From Paris to Vézelay

As part of the 70th anniversary celebrations
of the French Society of Friends of Santiago de Compostela

In collaboration with the Association
des Pèlerins de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle de Saint-Fargeau-Ponthierry* (77)

As a preamble, you should know that in 2013, this association* was behind the revival of the Via Senonensis or Voie de Sens (from Paris to Vézelay via Sens): a wonderful adventure…
The association has also taken on the management and maintenance of the itinerary (signposting), which is the subject of a guidebook**.
As a result, its members are very familiar with the route, including myself and Louis Chevalier, the new route manager.

Monique Jacob, the new General Secretary of the Amis de St Jacques, and one of the most active companions of the SFASJC’s preparatory walks, has offered to guide the 2nd and 3rd stages of the Sens route at the start of 2022.
For me, the 1st stage was the only one missing!

So I scheduled it for the day after the SFASJC AGM, on 21/11/2021. In view of the growing number of registrants (there were 37 of us at the start), I asked Louis to be the “greenhouse-file” and to come with other members of Ponthierry.
At the end of this 1st stage, and without asking us for anything, Gérald Béhuret, president of the association, came to welcome us in the Saint-Jacques church in Montgeron to offer us a snack. Christian Chalon accompanied him with the Montgeron stamp to update our credencials.

The project to follow the Via Senonensis from Paris to Vézelay, via Sens,
conceived in partnership between SFASJC and ADPDSJDC, had just taken shape!

For the 2nd stage, scheduled for January 16, 2022, Gérald organized a morning car pool between the Ponthierry and Montgeron stations for 12 pilgrims, 8 of them from Ponthierry, with Louis, always faithful, as a “serre-file”.
At the end of the afternoon, Gérald and his wife Colette were “still” waiting for us with a snack and hot drinks, much appreciated after a wet, windy and, to put it mildly, icy day!
As expected, our credencials received their “sesames” in the morning from Christian in Montgeron, then at the end of the journey from Gérald in Ponthierry station.

The 3rd stage, between the Ponthierry and Fontainebleau stations, took place on February 13, 2022, and once again Gérald, always forward-thinking, set up a car pool of 8 cars for 32 pilgrims…, the group was only 44 pilgrims!!!!
Led by Bernard Petit and Monique Jacob for SFASJC, and Louis Chevalier for ADPDSJC, the hike took the group between fields, woods and the Forêt de Fontainebleau, through the charming village of Barbizon to the Avon-Fontainebleau station.
On arrival at the station, Gérald Behuret waited for the team to stamp the credencials, while Liliane and Jean Claude Longepé offered a snack. It’s become a habit. Everyone, invigorated and happy, was able to go home after expressing their gratitude. This beautiful 3rd stage of the Via Senonensis could not have ended better.

For the next stages, Louis and I decided to revise the route so as not to exceed 24 km from station to station, thus avoiding the increasingly difficult carpooling away from Ponthierry and, above all, keeping to the spirit of the preparatory walks…

With this in mind, we have selected :

• For the next 4 station-to-station stages to Sens :
  • Fontainebleau to Moret – 16.2 km
  • Moret to Montereau (77) – 20 km,
  • Montereau to Champigny (89) – 21.3 km
  • Champigny to Sens – 23.7 km
• For the last 6 stages (the furthest from Paris), three weekends from station to station, with accommodation (to be confirmed, of course):
  • August 26 and 27: Sens to Armeau – 23.2 km then Armeau to Laroche-Migennes – 22.5 km

Registrations will be taken as each stage is completed.

I have no doubt that many people from Seine-et-Marn and Yonne will be there with us, to share a part of the Way together…

A great project, a great collaboration, thank you to everyone involved…

Albert Echilley

** To access the ADPDSJC website and obtain a copy of the guide : here