Breakfast in the bar of the hotel d’or is at 7am so we are off before 8. We recross the river Aube with it’s wide open sluices. We later find further evidence of why the rivers are so full. Across a few fields and we rise up once again like bubbles into Champagne country. There are several champagne producers en route but it is too early even if they were open. We are not very high and soon descend again to more mundane crops and then up into the woods on the hill between the valley of the Aube river and it’s tributary the Aujon. These are pleasantly cool but a little damp and full of butterflies. We spot whites a small intensely blue butterfly, Tortoiseshells and Red and white Admirals plus quite a few Small pearl bordered frittilaries. We climb to around 330m possibly the highest we have been since entering France.
When we descend again it is 1pm and time for lunch. An orchard is being mown at the side of the path and we are welcomed to sit and eat lunch by the mower driver. Who also points out that there are storm clouds gathering. We have only 6-7 km left and although there’s a smattering of rain we escape a drowning and stagger after 30km to the mill on the stream in Orgues that makes silk flowers that was organised by Betsy and the lady in the Tourist office in Bar Sur Aube (pronounced Barsurode to Betsy’s confusion). The place is deserted but after a phone call Monsieur arrives and arranged to hand us on to another lodging who take pilgrims occasionally. His wife is away. We would not like his cooking. A very French excuse we feel.
We dutifully trot down the road back into the village. Madame appears from a window and comes and welcomes us, she seems a bit flustered and put out. Eventually all is explained. She had about 10mins notice the part of the farm for pilgrims is work in progress And they were flooded out a few weeks earlier in storms which caused the innocent looking stream just 10m away to burst it’s banks. They are still drying out. There is nowhere else and beds are upstairs. Monsieur the farmer arrives we suspect all was arranged by Monsieur at the mill whose wife is away and the farmer with little discussion with madame. Either way she had 5mins notice of our arrival! All is smoothed out and we are grateful for showers and a washing line in the remaining sun of the day. The whole area it appears is slowly drying out.
Tomorrow may be a bit easier.