No highway walking from my host family's town of Brunelle--all on little travelled country roads. The 20 km (12.5 mi) passed quickly and I found myself in Soissons barely after noon. My walk took me past their cathedral (pic included) but my first goal was to get settled in my Premiere Classe Hotel (pic included), This hotel is bare bones, but at least they install toilet seats/covers that the last two hostels and a budget Ibis Hotel have forgone--I couldn't believe the shortcuts they're taking.
I met an absolute trail angel in one of the towns about midway. The owner of a bar where I planned a midway rest stop gave me a bag of fruit and an orange juice on the House--bless her soul.
I will use Soissons as a base for the next three days to shuttle by train to the day's walk. I'm in a section where there aren't many, if any, hotels. Then I'll be within two days of Paris.