Dieppe to Geneva walk 2023: DAY 23 - ST-AMAND-SUR-FION to RÉVIGNY-SUR-ORNAIN (Tuesday 9 May)

We had a long walk in the rain today.

A long walk in the rain

The day started inauspiciously. We knew we had a long way to go, with very limited options to buy supplies on the way, so we had been counting on the local bakery at St-Amand-sur-Fion to furnish us with the day's bread and healthy fruit. Alas! When we got to the bakery we discovered it closed for the day due to a fermeture exceptionnelle. For those not familiar with French, that is when bakery owners discover that a couple of Australian walkers will be passing through the area and are quite keen on sampling their goods, and decide to close their shop until the walkers have moved on.

The bakery at St-Amand-sur-Fion was closed this morning, exceptionally

Fortunately the local supermarket was open, so we were able to purchase some supplies there to see us through the day.

We had our breakfast at the covered market in St-Amand-sur-Fion before heading out for the day's walk.

We were soon up and walking. The rain had set in - it didn't stop all day - so there weren't as many photo stops as usual, and we kept up a brisk pace all day.

There was still plenty to see along the way.

Our route took us along quiet roads for most of the day.

We enjoyed the different scenery, and our umbrellas kept us mostly dry.

We came across this old mill on the way

We passed through a succession of small villages: Bassuet, Heiltz-l'Èvêque, Jussécourt-Minécourt, Heiltz-le-Maurupt, and Villers-le-Sec. They were all attractive in their own way, although offering little to detain the passing long-distance walker.

There is a bakery at Heiltz-le-Maurupt, but is is currently closed for holidays.

The bar in Villers-le-Sec would have provided a welcome pause along the route, but it was closed.

Stylish street lamps adorned the villages on our route today

Constant rain brought out reflections on the village streets

A scenic stroll

Walking in and between the villages

There was not much shelter on offer, but we found a covered area in Jussécourt-Minécourt that served as our morning tea rest area, and provided welcome respite from the continuous rain.

Shelter on a rainy day.

One more kilometre done

We entered a new Département near the end of the day

Approaching Révigny-sur-Ornain

We eventually made it to the Révigny-sur-Ornain, where we are staying the night. As it is a larger town, there are more facilities than in the smaller villages, and we were able to pick up some healthy fruit on the way in.