How many more kill-o-meters??

Saturday morning started very early with my alarm going off at 4:15am in order to get up and take one last shower before we started our walking pilgrimage, which is the main purpose of this trip to France. I had packed my bags the night before and was ready in the lobby for 5am breakfast. All of our belongings had been divided into three bags. One duffel bag or suitcase that would be taken to our hotel in Chartres and wait for us to get there Monday night. Then, we had a duffel bag full of all the things we would need for camping each night during the walk: so, a sleeping bag, two extra sets of clothes, a bowl for soup, and snacks, etc. Each morning these would get loaded into trucks each morning that would drive e straight to the campsites, so we didn't have to carry around that extra weight during the day. Thank goodness!! The third bag was a small backpack that served as my daypack for the actual walk. It contained my camera, umbrella, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, snacks, songbook, rosary, and of course, a water bottle. 

At 5:30am, we boarded the bus and drove down to San Sulpice, where the opening Mass would take place at 7am. The streets nearby were rammed with people ready to begin the walk. They said that there were at least 12,000 participants this year and truthfully, it was probably more than that. It was rather chaotic for sure. They wouldn't let us through until we were wearing our yellow wristbands but Mr. Matt had to go find them first. So there was a lot of tired standing around for awhile. We finally made it through, but it looked highly unlikely that we would get into the Church for the opening mass due to the crowds. But right after the procession, we got ushered in and made it into the back of the Church. We couldn't see very well and had to rely on the screens, but being inside those stone walls is still a moving experience.

After Mass we had to truly book it out of Paris! We were actually running because we somehow missed our turn in the queue and we needed to catch up. Luckily that pace only last about 15 minutes and then we were back to normal speed. Each day of walking is pretty much the same. The first day we walk 28 miles, the second 27 miles and the third is only 15 miles in order to get into the Cathedral by 3pm for Mass. It starts by walking on the streets of Paris and the streets of the outskirts of the major city. About halfway through the first day, we have entered the woods and are cutting through to get to the fields that we walk for the majority of the second day and some of the third before we get to the town of Chartres. It is cool because every once and awhile, we walk through these small towns and kids are waving at us from their house windows. We really lucked out with the weather! We did have some rain but it wasn't too bad, just had to put up our umbrellas for a one hour stretch. But day three, we did experience a lot more mud along our path from the rain on day two.

I learned from my first time doing the walk that I needed to conserve my energy for the end of each day because that is when you are truly exhausted. Especially on that first day; it ends with an uphill incline for the last 30 minutes before camp. It has been nicknamed "Heart Attack Hill." Each day is really long and the breaks are never long enough. You are torn between your muscles hurting so much that stop is worse and the need to sit down and just collapse. They really run the whole thing extremely well. Every couple of miles there are medical staff on hand to help with any injuries and there are bread and water stops probably around every six miles.

The best way to distract yourself from your sore feet is to get to know the other people that you are walking with. That was my absolute favorite part last time and came true once again. The Remnant Chapter has grown in popularity since I was here two years ago. There were 90 people walking with us from all over the United States and then 50 of those people would continue on with the Remnant for the full pilgrimage afterwards. A few of my parents' friends from 2017 had also returned and I knew a few of the younger ones. But by this time in the pilgrimage you've met new people and are busy getting to know them and learn their story. Mr. Matt and Father Pendergraft also keep us busy singing and chanting the rosary throughout the day. We'd be walking about 12 hours each day before making it to the campground each night.

Camp is chaotic! We all sleep in communal tents, the guys in one and the girls in another. The first thing you've got to do when you get into camp is try to find your overnight bag that was loaded onto the truck in the morning. We put yellow caution tape on our bags trying to distinguish them from everyone else's but it is still quite challenging. And your feet just hurt so much that you don't want to spend time walking through the field trying to find it. Once it has been found, you run back to the communal tent to claim your spot for the night. Everyone brings a tarp to lay on top of it and then a sleeping bag. And you just hope that you are tired enough to fall asleep on the cold ground. 

The second time doing this pilgrimage was so much easier and I'm not sure if it was because I was mentally better prepared or my body just knew what to expect. But nothing surpasses the feeling of arriving at the Cathedral on that third day!
First of all, your body has just about hit it's limit, so sitting down for Mass is welcome. That Mass symbolizes so much, a goal that has been accomplished: a group of traditional Catholics marching for what is important and raising awareness of this movement. There are simply no way to probably describe what occurs while we are on this pilgrimage, it is the most grueling and incredible experience there is. As a previous pilgrim, Julie Koch used to say, "You had to be a pilgrim." And that is all I can say, and recommend that, one day you give this pilgrimage a try!

