Today is a breather. The landscape is almost completely flat, with hardly any climbing or descending. It’s about 16 kilometres, roughly four hours, along quiet roads and paths. Your stride will settle into a rhythm all by itself, and your thoughts can drift along at their own pace.
Along the way, fields and small villages take turns. There is little to distract you, and that is exactly what makes it so pleasant. You reach Saint-Jean-d’Angély some time in the afternoon. The town sits on the Boutonne and has an old centre that you can wander through at your leisure once you have checked in. Behind you, the open countryside stays where it is, with the odd farmhouse beneath a wide sky.