Long stage over lots of asphalt. First 8 km along a main road with truck traffic. After that the roads get smaller, sometimes unpaved. Fortunately, the rout runs nicely through the French landscape. It passes some beautiful forests and nice villages. The last kilometer through Metz goes nicely through old parts of the city.
After a good night and a quick breakfast in the hotel room, we leave extra early, since we have a long hike ahead of us. We love walking in the morning. The peace that prevails and the coolness in the air makes walking very pleasant.
A little after 7 o’clock we hand in the key and leave the village along a main road. We keep following this road for another 8 kilometers. The hustle and bustle of commuter and truck traffic makes you have to be very careful on these big roads without sidewalks. Fortunately, the road runs beautifully through the French landscape and as the route progresses, the roads become smaller and smaller. Occasionally the route gets partially unpaved and runs into the forest. At the bottom of the woods we see beds full of flowering wild garlic and it really lives up to its name: the whole forest smells like garlic/onion. To make you hungry, if it wasn’t 9:30 in the morning. But it’s beautiful to see.
We have a good rhythm going and are walking briskly. Lots of asphalt is always a bit hard on the feet, but the trail is nowhere really difficult, so the miles go smoothly. About halfway through the hike we pass a small village where we can buy a bottle of drink in an even smaller supermarket, and a French cheese sandwich in the local boulangerie. We walk a few more kilometers to find a nice spot to enjoy our lunch. Behind an abandoned railroad line, we find a place in the shade.
After a good break we continue our route and the closer we get to Metz, the busier it gets. Several times we are addressed by passers-by, who ask us what we are doing. Often, they ask if we are walking the ‘Saint Jacques’, the French name for the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostella, which also passes here. The GR5 is clearly less known in this area. The French are surprised and show respect that we, the Dutch, cross their entire country to get to the Mediterranean Sea. These are nice conversations and slowly our poor French gets better and better.
After 34 kilometers we pass the place name sign of Metz; Yes! We have finally arrived in Metz on foot! But it takes another 2.5 kilometers before we reach the campsite. Those last kilometers seem soooo much longer than the first… But Metz turns out to be a beautiful city and we walk along old city walls, parks and the Moselle into the city center. Not far from the center is the Municipal campground situated, where we pitch our tent overlooking the river. It was a long, beautiful trip. Fortunately we can sleep in our own tent tonight, and give our feet some rest tomorrow…
