South to Cahors, Then Back North Again!
This was a wonderfully relaxed day—the shortest I’ve had on this trip, aside from my first stage, and the first time I’ve managed to arrive before the gite has opened. While I wish the clouds would have burned off a little sooner, so that I could better enjoy the views of Cahors, that’s my only […]
Through the Causse de Limogne
Originally, this walk was supposed to take me to the Couvent de Vaylats; alas, they were booked solid. OK, no problem, on to the Gite de Poudally then! Closed, for the time being. Eventually, my attention was drawn further down trail, to Gite Le Pech. A longer day than originally intended, but I confess it […]
Following the GR-65 from Figeac to Cahors
When I was first learning about the Via Podiensis, I quickly learned that the biggest decision I had to make centered on how I would approach the section between Figeac and Cahors. Most pilgrims, I was informed, just automatically continued on the GR-65, without really thinking much about the options. A few iconoclasts opted to […]
Bursting with Hospitality in Decazeville
On the Camino Francés, many pilgrims begin in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. As the towns roll by, though—Roncesvalles, Burgos, León, Sarria—even larger numbers of reinforcements arrive, turning that initial stream into a full-fledged torrent in Galicia. By contrast, on the Chemin there’s a reverse effect, a continual dwindling down of walkers. Many—maybe even a majority—conclude their journey in […]
And Then Back to Conques Again…
It rained all night. I slipped into the breakfast room at the Couvent de Malets—a massive and impressive complex overlooking Saint-Come—around 6:45 and heard from a couple of other pilgrims that they were going to delay their start until around 9am, when the forecast gave them some hope. My plans, though, were locked in, as […]