Hermonville to Reims – 14 km

Some pilgrim followers have asked about hotels and food. 

Accommodations.  Except for our 2-night rest stops, we stay at pilgrim hotels, 2- or 3-star locations, some even have closets.  While humble, they are generally comfortable or at least appear that way at the end of a long day walking; we have been disappointed only on a couple of occasions where the hosts seemed to have lost track of their responsibilities.  For our longer stays we try to stay at upscale locations though in several cities there aren’t many choices.  We are grateful we have not had to camp out on a park bench in front of a Church as many Francigena walkers have done when no facilities were available.

Cuisine.  This has been a big surprise.  Until arriving in Reims we have enjoyed mediocre food that revealed a penchant for cream sauces and French fries. 

We thoroughly enjoyed Reims.  The Cathedral is a wonder to behold but we also went to the Reims Automobile Museum which, if you are a fan of vintage Renaults and Citroens, is a pleasant place to visit, and the Carnegie Biblioteque (thanks for the suggestion Roy) which led us to read up on Andrew Carnegie.   Our desire for good food was fully satisfied when we enjoyed a delectable meal at a restaurant with the unlikely name CrYpto, and where we also indulged a bottle of 2012 Perrier- Jouet.  We hope food gets better as we head south.