Days 5 to 11: Anecdotes, Encounters and Living in Nature

Getting Back on Track: Departure from the Campsite

After two days of rest for my tendon, it is time to get back on the trail, as the pain has disappeared. I say goodbye to Christèle, the owner of the campsite in Niederbronn des Bains. I start walking again very gradually in order to test my foot. On the edge of town, I spot another walker about fifty metres ahead of me. Resisting the urge to speed up and go and say hello, as it would be silly to injure my tendon again like that, I shout “Heyyyyy” totally my style, shouting at a stranger just because he is carrying a hiking backpack 😅. He turns around, a little surprised, we start chatting and agree to meet again in the evening to bivouac in the forest.

We end up walking together for the next five days. 

Monique, an Exceptional Woman

Day 6: for the past few days, all the HexaTrekkers have been talking about a very special place in Wimmenau called Chez Monique. So we decide to stop by. In one word, unmissable.

Monique, a woman with a huge heart, decided to convert her garage to welcome hikers. When we arrive, we are speechless. Sofas, beds, hammocks, board games, toilets, showers, coffee and food are all made freely available to hikers.

From the moment we arrive, Monique welcomes us with great generosity, offering us coffee and waffles. She spent 37 years in South Africa working in social aid missions and has just returned to France to help care for her 95 year old mother. She has a life story filled with knowledge, kindness and selflessness. In total, we spend four hours there. I recommend that every hiker make a small detour and take the time to talk with this remarkable woman.

A Strange Doll, Marie Christine and Alain

Days 7 and 8: We arrive in Graufthal, a small village in Alsace. Falling under its charm, we decide to stay the night, even though it is still early in the day to pitch a tent. We choose to set up our tent behind the village church, which has a large grassy area. As we start pitching the tent, I notice a strange doll hanging from a stick.

A doll on a stick, with the rest of its body dismembered on the ground. I am not superstitious, but there are limits, and I do not want that doll as my tent neighbour. On top of that, a few seconds later, a tick falls onto my arm. I tell Alex that I am leaving immediately to look for another bivouac spot.

It is now 7 p.m., and let’s be honest, finding a bivouac spot in a tiny village is almost impossible. So there is only one option left: knocking on doors and asking for hospitality in someone’s garden. At the second door, Marie Christine allows us to stay the night on her property. Under her curious gaze, we set up our tents in her garden.

Early the next morning, after a night punctuated by the sound of the charming church bell ringing every fifteen minutes yes, every fifteen minutes 😅, Marie Christine invites us for coffee. Cheerful, gentle and kind, she tells us about her life and the village. Alain, her husband, joins the conversation shortly after and tells us about his passion for photography. He shows us his best shots, with a particular love for photographs of mushrooms found along off trail paths. In total, we spend three hours there before leaving, happy to have made such a beautiful connection. Thank you to two incredible people, Marie Christine and Alain 💙

f you pass through Graufthal, I also recommend the Café des Rochers, which serves excellent pastries. To convince you, here are a few photos 😉

Saverne, a Fierce Game of UNO

Days 8 and 9: We arrive in our first “big city”, Saverne. We decide to pitch our tent at the campsite, where we meet Édouard and Arthur, two other very friendly HexaTrekkers. We share a meal together as well as an intense game of UNO, where Édouard proves himself to be a true master of the game.

The Foot Saga Continues

Well, a big journey never comes without a few hiccups. That is part of the adventure. Since the beginning, I have been dealing with issues with my Achilles tendon. I come to the conclusion that the problem might be caused by hiking boots that are not well suited to my feet. On day five, after this realisation, I decide to channel my inner Cheryl Strayed from the film Wild and start walking with a Croc on my left foot and a boot on my right foot. A perfect imbalance. Eventually, I switch to wearing two Crocs and walk in them for two days. Not ideal, but you make do 😅.

When I arrive in Saverne, I have two missions: buy hiking shoes and see an osteopath. The osteopath gives me good news. Nothing serious, very little inflammation, twenty four hours of rest and everything should settle down. He is not convinced that the pain is caused by my boots, but I have made up my mind to find new shoes at all costs. Unfortunately, small town means limited choice. I go for an expensive pair of shoes from the brand La Sportiva.

However, after fifteen minutes of walking on the pavements of Saverne, I find them uncomfortable. I decide to return them and once again end up with my boots and 180 euros back 😉. Quite a saga, isn’t it. I give my boots one last chance for a few more days.

The First Sunset

Day 9: Back on the trail again. In the late afternoon, seeing that the weather will be kind, I decide to leave Saverne and walk a few kilometres to bivouac on top of a mountain. I finally see my first sunset with a view since the start of the hike. I almost have tears in my eyes, it is so grand and beautiful.

The next day, the pain is back 😑. At that point, I conclude that it really is the boots. I walk slowly and cover very few kilometres, yet the pain persists. I continue on to a small campsite called Camping du Rocher and am surprised to learn that I am officially the very first camper of the season. Laura welcomes me with a big smile. She has just opened this small campsite near the Rocher de Dabo.

The following day, I come up with a plan. I walk about ten kilometres to Wangenbourg, then take the bus to Strasbourg where I will buy trail shoes. The scenery between Dabo and Wangenbourg is beautiful, and I step slightly off the trail to enjoy the panoramic view from the Rocher de Dabo.

A Short Trip Back to Strasbourg

Day 10: Back to square one, Strasbourg. Why go all the way there? Because it is a large city and I know there will be more shoe options. Following the good advice of William and a salesperson at Le Vieux Campeur, I choose a comfortable pair of Asics Trabuco 12. Finally, something comfortable for my feet. Fingers crossed that this works. After this short trip to Strasbourg, I take the train back towards Schirmeck to rejoin the trail and stop for the night in Rothau at a lovely small campsite.

Reflections After Two Weeks

Of course, the situation with my feet is not exactly fun, and I would obviously have preferred to avoid it. In the first few days, it caused me a lot of stress because I was afraid of falling behind. But after some reflection, I asked myself why I am here on this trail for five months.

In the end, I am here to enjoy nature, to live outdoors twenty four hours a day, to meet new people and to embrace a simple way of life. Yes, I would like to walk longer distances and take fewer rest days for my tendons, but with a bit of perspective, healing will take the time it needs. In the meantime, I am enjoying a lifestyle that I truly love. Since the beginning, I have had so many wonderful encounters 🥰, encounters I might never have had if I had not been injured. If I have learned one lesson, it is that things rarely go exactly as planned. You simply have to adapt, because happiness and peace can be found everywhere if you open your eyes wide. I will take things day by day and adapt as I go.

xxx

Charlotte