The car park at the Aulne Abbey is already quite full when we arrive. The sunny weather will have inspired many to put on their walking or running shoes. Before the start, we take one last look at the abbey. It's nice to be back here! As soon as we turn our backs on the abbey, the path goes straight into the forest. We will be able to count many trees today, because most of the stage runs through forested areas. And that's how we like it! We have also been lucky enough to have beautiful walking weather again. The sunlight makes its way through the trees. Every now and then we have to make a small detour because the path is blocked with tree trunks. The recent storms have probably left their mark here too. During the first half of the stage, we hardly ever get out of the forest. There are also surprisingly few hikers on the paths that have been selected for us. They are mainly mountain bikers who sweat and toil their way up. Only sporadically do we have to leave the forest to cross a highway, but this is truly a rarity. We walk over a bridge over the river called Eau d'Heure. This name probably sounds familiar. In the 1970s, this river water was used to form the largest (artificial) lake area in Belgium, les Lacs de l'Eau d'Heure. According to some sources, the river owes its name to its destructive power. In heavy rain, it could flood the entire region in just one hour ("l'eau qui vient en une heure", later shortened to Eau d'Heure). The forest with the most beautiful name is undoubtedly the Bois du Prince. The story goes that a treasure is hidden here. Whether this story is true is questionable, but we would like to stay here for a while just for the natural beauty. We follow a babbling brook upstream. On our left, the 'trou des Sarrazins' suddenly catches our eye. This is a small cave complex where a number of prehistoric finds have been made. In earlier times this must have been a suitable place to shelter from the elements. When we finally leave the forest, we are surprised to suddenly find ourselves in a shopping centre. What a contrast to the first part of the stage. Fortunately it is Sunday and there are no busy crowds. At the roundabout there is a statue of a drum major. This is a reference to the 'Marches de l'Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse'. In this region, various folkloric processions take place between May and October, dedicated to a local patron saint. The drum major takes a prominent place in these. At this point we have to cross a busy motorway, but soon we are brought back onto rural paths that should take us to the centre of Gerpinnes. That is where our end point is today. Gerpinnes is a stone's throw from the big city of Charleroi, but we hardly notice it. For many Flemish people this is probably unknown territory, but this place must have exerted a certain attraction on the rich of the world. In 1872, a Roman villa was discovered on this site that is said to have belonged to a Roman notable. The villa was located on a hill in the hamlet of Augette. In a much more recent past, a Belgian billionaire also chose this place as his base. Albert Frère was the most famous resident of Gerpinnes until his death. For years, he was at the top of the lists of the richest Belgians. Could it be the peace and quiet that brought them to this place? Who knows? We end our walk in a café in the pleasant centre of Gerpinnes. We have earned a coffee by now. By coincidence, there is a fair in the village that day. Music resounds through the streets. It is all welcome after a long day of walking. Before we leave for home, I decide to go into the church. It houses the relics of Saint Rolende. Rolende was the daughter of the King of Lombardy. Against her will, she was married off to the son of the King of Scotland. To escape this forced marriage, she decided to flee to a convent in Cologne to dedicate her life to God. Unfortunately, she could not reach this destination. She fell ill on the way and died on a farm in Villers-Poterie. After her death, her embalmed body was transferred to the nearby church of Gerpinnes. Several miracles have been attributed to her over the centuries. Every year around Pentecost, a procession march is held in Gerpinnes to venerate Saint Rolende. The procession is recognized as UNESCO intangible heritage. Music: https://www.purple-planet.com