Epilogue

 

After two months finally the epilogue of my journey.

At the beginning I wondered if it would have been necessary to organize something for the process I wanted to go through. Soon enough I found out that everything just happened as it had to.

First the victory of starting to walk. After less than an hour the sole of my medieval shoe came off. I found out how to use the navigation on my phone without using data. And the things that happened in the past that I wanted to leave behind just came by (in my mind) in logical order, starting with the death of my father in 1997.

During the walk things happened that were symbolic to all the events in the past but also things to keep me safe on my journey. Like being stopped by the Gendarmerie kept me from hitch hiking on days without public transport. I really got angry on myself for not walking when there was no public transport. That was a good experience! I had to be milder for myself and I succeeded. Me crossing the Somme not being filmed or taken a picture is the most symbolic of them all, although… left out at the credits on the video diary of the Welsh (where ‘all’ the ‘walkers’ are mentioned) beats that one of course!

It’s all about accomplishing things, keep fighting for a cause and not been seen. I know what I’ve accomplished I’m proud of it and if people can’t see it that’s not my problem (anymore).

I came home with a cleansed mind and body, apart from a joggers heel (fasciitis plantaris). I’m relaxed. I’ve really closed the circle. I can make a nice new start with my new company. (www.therapieretraite.nl)

Now I know that I’ve missed adventure for too long. So I’m planning my next adventure. I might go for a walk along the western coast of Ireland and maybe camp in the wild, who knows…. suggestions are very welcome.

Thank you for traveling along and I will keep you posted on my future adventures.

coming up…

As soon as I got home I had to work of course. Every little bit of free time I use to work on our new company. So for the Epilogue you still have to wait. And for the update of the pictures and even a video of the last week.

It’s all coming up!

Nice link

Journalist Barney Spender posted a nice article on his personal blog.

Barney Spender, this band of brothers,.. and sisters

😉

The grand finale

October 25th 1415-2015

There was much of a do today.

The official ceremonies were about the gendarmerie. It is said that the first gendarme has fallen in the battle of Agincourt so there was a remembrance and there were people dressed as gendarmes of several periods in history.

Also a new monument is revealed, it’s a kind of tombstone for all who have fallen at Agincourt and were buried without a grave.

There were a lot of speeches of high officials and as far as I could hear they had all to do with Britain and France remembering together. For this purpose the Queen of England had sent Lord Camoys a direct descendant of the commander of Henry V’s right flanking division. I had the honor to get introduced to him and had a little chat about my journey.

The parade led us into the village again and there also a lot of national hymns playing, minutes of silence and all of that ceremonial rituals,….. and then… champagne!!! (and we still had our last bit to walk yay!!)

After a good bite in a French sandwich with pate de la campagne to get the alcohol tamed, we got ready for the last 1,5 km. We went up to the English memorial and there the group laid a bouquet of poppies for all who paid the ultimate sacrifice at Agincourt. As I’m not British and I will do my own rituals Monday I videoed their ceremony. After that, some of us started to do the last bit walking, others hopped on the van.

I had my medieval shoes on, hoping they would last for this little walk. Up to the French memorial in Agincourt, destination of this journey as it is next to (what they think is) the battlefield.

I’VE MADE IT!!!!

After the group hat their ceremony with poppies at the French memorial as well, the archers amongst us had some arrows loosed on the battlefield. On my way back to the village, my sole came of again which made me walk a silly walk (like a duck, having to pull my right leg high up to not trip over the half loose sole). Happy that it didn’t happen whilst walking the last bit I thought it was funny.

After a last T (dinner) together and a last gathering around the fire in the evening I went to bed in my caravan, it’s all done now,…. weird.

Anyone in for a walk??

24th of October Nuncq Hautecote to Maisoncelles

Special!

That’s the only proper word for it, a special day, a special walk, a special finish.

It’s the last real long distance walk, the very last part tomorrow is just 1,5 km for the show. Sandra has joined the group yesterday evening, so she is walking with us today. Also Helen, Ginny (these ladies I know from Herstmonceux!!) and Louis walked with us today.

I couldn’t help crying every now and then, it just happened without a specific reason. Mainly a kind of happy tears.

I picked some wild flowers and placed them in my headpiece. I had a poppy, a dead-nettle, chamomile and I found a beautiful pheasant’s feather.

It was a long walk but strangely it didn’t feel like that at all, apart from that last endless hill. I was fed up with these buggers so I wanted it to get it over with. I fastened my pass to the level that I even passed Pat and Rob! It was as a kind of last sprint. It took a while before I could breathe normally again. If I didn’t loose any weight during the whole walk, I must have lost at least a kilo on that hill!! haha.