The third day of the walk was actually my 22nd birthday and once the group learned of that, they were singing to me constantly. And I mean constantly! I think the total at the end of the day was 12 times, including once in German and once in French from other groups. It was definitely a birthday that I will never forget and I am so glad to have spent it with such great group of people! After Mass, we got to go check into our hotel and take the best shower ever. After three days of walking, that shower and putting on makeup is the best feeling! We had group dinner at a nearby restaurant, but unfortunately it was not my favorite meal of the trip. But we weren't really focused on the food because we were all being entertained by one of the guys at our table. He was crazy and said the most random things, the whole thing was a series of tangents but hey we were laughing til our abs hurt! Everyone was excited to get back to the hotel and sleep in a bed after two nights of sleeping on the group at camp. 

Just as I said that shower after the walk feels like the best shower ever, a similar sentiment is felt about that first night of sleep at the hotel! I woke up a few times throughout the night out of habit but was so exhausted that I was able to fall back asleep every time. Even though we got to sleep in, that alarm went off too soon. But another wonderful shower and full breakfast was waiting so there was enough motivation to get out of bed. We had the wonderful privilege of getting to have a private High Mass in the crypt of the Chartres Cathedral. That Mass was absolutely beautiful! The girls from the group combined with Tom's men's chorus group to accompany a gorgeous sung High Mass! And afterwards, we got to venerate a piece of Our Lady's veil that is located just to the right of the altar. 

After Mass, a group of us walked to a coffee shop across the street from the cathedral. It was the exact same coffee shop I went to with my five girlfriends two years ago following the pilgrimage. At home, I normally only drink coffee a few times a week, but while on this trip I would often find myself having not only one but sometimes even two cappuccinos a day! What can I say, it just tastes better in Europe! After our caffeine pick-me-up, we went back into the Cathedral to properly visit it! These Churches are always in need of restoration work and Chartres is no different! It was really cool to see the progress that has been made since my visit in June 2017 and to see the areas that they obviously haven't gotten to quite yet. I love these large cathedrals because you could spend a whole hour inside of them and still not appreciate all of its beauty! Especially the various side altars that are individually dedicated to different saints. One of the side altars was very plain but had one of the most realistic Crucifixes I think I've ever seen and I found myself starring at it in prayer for at least 20 minutes. So much is on your mind after you've completed a seventy mile pilgrimage that I could see how someone could spend their entire day inside that Cathedral, which for three days was your end goal! 

After our time of reflection, I headed back to the hotel to chill out for 45 minutes or so before a group of us assembled in the lobby to continue our exploration of the town of Chartres. One of the guys had done some research ahead of time and found these two Churches he wanted to go visit so he led the way. The first one was super cool. St. Pierre is the second largest Church in Chartres and withstood several bombings and attacks during its time. It was attached to a convent but that didn't seem to be functioning anymore. Inside we discovered the relics of some saint, but I failed to write down his name and look up more information about him. You could see his skull and bones through the reliquary, it was fascinating. We walked back up towards turn along the river and got to see more of the residential side of Chartres with its charming houses. The second Church was rather a disappointment. Sadly it had been deconsecrated and was currently holding an art exhibition, which we weren't impressed by. At least the exterior of the Church has been well maintained. 

After this we walked back to the Cathedral because some people in the group hadn't been inside to visit it yet. We all stayed and prayed for awhile but then Mary and I wandered out because our stomachs got the better of us. It was already 4pm and we hadn't eaten lunch. We found this sandwich/bagel place near our hotel where you could create your own bagel sandwich. Only problem was that we didn't really know what any of the things were so we were kinda guessing. Broken French and English got us some interesting sandwiches but it was good and the conversation shared was even better! After our very late meal, Mary and I headed back to the hotel for a nap before group dinner. After the group dinner the evening before, we all broke off a little bit more and tried to sit with new people. In an attempt to try to help squeeze more at the table, I moved my chair to the end of the table, only to realize that my legs wouldn't fit with the legs of the table so I had to sit sideways for the whole meal. But laughs were once again had and I quickly forgot about my awkward positioning for the evening. 

The Remnant had arranged for a candlelight tour of the Cathedral crypt, which they did for the first time back in 2017. My favorite part about it is all the singing that we do with the wonderful empty acoustics of the Church and crypt. It is truly a beautiful evening and a wonderful way to end our time and pilgrimage to Chartres. We ended the evening watching the light show that is projected on the Cathedral. There are four different displays that happen within each hour and it is truly amazing to witness. But truthfully, it was less about watching the light show and more about watching Devon. He was once again on full display and we were almost falling over from laughing. I still remember many of the phrases that were said that night but they could never be shared on this blog. What happens on the Chartres Pilgrimage, must stay on the Chartres Pilgrimage!