And more planning

Well  something I read online referred to what they called the "Chaîne d'Acceuil sur le chemin d'Arles (the welcome chain along the Arles route)." According to this protocol, the association where I received the "carnet du pèlerin"or the "credencial" is supposed to provide guidance and support. To receive this help, I should telephone that particular association, or the one closest to my point of departure. They are supposed to introduce me to a welcoming family who then help me inasmuch as they are able.  These are volunteer families, often former pilgrims, who will open their homes in pilgrim hospitality to those pilgrims requiring assistance. To be eligible one must simply be a pilgrim passing through, with a pilgrim passport of sorts (carnet du pèlerin, credencial, créanciale) and those participating might even provide me dinner, a place to sleep, and breakfast, if able, with the pilgrim contributing to their expenses. This would be done in complete anonymity, as this is not a commercial enterprise. It sounds so wonderful, and a little alien in this current commercial age.   I know some people do this, but how widespread is it, and what if I just get my créanciale at the bookstore of the local church of my departure point Can I still participate? I'm assuming I can get one in Arles at the Saint-Trophime church... Maybe I am wrong...

the Eglise St-Trophime [with Gerard Zegers]*

And then, voilá, I just saw that the Catholic site Pèlerin says I can get a créanciale here (although no street address is given so don't know if it is near the Saint-Trophime church or somewhere else):


Hospitalité des Chemins, 13200 Arles
Tél. : 06 75 07 34 93
E-mail : yves.lassagne[a]free.fr. 


And in the evening, presumably daily at 6:30 p.m. [the website continues], Yves Lassagne, whoever he is, takes desiring pilgrims to the Notre-Dame-des-Champs prieuré, some 8 km from Arles..


For the more secular credencial, the following info is given:

Accueil pèlerins des Chemins d’'Arles (Renée Debard)
30 avenue de Pskov, 13200 Arles.
Tél. : 06 83 26 13 16
E-mail : renee.debard[a]wanadoo.fr

To be determined, I suppose, but I'm sure someone at the Saint-Trophime church can advise me. Maybe I should just go there before settling on a place to stay (with a back-up plan in mind).

Another organization, the Haltes Pèlerins de Chemin d'Arles has some similar ideas regarding the reception of pilgrims, but are more commercial as they have rules governing charges in their respective establishments.  Here is their charter.



So who was St. Trophime, anyway?  The website Pèlerin cites Gregory of Tours as its source of information. According to it, Gregory claimed that the saint came to evangelize Gaul around 225 A.D. along with several companions, Saturnin (fromToulouse), Denis (from Paris), Austremoine (from Auvergne), Paul (from Narbonne), Gatien (from Tours) and Martial (from Limoges) during the reign of the Emperor Decius 
As is frequently the case, little is known of his life other than he founded the Church of Arles, and became its first bishop.  He also  transformed the Alyscamps, a pagan necropolis, into a Christian cemetery and erected a Marian shrine, Our Lady of Grace.

At any rate, according to that famous 12th century "Pilgrim's Guide" in the Codex Calixtinus, sometimes attributed to Aimery Picaud,"those going to Santiago by the way of Saint-Gilles must visit the body of the blessed Trophime in Arles."  
 

 

*Gerard, also an adminstrator of the Via Podiensis FB group where I am also involved, started walking this route in April 

Although the site is still very new, more and more people have posted to Gerard's Via Tolosana FB group, and some of the photos of Guntram Jilka and Linnea Hendrickson, and more recently those from Kevin Callaghan, and Cathy Laughna, are just gorgeous, making me more and more eager to set off.  Not all are starting in Arles, though. The portion after Toulouse looks particularly lovely, but that will likely be two years away for me if I do this walk in 2-week stints at 15 - 20 km per day.

 I've still got much to do around here [Rockville], though, before I go, and I will need to do more practice walks.  Unfortunately the Meet-ups of the Mid-Atlantic Hiking Group are becoming increasingly expensive so I am doing more frequent shorter local hikes alone with just my two dogs. I think the Meet-up organization is asking for more and more money, resulting in many organizations leaving the group or looking for other alternatives. So it is 4 km mini-walks by Lake Frank, Lake Needwood, or just to the Maryvale Park (in Rockville) that I do several times a week.  Occasionally even the walking path around the Rio Washingtonian Center serves for these mini-walks. I would go back to the Agricultural History Farm Park but I'm not sure the trails are well-marked.

trail near Lake Frank 

By Lake Needwood

Dogs at Maryvale Park

Along the walking path at the Rio Washingtonian complex

I am now also considering downloading the French app iPhiGéNie.  I once had the free version on my phone but now understand the subscription version is more robust. IPhiGéNie claims that there are GPS applications with French topographic maps inside from France's National Geographic Institute. It might be easier than trying to download GPS tracks to Google Maps. The negatives are that it costs EUR15 minimum, is user-hostile, and only in French.  On the other hand, it can be used off-line and doesn't drain the phone battery. One of the other administrators of the Via Podiensis FB group swears by it, and is always singing its praises.  I got by on my last walk without it or any other GPS application, but I understand that this trail is less well-marked so it might be good to have. I think I will explore this more when I am in France, because the free version is available for 7 days after downloading and I can have a look at it again...