12th May 2017

12th May
Bar sur Aube a Clairvaux - 14 kms

Last night we bought food and drink for today as we were told there was nothing until we reached Clairvaux. Today we experienced more steep climbs. The countryside is definitely getting more hilly and we walked through lovely woods a lot of the time. We also met two more Dutch pilgrims, who like us are hoping to make it to Rome. I am sure we will meet them again soon even if we are going lightly different routes. We are going to try and meet up again in Langres.

Today we visited the beautiful Clairvaux Abbey, which Napoleon 1st converted into a prison. It was here that a prisoner was killed leading to a public outrage after which there as great penal reform. This scandal was immortalised by Victor Hugo and in recent years revived by Andrew Lloyd Webber in his production of Les Miserables! The modern prison partly on the site of the old one is a maximum security one housing murderers, rapists and terrorists. Tonight we sleep in a small house by the side of the prison. The house is run by nuns and it is here that families visiting prisoners will stay the night. As the only other accommodation in the village was full, the nuns kindly agreed to take us in. Lideke joined us. We were treated to dinner and breakfast and had time to chat to one of the visiting families. An unusual experience!
Tomorrow we carry on to Chateauvillain.