Day 25 – 22 miles to Kedange-sur-Canner

Option 2 won the day. The 22 miler leaves me 30 miles to my resupply on Friday.

However, it is never that straightforward. There is little (nothing) in the way of camping or hotel options until Metz. So it looks like another long day tomorrow – 22.5 miles to the campsite, leaving only 7 or 8 miles on Friday.

Today started WET. Spoke to the owner of yesterday’s campsite. “No it won’t rain. There will a thunderstorm tonight, but tomorrow will be the same as today” (a bit misty then sunny). The thunderstorm was right. But the rain started at 1.00am, stopped for 30 minutes at 6.40am (giving me enough time to pack up. The tent etc is still wet, but packing is a lot easier if it isn’t raining). It then rained until 10.00am. The rest of the day was spitting rain and/or threatening clouds.

Today’s walk was through the final vineyards of Luxemburg, then over the Moselle. The route actually goes into Germany for half a mile near Schengen, before heading into France.

I think this is the only part of the route officially in Germany. Unfortunately it didn’t get to show its best side. All we got was a railway and a pavement by the main road.

So into France after 25 days. No more yellow dots. Back to red and white blazes. A totally different feel. The first town, Sierck-les-Bains, was typically french. Has that “lived in” feel, not manicured. That’s not a criticism. I prefer it that way … laissez-faire!

Then a nice wooded stream

Then into open country. The hills have gone. Back to rolling countryside.

Other news for today. Watched a farmer planting vines. Didn’t realise it was so hi-tech. Uses a positioning system to control the tractor to get straight lines!

Had another equipment issue. One of my trekking poles didn’t sound quite right. Found the titanium insert that hits the ground was loose. Nursed it through the day, then had a look in detail. No need for panic – they screw in. Somehow this one had managed to jump the locking mechanism and unscrew a quarter turn. Tightening it as far as I could and applying some glue has steadied it up.

Got to my end point for the day (well it has a bar), and found a cheap hotel. Unfortunately full (and this one I do believe). But they let me camp on the lawn round the back. In the bar, the owner led me across to the hotel and showed me the staff shower! Its only been 1 day since the last one, and it was not a particularly sweaty day! Not sure how to take that.

Going to test it now.