LIVE from the Camino caminka on Via Occitania

[caminka]

Day 42: (Albi) - Nauviale - st Cyprien-sur-Dourdou c.5,5km

I kinda forgot that today is Sunday and that there are fewer trains to Rodez and the first one too late to catch the 8.50 bus towards Conques. So I idled four hours in Rodez at the train station then got on the 13.50 bus for Conques. We rode through a cool town with a high waterfall in the middle.

I got down in Nauviale, a little village of deep red stone houses, cemetery with a water tap and a church which, according to a grainy photo I found on the net, hides a corbel with a sculpted pilgrim. Unfortunately I couldn't verify that because it was closed.

A good five kms of slightly overgrown grassy tracks later I was in st Cyprien-sur-Dourdou, another village of deep red houses and camping municipal. Pitch €8.20, washing machine, and a municipal swimming pool next door (with pretty cool music).

I had plans to start in another town but because of the late start, decided to shorten this introductory stage to Conques. It is on a trail that I presume is used when there are big celebrations in Conques and people come in big numbers with trains.

I strolled through the town and found a very noble-looking house with a scallop on the lintel, another house with a window decorated with a double scallop, old (medieval?) well, and a mermaid in a hidden side chapel in the church. A bakery was also open, so I bought dinner.

 

[peregrina2000]

Days 19-41 here. Very much looking forward to more!

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

I was wondering where the next starting point was, this is a new one on me! Looking forward to reading your posts, @caminka

 

[caminka]

Day 43: st Cyprien-sur-Dourdou - Conques c. 11,5km

The second introductory stage to Conques started in the morning mist with a wet tent. I also slept in pretty late (couldn't fall back asleep during the night) and started at 7h45.

After flat asphalt two kms in the valley a path called Sentier du Bancarel climbs a steep-sided wooded valley to a small road. It is a not much walked and poorly maintained path of fallen branches and trees.

At one point it crosses a stream. It was too wide for me to jump across, too deep to jump across with the help of a pole (made me long for my wooden staff which may have helped), and the other side was either very high or a narrow steep stream with loose stones.

I decided to try the left fork I passed a bit back. It looked like a few people did the same. It was a slow cursing battle with thick thorny plants, climbs above and around fallen trees, and displacing of lots of spiders.

When I reached the last fallen tree I saw the marked path on the other side of the stream. But the tree fell just so that it was too high to climb over. I would have to crawl under somehow, dragging my backpack behind me.

When I was contemplating the logistics, I heard voices. Oh, my lucky stars, someone was coming up the path! I called for help and a kind elderly couple helped me get my backpack across above the tree so that I could crawl under it. They said that they decided to explore this path only this morning!

After the last steep climb we were on the road, then soon on a mostly dirty mostly shady track. It was easy walking to the superb panorama of Conques and the main reason I decided for the introductory stages.

Down and up a steep valley, and I was in Conques, a very pretty town of honey-yellow stone and half-timbered houses with cute slate roofs, with the famous romanesque abbaye de ste Foy in the middle.

I went first to hebergement abbaye ste Foy to secure one of the ten non-reservable places. I got a bunkbed in a dorm entered via a fine 15C doorway, €13.60, and I took dinner, €15. Nice shady garden, upper sheet €3.50, towel €3.50, blankets, breakfast €7. The accommodation is run by friendly volunteers, I chatted with a lady who also walks various less-travelled caminos with a partner, and is here in the middle of the route from Calais to Santiago.

I strolled around town a bit, just enjoying cute corners and views. I saw that the bakery was closed today (normally it's open daily in the summer) and encountered a big french family with lots of kids and three mules; they are on the camino, too.

It is nice to see proper happy (and tired) pilgrim faces again.

 

[WalkingInGers]

@caminka : You are in my region. I live 17 km from Auch…

 

[caminka]

@caminka : You are in my region. I live 17 km from Auch…

How cool! I will not be passing Auch (another pretty town with some superb architecture) because I stop in Toulouse then head north.

 

[WalkingInGers]

How cool! I will not be passing Auch (another pretty town with some superb architecture) because I stop in Toulouse then head north.

Let me know when you plan to be in the city…could meet up with you.

 

[caminka]

Let me know when you plan to be in the city…could meet up with you.

Oh, it would be lovely to meet up! Barring any major delays or changes in stages I plan to be in Toulouse in ten days. We'll see how it goes.

 

[WalkingInGers]

Oh, it would be lovely to meet up! Barring any major delays or changes in stages I plan to be in Toulouse in ten days. We'll see how it goes.

Okay, great, keep in touch…

 

[caminka]

Day 44: Conques - Cransac-les-Thermes c.24km

The night was surprisingly quiet despite seven men in my dorm. Only the one above me snored but he obligingly turned over when I shaked him.

Almost everyone was up by a little over six, it felt so much as a camino.

Conques was still in the morning freshness when I started on the GR 65. But after the bridge I climbed on a petit randonnee. It was longer and therefore less steep and the path was good and solid. Near the top a fine view of Conques, too.

