June 18th Agny to Bapaume

Agny to Bapaume

Total distance: 25kms

Time: 5 hours

The day began two and a half hours earlier than planned when Pauline woke me up and told me to get dressed at 04.45. Shed had heard a slight banging noise and she though it must be burglars/murderers outside the van. It turned out that I had left the hot water boiler on and the noise was related to its continu

ed heating of hot water.

As we left to drive to Arras Bert noticed that the water filler cap was missing ( I had left it at the Aire de Services in Noeux-les-Mines yesterday when I filled up with water) Bert very kindly immediately insisted on going there to see if it was still there and luckily it was!

Fortunately the rest of the day went smoothly if a little damp in places. We called it the day of the church spires. As we reached one town/village the next was in view with its tall church spire as a navigation point on the very small chemins which were our territory today. From Agny we headed for Fichieux on a farm track always aiming for the church. Then it was Boiry St Martin where we aimed for the next land mark which was described as Chateau des eaux. It was a very tall water tower with telecommunication equipment on the top. Then it was the spire at Courcevelles-le-Compte. As we left the village we passed a very moving memorial to hundreds of Frenchmen who were killed very early in the war in October 1914.

Achiet-le-Grand was the next church spire target. When we arrived there was a cycle event being conducted on closed roads. It was a small local cycle event but one over - enthusiastic marshal suggested that we avoid the cycle route and walk a long way around. We explained that we intended to walk on the pavement and reluctantly he waved us through.

Up a steepish climb to Biefviller-les-Bapaume where all we could see of the church was the top of the spire and we thought we were nearly at Bapaume when we crested the hill and could see two spires in the near distance. Which one should we aim for? Were they both Bapaume? In the end we aimed for the nearest which turned out to be the Hotel de Ville outside which Susan and Pauline were waiting “supervised” by three Gendarmes who looked like they were yet to begin shaving.

We are looking forward to an evening at Freddy and Cecile's.