Material Aspects

  Material Aspects

St. Sulpice, Paris - Notre-Dame Cathedral, Chartres : The pilgrims walk the full distance of approximately 70 miles, in three days.  This involves considerable effort, long hours of walking, early mornings;  very good physical fitness is therefore an advantage!

  Getting to France and Back

The British pilgrimage for 2023 begins with Mass in Westminster Cathedral, London at 7 am on Friday, 26 May 2023.  Accommodation on the Friday night is in an Ibis hotel outside Paris. Pilgrims will be paired up in twin rooms unless they pay a single supplement.  The pilgrims stay in Chartres on the Monday evening (L'Hotel, 28 rue du grand Faubourg, 28 000 Chartres - Tel:  +33/2 37 18 52 77) and the evening meal (also at the hotel) is included in the pilgrimage cost.  On Tuesday, 30 May, there is Mass in the Crypt of Chartres Cathedral before the coach takes us back to London, arriving around 8 pm.  

   Food during the pilgrimage

Notre-Dame de Chrétienté supplies water at each halt throughout the walk and at the evening campsite.  At the campsite, hot soup and bread is available in the evenings and a simple breakfast (coffee, hot chocolate and bread and jam) is available in the mornings.  Pilgrims should, however, bring with them their own food, enough for three cold picnic lunches and to supplement the evening soup and morning breakfast.  This should be organised in England as there are very limited opportunities to buy anything during the pilgrimage.   Dinner on the Friday evening is not organised, but there are restaurants near the hotel. Dinner on Monday is included as is breakfast on Saturday and Tuesday mornings and a picnic lunch en route to Paris on Tuesday.

Assistance during the walk

First Aid is provided by the hospitallers of the Order of Malta, who are available at every stop. More serious treatments are provided by the voluntary medical team of Notre Dame de Chrétienté.

At each halt, shuttle buses provide transport for pilgrims who can no longer walk or, in case of emergency, can take them to hospital.

  Les Pieds (Feet!)

During the pilgrimage it is important to look after one's feet.  Along with the usual precautions of wearing good walking boots (well worn-in) and wool or cotton socks (not synthetic), experienced walkers have found that the application of "Elastoplaste", a very sticky medical tape available in French chemists, to the sole and heel of the foot results in no blisters!  It costs about £6 for a box, but is well worth the investment.  A foot/hand cream is also recommended.  If you have trouble, do not hesitate to use the services of the Order of Malta which are always available en-route and at the campsites, though they now only treat genuine injuries -- blisters, unless infected, are your own responsibility. 

   Pilgrim's equipment

Clothing for walking, particularly boots or good walking shoes (synthetic fibre socks are not advised). Here is the list of essentials :

a small backpack to carry throughout, containing :

·     Food: lunch for the day and energy-giving snacks (dried fruit, salty nuts, etc.)

·     Waterproof raingear (heavy rain possible!)

·     pullover

·     water bottle (water supplied) and knife/fork/spoon

·     hat, to protect against the sun

·     Pilgrim’s Booklet (supplied, containing all the Mass texts, hymns, and other prayers)

·     Small plastic bag/cover for Pilgrim’s Booklet

·     plasters and general simple medication (for blisters, headaches, dehydration etc.)
·     rosary

a larger bag, which will be taken in the special pilgrimage lorries and which is retrieved each evening, containing :

·     food reserves (for remaining meals)

·     cup for tea/coffee/soup (contents supplied, bring tea bags if tea required)
·     torch

·     warm jumper/garment (cold early mornings)

·     change of clothing (a pullover, shirts, trousers, pants, vests, socks)

·     light shoes for the evening (good boots recommended for the walk)

·     toiletries and toilet paper (not essential)

·     night-clothes

·     warm sleeping bag

·     Groundsheet and mat (for collective tents)

(It is essential that all items are wrapped securely in plastic bags to keep them dry)

   Luggage transportation

Pilgrims should leave their heavy luggage with the special pilgrimage lorries’ teams as soon as they arrive at St. Sulpice in Paris on the Saturday morning. There will be a lorry marked "ETRANGERS' for the use of the British Chapters and others!).  The luggage will be transported by these special lorries to the evening campsite where they can be retrieved under a large sign marked "ETRANGERS".  Pilgrims should not forget to label their bags with their names and contact details and to attach a BLACK ribbon to them to identify them as « ETRANGERS ».

   Evening bivouacs

Notre-Dame de Chrétienté supplies a campsite equipped with wash-basins (cold running water only), toilets, electricity supply, and collective tents. The tents are single sex and pilgrims are kindly asked to respect this.

On arrival at the campsite, pilgrims retrieve their large bags, and make their way to the “ETRANGER” area where the collective tents (marked with the Union Flag) will be waiting. 

On Monday morning, our coach will arrive at the campsite at Gas to pick up our luggage for transport to our hotel in Chartres.