When we arrived at the English memorial, the end of today’s walk, the group was so kind to let me go up there first, that felt good. I had a moment on my own to celebrate, Rob silently behind me to take pictures of that special moment.

After that, I walked back a little to join the group, waiting for the last one to arrive and walk up the memorial all together. Then we had our pictures taken.

In the evening we went out for dinner in the local cafe/brasserie. We had a very good evening with laughter and good food.

(Pictures of the arrival and later will be added soon, (I haven’t got those, they are to be sent to me))

Tuesday October 27th

After some kilometers of walking with a hurting foot I decided to never walk on the ‘stewardess-shoes’ again. I’ll throw them in the bin. Bought myself a new pair today. Normal life is starting again and honestly,…. I could have walked some more…..

As from Sunday 18th on it was hard to get wifi and I was busy walking, my blog was a little neglected. I now see I have made spelling mistakes and I wrote things in a hurry.

To get it all right again I will adjust the blogs and write the missing days, add pictures and so on. I will tell which dates I updated in this blog.

Oh and this (French) item was on the radio yesterday: radio inter Lundi Oct 26

And a friend told me this was on Dutch radio on Friday 23d radio een vandaag 23 oktober

Lucheux to Nuncq Hautecote

It was not a very long one today but I’m probably getting tired. Tomorrow will be the last day we are walking a real distance. Sunday we will arrive in Agincourt but it will be only 1,5 km for the show haha.

Always there where you need her to show the way! Thank you Ann!!

Isn’t that real love? Walking hand in hand.

Telling people where we’re going, I tried to pronounce Nunq-Hautecote as French as I could. People hadn’t got a clue what I meant. After me trying a few times, a man said (in French) oh, you mean Nèèèènck! So, to Nèèèènck! it is.

Not tired at all!!

From Acheux en Amienois to Lucheux

Thursday October 22^nd

Yesterday Keith aka Sarge (as he was a sergeant) arrived. He started walking today so the group is getting bigger, that’s good!! It seems like the closer we get to Agincourt, the more people know what we’re doing. At least people are getting more enthusiastic every day, waving, beeping…

What a mountains today!! Well, ok, hills I know, but for a Dutch lady everything slightly higher is a mountain. Pfffft Will I have lost weight these days? Well, muscles are not aching, just a bit stiff after sitting right after the walk. But every morning it is ok again.

I was happy to see the sign Lucheux, I was tired.

Roads getting better to walk

Wednesday October 21st

From Fricourt to Acheux en Amienois, via Albert.

Today was the short one, only about 18 km. As everyone has his own pass, I ended up walking alone for quite a long time, but that’s perfectly ok. The knowledge that there are people doing the same and there are people along the route taking care of you is very comfortable.

Rob has the fasted pass and he walked in front. As we walked via the somewhat bigger town of Albert, we lost sight of each other. My navigation was working properly so it was ok. Besides, I had been in the front seat of the van so I had seen the route before. Not Rob, he took the wrong route and was walking his way up to Lille. Luckily Ann and Pat went looking for him so they rescued him.

This day is exact 15 years ago that I joined the first ‘walk to Agincourt’ group. And if I am correct it was in Forceville on the exact same spot as pictured

From the group’s point of view

From my point of view 15 years ago

My toes keep playing up every now and then but with the ibuprofen gel the first hours are still ok.

Wanted to have another go on the wifi of le café but that was closed.

I have asked for wifi in the museum but there is none! Bugger again!

Tuesday 20th of October

Peronne to Fricourt

Ok, to start with; the Welsh people have names, it wasn’t very polite of me not introducing them to you. There’s Kerry and Ann and the other couple is Pat and Rob. Sorry I haven’t done that in the first place.

That was a good one today!! We are getting our rhythm and the first break was later. I thought we had a smaller distance to walk and as my navigation didn’t work at Peronne, I didn’t know if we were nearly there yet, I just kept on walking.

My toes keep playing up all the time; it’s on and off. I found out that it gets worse when I have to walk a hill. Upwards it starts to hurt and downwards it will disappear slowly. I had some ibuprofen gel on it that Ann gave me and that seemed to work at least for the first couple of hours so I bought myself such gel today.

This is my black belt dirt! In between where the leggings end and the boots begin.

It is funny. When I walked alone, people were looking grumpy at me, You could hear them think, that woman is either a dangerous terrorist or a lunatic in any other way… Now we’re walking with more of us silly people in medieval costumes people are more enthusiastic. They stop to ask what we’re doing, they want to make pictures, lot of the cars passing by are beeping and people wave at us.

I went to the pub to find out if there is wifi there and yay, there is. For very short time that is. There’s hardly any signal so I started ok (could read my mail of the past five days or so) but then it suddenly dropped dead and didn’t work again!