St. Martin Loop
St. Martin Loop – Tours to Poitiers, France
by Holly Steussy | Vienna, VA
Having experienced four Caminos in Spain and Portugal since 2017, at the American Pilgrims 2023 Gathering, I learned about St. Martin and the network of marked pilgrim trails leading to the basilica dedicated to him in Tours, France. It was Ann Sieben’s lively presentation at that Gathering that inspired me to join a group she would lead to walk the St. Martin Loop.
The gear I carried on past pilgrimages was a good match for this pilgrimage, too, though I did need to make a couple of additions to accommodate sleeping in chilly community halls. An extremely lightweight, warm three-quarter-length down coat and an insulated mat satisfied this need.
My first few days were successful, at under 20 kilometers, but it was telling on my back and my hip muscles due to arthritis and a torn gluteus maximus. I’m 77 years old—not as spry as I used to be. As the next few days would require similar distances, Ann kindly carried my pack in the afternoons, allowing me to finish each day.
As it turned out, another pilgrim in our small group slipped and severely sprained her ankle. She could no longer walk, so she would go by car or taxi to meet us at our next stop, conveniently taking my backpack along with her. It seemed a better solution than Ann carrying two packs, since it was clear by then that I couldn’t carry my pack for the entire day.
On Day 10, we passed by a city large enough to have a big-box store. There, I found an umbrella-style baby stroller to strap my pack into. Rather than have Ann carry two packs or give my pack to someone else to advance by car or taxi, I would place my pack into the baby stroller and push it as I walked, reducing my back and hip pain and allowing me to continue the 20-kilometer per day pace. Where the path, beautifully marked by Roman bournes, passed through farm fields, I could opt for departmental roads more suitable to my eight little wheels.
I continued on this pilgrimage dedicated to St. Martin’s love and commitment to all people, proudly pushing my pack in a baby stroller. Pilgrims committed to their destinations find a way to achieve their goals. Whether the pack was on my back or in the stroller made little difference.
If you are keen to learn more about pilgrim routes (even the lesser known, or non-Spanish ones), check out our routes page.