„There and Back Again“ - that's how the main character in Tolkien's Hobbit calls his travelogue, and the journey to Monéteau could be summarised as simply as that. But just like in the original, a lot happened in between.
Saturday, 29.4.
The trip started early in the morning at 7:00 at the fire station in Föhren. As in the previous year, Markus Lemke was already waiting there with his bus. As is usual, the luggage and provisions were stowed away and off they went. At the car park between the Edeka supermarket and the swimming pool in Schweich, the rest of the participants joined them and the journey could continue. We had all 36 participants together and the journey could begin. First we headed for Luxembourg. Due to road works on the A1, we were able to enjoy a short city tour of the capital. Back on the motorway, we crossed the border at the Aire de Bechem. France, here we come!
Breakfast break was traditionally at the Basilique Notre-Dame de L'Epine near Chalons en Champagne. "Share your breakfast" is the motto here. This means that everyone brings something more than they normally eat and then shares it with the others. The foam-kissed rolls also brought back childhood memories.
This year, the bakery diagonally opposite the cathedral was open, unlike in previous years. Too bad, fresh French baguette would have tasted delicious. Nevertheless, a few people took the opportunity to buy baguettes or delicacies from the patisserie there. And then there was a friendly encounter with one of the nuns working there, who asked who this large group camping at the wall was. For next year we now have an invitation to have breakfast with the nuns in the nearby garden.
After a good three quarters of an hour, the journey continued and a little more than an hour later we stopped again: Troyes. The market halls are worth seeing there and at least on Saturdays there is also a market in front of the halls. The market halls mainly offer culinary delights such as fish and cheese, but you can also find coffee there and chocolatiers have a stand with a tempting range of products. The small but fine old town of Troyes is characterised by half-timbered houses and narrow streets, where you will find numerous restaurants, cafés and crêperies. So it's an opportunity to have a coffee or lunch.
On to the final stage to Monéteau. Not quite, but first to Auxerre, the capital of the Yonne department, named after the river of the same name that flows through both Auxerre and Monéteau. The two towns border directly on each other and you almost have to read the town signs to realise that you are in the other town.
In Auxerre we were welcomed by Jean-Jaques from AJ Monéteau. But first, the view from the car park of the Yonne and the old town nestling on the hillside behind it was impressive. Auxerre was celebrating the festival in honour of Cadet Rousselle, an eccentric contemporary of his time, for the first time that day, and there were stalls and performances.
Jean-Jaques led us through the alleys of the town and there was much to see. The tour ended with a visit to the Abbaye Saint-Germain. The underground part of the crypt is impressive with the excavations exposed and you walk over them on a glass floor.
Off to Monéteau to the host families or, for those participants not staying with host families, to the hotel. Apart from a discussion about the 30-litre beer barrel we had brought with us, there was nothing exciting to report here. Daniel had chosen the Campanile as the hotel. At the reception, the rooms were allocated with the help of hands and feet for communication. Unfortunately, Andrea and Daniela had bad luck with their assigned room; the room service had probably forgotten to clean it and the traces of the previous guests were still there. But Peter took care of it immediately and they got a new room.
The dinner was, as every year, super organised and there were many French friends present besides the host families. We had pasta salad as a starter and spaghetti with two sauces as a main course - the name Pasta Party is no coincidence - as well as a tart for dessert and, of course, cheese. During and after the meal there was time for conversation. The evening was musically accompanied by a 2-man combo, supported by two - "guest performances" from the audience. The music was mainly French chansons, which the French friends were able to sing along to - but it is enriching to get out of one's German musical bubble on such an occasion and one of the reasons why town twinning is so important and worthwhile. Sometime before midnight, there was suddenly a general mood of departure. After all, many wanted to run the half marathon or the 13 km Marche the next day.
Sunday, 30.4.
Those staying at the hotel met for breakfast the next morning at around 7:00 a.m., because shortly after 8:00 a.m. the runners were to head for the town hall and the start and finish line. In addition, the group photos - one with all participants of the LG and then a joint photo with the running friends of AJ Monéteau - were waiting to be taken before the start. Apart from that, everyone made their personal preparations for the run by changing clothes, warming up, taking another bio-break or just waiting.
For the walkers it started almost on time at 9 am. The participants started in the opposite direction to the runners half an hour later.
From this point on, there is not much to report, each participant experienced the route in his or her own way - sometimes alone, sometimes with several others, sometimes at full speed or still talking to each other. The atmosphere along the course was great and the athletes were cheered on again and again by the spectators standing at the roadside. Most of the spectators were behind the bridge over the Yonne, which the runners passed on the short loop after about 8 km and then went on to the remaining 13 km. The singer from the previous evening also positioned himself at two points along the route and cheered the participants on with his music. Super. After crossing the finish line, all finishers received a packed lunch and, most importantly, their running shirt for the event as a souvenir; the lemon yellow colour is reminiscent of the „Maillot Jaune“.
The award ceremony took place at 1 pm in the Skenet’Eau and was hosted by Daniel. Martin and Ferdi, two of our successful participants, took to the stage to receive their prizes. At the end, a group photo was taken with everyone.
Of course, one does not go home without refreshments and so everyone met for lunch. We had pasta salad from the previous evening, topped up with potato salad, and for the main course a kind of grilled ham with beans, mushroom sauce and baguette, and for dessert another tart. And of course cheese again. The French friends were also present in large numbers, and additional tables were set up. But this time there was no music. The 30-litre barrel we had brought with us was eventually empty, but there was also wine and French beer, just like the night before.
Around 4 pm, it was time to say goodbye to the host families and running friends. It was a pity, as the next day was a holiday, but the bus driver also has to keep to his schedule and is limited as far as driving times are concerned.
At this point a big praise to Markus, who brought us safely and relaxed to Monéteau and back again (exactly: "There and Back Again").
After such an exhausting day, the bus journey was somewhat quieter than the outward journey. Nevertheless, interesting and long conversations were held or we simply relaxed.
At a stopover we ate the leftovers of the provisions we had brought for breakfast. After that, nothing interesting happened. At some point we arrived in Schweich, where those who had arrived on Saturday left the bus and scattered to the four winds. The rest arrived in Föhren a quarter of an hour later, and that was the end of the Monéteau trip 2023.
Translated with DeepL