I slept in a bit longer this morning, but I still got up around 7 am. I took a cold shower and was immediately wide awake. After that, I went to a nearby bakery that had delicious petits pains au chocolat. I have instant coffee and milk with me, and in the fridge at the centre paroissial was a bottle of fresh fruit juice. A wonderful breakfast. Then I had a brief meeting with the young priest Erwan, who put a beautiful stamp on my Credencial. He didn't want me to pay after all his forgetfulness. Furthermore, they still work with the donativo system, which means that every pilgrim puts some money in a box in the room according to their financial ability. He wanted to give everything for free because he wanted to support the Rinus-Pini Fund. Still, I put some money in his donativo box. The day before, he had given money to the SDF Inesse, and he certainly uses every gift very well.
My room in the parish center, located next to the collégiale church, N.D.-en-Vaux
Then I took an hour to visit the old center of Châlons-en-Champagne. First, the Gothic collégiale church of Notre Dame, right next to the centre paroissial. A collégiale church means that there was/is a chapter of clergy who provided the services in the church and also took care of the poor and needy.
This church is a magnificent example of early Gothic architecture, with galleries on the side aisles. There is no beautiful decoration on the exterior, and the tympanums and capitals all feature floral or plant motifs. These are meant to evoke the heavenly paradise or the heavenly Jerusalem for the faithful.
Inside, there are beautiful stained glass windows, including a rose window on the west side with a diameter of 5 meters. Some of the stained glass windows in the choir date from the 12th and 13th centuries. They are all made of small pieces of colored glass and tell stories from the Old and New Testaments in miniature. The stained glass windows at the back sides depict the life story of Saint James of Compostela on the left and right, and one large stained glass window tells the story of the Battle of Clavijo. In this battle, the saint appeared to give victory to the Christian armies over the Moors or Muslims during the Reconquista of Spain. The Reconquista of Spain lasted from the 9th century to the end of the 15th century. The last part that was conquered was Granada. The stained glass windows date from the 14th and 16th centuries, and they can be recognized by the large figures depicted in the clothing of the time. This way, one can beautifully study the evolution of clothing.
Stained glass windows and interior of N.D.-en Vaux
After visiting the N.D. church, I also went to the St. Etienne Cathedral, which was still closed. Less impressive. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Gothic west front was replaced by a Baroque and Classicist facade. An impressive wall that doesn't quite match the rest of the church. After those two visits, I prepared my bike, and around half-past ten, I set off towards Troyes.
I followed Google Maps nicely, which takes you through fields with beautiful landscapes that stretch across the entire horizon, but as a result, I progressed slowly. I also saw Laotian seasonal workers working in the field - descendants of Laotians who came to France after Laos gained independence. Everywhere, there was plenty of wildlife, such as rabbits and deer, and an incredible number of birds. The fields are all harvested because this is part of the French grain belt around Paris. The winter grain is already sown. In this part, there are no vineyards like around Châlons-en-Champagne, which used to be less chicly called Châlons-sur-Saône.
Châlons-en-Champagne. Cathedral St.-Etienne. Laotian seasonal workers
At noon, I decided, with the help of Magda, to simply follow the N 677 in the afternoon to save some time. It was relatively busy, but thanks to this decision, I arrived at 4:15 pm in St Parres-aux-Tertres, a small village next to Troyes, where I had booked a room with the Oblate Sisters of St. Francis de Sales. The two remaining sisters work in the parish and have converted their former convent into a B&B with seven rooms; super cozy and clean and incredibly friendly. All the food is either homegrown or comes from friends, and that's also the case for their jams. Two pleasant sisters who give concrete shape to their pastoral and religious duties.
St. Parres-aux-Tertres. My room in the convent. One of the oblate sisters. My breakfast
My third day is over, and I'm going to bed early because tomorrow is another 120 km ride to Vézelay, where I'll sleep next to the Basilica of St. Mary Magdalene. From four o'clock, you can get a bed there in a large dormitory for 18 men or women, but if you're too late, you can't sleep there. So tomorrow, I'll get up early and ride hard. I'm already looking forward to seeing the beautiful Pentecost tympanum on the west side of the narthex again.
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