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• day 05
• Friday, 31 August 2018
• Thérouanne to Gauchin-Légal
•   84 km to yesterday
•   35 km today
• 119 km on Via Francigena to date

The first major destination after Calais is Arras.  I expect to have a rest day (stay two nights) here and the roads taken are with that in mind.

The community operated hostel has all mod cons, including a very well set up kitchen.  So, for the first time this journey, I cook porridge using the rolled oats brought from home.

Everything washed and put away I restart on the D341.  This is a straight line for most of the day, with a few kinks here and there.  Over todays distance, I start about 40 metres above sea level (m asl) and end about 100 m asl with a few ups and downs along the route.  The country is gently rolling agriculture land.  Like the trips across France and Spain in 2016 and 2017, no animals observed here.

The first kink is after about 90 minutes.  And a bakery is in full view.  Even at 09h customers are driving here (there are no villages close by) to get bread for the day.  I have a small item and carry on.  A few minutes later the cyclists from the night before pass by.  They are from the Po Valley in Italy and are returning home.

There are many villages and towns along the D341.  Looking ahead, if something looks interesting in the near distance I will consider a small diversion.  Usually this will be a church steeple or bell tower pushing above the surrounding one or two storied houses and shops. I find churches can be a good bell-weather for how the community takes care (takes pride) in itself.  As everywhere, the churches are locked when I pass by.  But the way the grounds and building exteriors are looked after tends to suggest that I will see the same in the other buildings.

And this is what happens along this stretch today.

I don't remember a lunch break but am fascinated by the signposts point east, towards towns and cities that I encountered in my younger boyhood (and more recently) reading related to both world wars.  Places such as Saint-Omer, Hazebrouck and Bethune.  Other signposts might have a town or village ending in -hem.  I make a mental note to check, when home, if this ending is the same as -ham in England.  For example, Twickenham (just west of London, where son Alastair and co live and some rugby gets played), Dagenham (east London and one time site of a very large Ford cars factory) and West Ham United Football Club, to name a few.  A glossary of geography term says, in southern England, ham refers to a small settlement.  I get the impression that hem has much the same meaning in France.  But, to my eyes and ears, it doesn't seem of French origin but may be an indicator of the movement of cultures, language and people over the centuries.  I leave any enquiry to you, the readers.  Please let me know what you find.

During a brief, late, stop for a bite, I look ahead for somewhere to stay tonight.  A campsite at Rebreveuve-Ranchicourt appeals as it is almost beside the D341.  I arrive about 16h to find they have closed camping for the season (schools restarted late last month), they are closing for the day and I can buy an ice-cream.  I don't want to back track.  They suggest I carry on about 5 km to Gauchin-Légal, where there is a good restaurant.

And so it happens.  A woman in her late 20's is effectively running this family restaurant and speaks English, takes charge of my few needs including suggesting, as I have a tent, camping behind the church across the road.  I sit in the relative warmth until sundown, when I pitch my tent and retire ofr the night.

And so to bed.