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6 September 2026 - Bessey

Stepping off the train in Le-Péage-de-Roussillon brought back memories of last summer, when my will to continue dried up like the available sources of water and food on that segment, which eventually led to my detour down the hill to walk through the towns and on to the train station. My job at Augmedi had ended and I was hoping to gain strength from Nature. And it worked to a point, the added stress of finding food and water and shelter every day was not enjoyble. Ergo I am back stronger, fatter, and employed. My goal is to finish France, that is, make it to Moissac where I started back in 2023.

My train arrived at noon, so it was a late start and the hot streets up out of town were a real slog. But then I found myself in vineyards and orchards where I could snack on mirabelles and wild grapes. I stopped for a break in Clonas-sur-Varèze, having completed the Revel-Tourdan to La Régnie segment and prepared to start the next. The walk down the hill and then across the open fields to the Rhône was completely exposed to the sun. Sadly no place to swim in the Rhône nearby. Across the bridge in Chavanay nothing was open, but I did find water to replenish my bag. I took a break there in a park by a creek. Then it was up into the hills, the Côtes du Rhône as they're called and filled with vineyards. Very pretty, but no shade.

I reached Bessey as the churchbells were announcing the 7th hour and found a lovely little local restaurant which served me a delicious three course menu. Afterward, drinking wine from Bessey mixed with cold water, I finished reading Lateral Thinking. Then I headed out of town and found a place to set up my tent in an apple orchard. In the dark now I put up the rain fly, but didn't stake it out because no rain was forecast. This was wrong. Always stake up the rainfly despite the forecast. I found myself running around the tent in the middle of the night naked in the rain pushing the stakes in.