that had I been carrying my 15 kilo rucksack as well, I simply would not have been able to make it. Once again I gave thanks for Alice and George, but would have been even happier to have had ‘Dido’ straining at the leash to keep me company on that final stretch.

I arrived into Damvillers as exhausted as I could recall after any day—the 41km had been a very hard 41k. I arrived at the hotel and received a very warm welcome. The restaurant was closed, but the hosts said they would make me a hot meal upstairs and provided a hot shower. I sat and ate my meal and reflected on another close run thing, but satisfied in the knowledge that although it had been a tough day today, there was going to be a slightly easier day tomorrow as the signs indicated that it was only 25km to Verdun. Overnight snow was to bring a fresh set of challenges, but tomorrow was another day and I gave thanks for arriving safely to a warm and welcoming place on this one.