2016 Saintes - Bordeaux Walking

I had reached Saintes in 2015 and now, a year later, continued to walk south, following the "Via Turonensis". Here is the first signpost just outside of Saintes.

Saintes was a very important "city" in Roman times, named "Mediolanum". In Saintes are the remains of a large Roman amphitheatre and the triumphal "Arch of Germanicus". Just outside Saintes (Mediolanum), next to the Roman road to Bordeaux (Burdigala), that I walked, are the remains of the "Arènes de Thénac". Compared the the amphitheathre in Saintes this was probably a small "Off-Theater", though as well remains of "thermae" have been found nearby.

Saintes was a very important "city" in Roman times, named "Mediolanum". In Saintes are the remains of a large Roman amphitheatre and the triumphal "Arch of Germanicus". Just outside Saintes (Mediolanum), next to the Roman road to Bordeaux (Burdigala), that I walked, are the remains of the "Arènes de Thénac". Compared the the amphitheathre in Saintes this was probably a small "Off-Theater", though as well remains of "thermae" have been found nearby. As the Arènes de Thénac was used as a quarry for centuries only few of the large stones were found, when it was excavated in the 1990s.

Perfect weather for a long walk.

A murder scene next to the path! Who killed the friendly fox between the sunflowers?

A along the "chemin" are "Coquilles Saint-Jacques".

The first building of Pons, following the "Via Turonensis" is this tower and the large statue on top. The tower may have been erected once, to have an overlook over the plain - and so warn the town in case hostile troops or brigants approached. The door was open, so I took a look inside the tower. There was just a pile of rubbish.

Walking the different "chemins" and "caminos" since 2005 I have sometimes stayed in very basic (and often smelly) places. In Pons I had choosen to stay in the "Hôtel de Bordeaux", a hotel I knew from different previous visits (by car). The hotel is comfortable and the restaurant run by Cornelia Mueller is one of the best in the region. I have always appreciated the dishes, created by the chef Bruno Foucher. After the walk from Saintes the menue was a real treat. Daurade royale grillée www.hotel-de-bordeaux.com/

The road leading up to the hôpital des pèlerins was decorated with pennants. The "Pilgrim´s Hospital" is the building in the back (arch). The arch is covered with old (horseshoe) graffiti. I took many fotos there during previous visits.

I found this message nailed to the door of the "hôpital"... So from Paris to Pons I had walked 491 kms, what is not really much, as I had started in Paris in 2014. Getting older - I lost a lot of sportive ambition over the last decade and now move very slow... When I read, that there was a exhibition on "medieval graffiti", I decided to stay and phone around. After a while I could see the exhibition - though "normally" it was only open in the afternoons. Merci beaucoup!

As I waited for the friendly person to unlock and open the "hôpital", I had time to walk around and see the many graffiti, scratched in by pilgrims centuries ago. I had been here before, but there are so many.. Here is a large a fish (pike?) and (right) triangels and a hatchet, used by carpenters.

As I waited for the friendly person to unlock and open the "hôpital", I had time to walk around and see the many graffiti, scratched in by pilgrims centuries ago. I had been here before, but there are so many.. On the walls of the neighbouring building, that once belonged to the "hôpital", are - ships!

The "hôpital des pèlerins" hosted a very interesting exhibition centered around graffiti, carved into the walls by pilgrims on their way to Santiago. The many graffiti were collected (and made visible) by GRAHT. On GRAHT´s website are some interesting articles (in French). www.graht.fr/map.php

Inside the "hôpital des pèlerins" are some scenes created, that show, how it may have been looked 800 years ago. Everything seems very clean, tidy and proper. Maybe in medieval times were a little different here...

South of Pons are some large vineyards, while in the north mainly corn was grown..

Wrong Way! See the red/white diagonal cross (like an X) on the pole. But of course I had to look into the collapsed barn.

In the early moring I had passed the forgotten Abbaye de la Tenaille in , where about a year ago, I had climbed over the gate.... I just did not have the time to do that again and continued south along empty fields, decorated with straw bales.

To walk along the main road is no fun at all...