Sunday 08 May 2022 I leave for my pilgrimage to Santiago. At 12.45 pm I say goodbye to grandma Magda who, in addition to the time she gives to the grandchildren, will also continue to work on the practical sides of the trip and on setting up the website together with Peter and Tim. Floris will provide news on Instagram. Floris and Tim accompany me on the first part of my journey. At 1 pm on the Naamse Steenweg we say goodbye to Mientje and Motje. Tim and Floky were supposed to cycle 10 km, but then decide to join them as far as Namur.
I want to cycle as quickly as possible on the Via Monastica, a road that runs from Tienen , Hoegaarden to the Maas and then further along the Maas over Givet and Revin to Rocroi. We enjoy the part of the Ravel (RéseauAutostrades Vélo) that starts from Hoegaarden and runs on the old bed of a disused railway line. The Via monastica connects to the via Campaniensis which runs from Rocroi to Vézelay. From there, the Via Lemovicenis to St Jean de Pied de Port begins. On the way my supper is already eaten and drunk by the three of us.
Opi together with Floky en Tim, via de RAVEL op the wway to Namur, waved goodbye by Moses
In Namur Floky and Tim travel back by bike on the train. A friendly Dutchman who lives in Namur cycles a bit and takes us to the front of the station via the shortest route. After the departure of Tim and Floky I cycle alone along the beautiful Meuse at sunset to Godinne where Magda has reserved a room in the Mas du Mont on top of the Mont de Godinne, a slope of 17°. The electric Riese Muller bicycle (maintained by Fietslab Leuven, who also sponsors the tour) is doing fine. The sweet boss Joffrey of the B&B immediately proposes to offer me a light supper of bread, cheese, ham, homemade (delicious) mayo with a locally brewed beer from a friend of his. Lovely and warm and nice welcome. He tells his story of the old farm that he converted. After a life as a caterer, he now only makes sandwiches for Godinne's CHU and keeps the B&B open with three nice rooms. I tell him why I am going to Santiago for Rinus and what the purpose of the fund is. Once again it is getting a bit too much and I have to apologize for my sadness that does not diminish after ten months .
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