To begin with, these two days were totally restructured from the plan. The main reason was to shorten the route. But then it wasn't as easy as A to B to C, because a round trip from the house where I was staying to the train station was 14 km (8.75 mi). I had to factor that into the total I walked for Jul 5th. On Jul 6, rather than taking the train over 75 km., Edith gave me a ride to an intermediate village and I walked about 13 km around the Charles de Gaul Airport to my hotel in Roissy-en-France. Bottom line is that for the two days I walked a total of only 35 km (22 mi).
Staying in Soissons had the advantage of being in a familiar place with familiar people and it added an immeasurable amount of warmth over the last three days, not to mention that I became very familiar with the city (pop of 29,000). I still marvel at what all it has for that size: cathedral, the St Jean des Vignes (vineyards) Abbey established in 1076 (now being studied for archeological remains by a Team led by a Wesleyan University faculty member), and a vast history going back to Merovingian dynastic times. I had to include a pic of the abbey ruins, one of the most outstanding pieces of architecture in the city (maybe more prized than their cathedral).
Tomorrow, I'm staying with a friend of Edith's, Pierre, close to the Gare du Nord. We're planning to watch the Germany vs France Football Game at a local pub--the end is near. I'm excited about that.
