Beautiful hike. Mostely on small unpaved paths through forests. The route passes a few villages. It has three ascents and descents, but they’re not really strenuous.
Our stage today starts from Ancy-Dornot. The first few hundred meters are the same as the last part of yesterday. At the T-junction where we pick up the GR5 again, it takes a while to find the right path. Yesterday we came from the right, there is a cross on the left and we just came from the road behind us. After some searching, there appears to be a tiny path between two houses. We soon leave the village by this little road, walking between fields to a forest edge higher up. It is still early, but the sun is already shining vigorously, so it is nice to walk into the cool woods. After walking for a bit through the forest, the landscape becomes more open and the forests are increasingly interspersed with rolling grassland. The grass is freshly cut and the first bales of hay are already drying in the sun. The smell of spring…
After about 7 to 8 kilometers, we start looking for a place to take a break, but it takes almost 2 kilometers before we find a bench. You can sit in the grass anywhere, but after the experiences of previous days we prefer benches, since almost every time we have had or seen ticks running over our clothes. After almost 10 kilometers, we come across a bench near a small lake, which does lend itself very well to enjoying the chaussons aux pommes (French version of an apple puff pastry and our favorite treat for walking). Across the lake, a stork is preying on a fish. Here in France, the storks can stand undisturbed on the water’s edge and don’t have to deliver little ones to families. Nope, here in France everyone knows that little boys are born in cabbage fields and girls among the rose bushes. A whole lot more plausible…
We let the stork enjoy his peace and continue walking through the French countryside. We walk mostly through forests and make a stop at a beautiful lavoir along the way. Towards the end of the hike, we descend back into the Moselle Valley and walk to the train station in Pagny-sur-Moselle. From there we take the train again to our city campsite in Metz. What a contrast to the quiet of the countryside, but this certainly has its charms as well.