Just before I joined GR 65 on the plateau, I crossed GR 6 (actually the old 65 before they changed them sometime after 2016) and saw a lady walking confidently down on it. Immediately I thought she must have took the wrong GR because it was much more likely she was a pilgrim then a regular hiker. I called to her and asked her and she was quite surprised she was on a wrong route. We went together to join GR 65.

The panoramic route is now much more pleasant than it was in 2016, they made a small path that runs parallel to the road for nearly all the way to where I deviated to GR 62B towards Firmi. The split is just before Puy de Wolf, a very very old (like, 400 million years old) hill from extremely hard rock called serpentine.

GR 62B is waymarked with regular red-white blazes, scallop stickers and rare yellow arrows. I thought waymarking was rather sporadic, sometimes very good, at other times I was left questioning myself if I am still on the correct route.

About 100m from the split a car stopped by me and a kind lady asked if I am sure I am on the correct GR. I said I am sure.

The initial descent is on a small path down through the woods, along a stone wall, through beautiful oak woods, and down a dry stream bed. Almost on bottom was an unmarked triple fork, the right one is the middle path.

Getting into Firmi, stay on the road till an underpass. There was a very weird waymark which made me go straight down into a field, from where I deviated across someone's yard and around a house back to the road.

Bakery in Firmi was open, so I bought pain aux raisins and ate it in the cemetery by the water tap (through the gate where GR veers right and sharp left to a wall).

A steep climb to the next hill then down a grassy lane and up across a pasture to the next hill. The next grassy lane crossed the next ridge via a ditch, then the route passed an equestrian centre. Entry into Cransac is along a loop south on a gravel road then down a forest path, coming out at small lake with a spraying fountain in the middle.

Camping les Faysses in Cransac is a bit off route. The super friendly lady at the reception sometimes lets pilgrims sleep on the couches in the common area which is what I will do with the threat of storms. (The last one here came with a hail the size of eggs and broke all roof windows.) She also offered me the use of a washing and/or drying machine for free. Pitch (or couch) €10.49 for pilgrims, washing machine €4.50+1, drying machine €4.50, fridge and microwave. About 10min away is a supermarket.

When I wanted to reserve a bed for tommorrow, I learned that the only option in Peyrusse has closed down. It then took more than an hour and a combined effort of two tourist offices and the super friendly lady at the reception to find me a garden for the tent. But yey!

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

I love how you get everybody working on your behalf! Well done
And it's year's since I had a good pain aux raisin... Mmmmm
Looks like your weather is almost identical to mine at the moment, whilst pleasant in the shade 30 degrees is a tad warmer than I prefer for walking in full sun (I went out around 13.00 for a 10km stroll.. ) How are you coping?

 

[caminka]

Looks like your weather is almost identical to mine at the moment, whilst pleasant in the shade 30 degrees is a tad warmer than I prefer for walking in full sun (I went out around 13.00 for a 10km stroll.. ) How are you coping?

It is hot but not (yet?) as crazy as before Carcassonne. I am okay as long as I have enough water and a shady rest. I also start early.

 

[caminka]

Day 46: Cransac-les-Thermes - Peyrusse-le-Roc c.21,5km

I don't know if it rained during the night but I started in the morning with a light show on the left and a light show back right, and decided not to go back to the GR which goes up across wooden hills above the thermal complex. Instead, I followed the valley past the abandoned mining buildings and a lake in a former open mine.

The show luckily passed just south of Cransac and I got the just the very tip of its rain.

I climbed to the Fort d'Aubin and church st Amans above Aubin. Fortress is mostly gone, what remains are a tower, a wall, ad narrow ledges and crevices that connected its various buildings. I zigzagged up and down, and it was the coolest thing.

On the way down I passed a small medieval market hall with various measures incorporated in its walls, and two nice half-timbered houses.

After Aubin's cemetery (water tap) the route climbed gradual swings of a well maintained old road to the ridge, then descended a little less well maintained but good path down into the next valley. Next was up the valley on a sometimes a bit overgrown lane, then up a forest road to the plateau. After the high point, where GR veers on a track again, I detoured on the road to Valzergues' cemetery (water tap) for the long pause.

The next series of tracks were not maintained, not even mowed. It wouldn't be such an issue but because of all the plants I couldn't see where I was walking, on a bump, down a hole, on an edge... It was slow going.

Longer stretch on roads lead past Galgan's cemetery with a bench outside and water tap inside, but I couldn't open the gates.

Another stretch of unmaintained tracks I sort of skipped by walking along a maiz field parallel.

After a view across the valley to Peyrusse there was a descent then a climb up to the village. I rewarded myself with an ice cream. The friendly vendor offered me water and was kind enough to get me rid of a tiny tick under the right knee.

The route was adequately marked today.

I encountered a veritable menagerie. A kiss from a cat, two doves facing off from the chimneys of opposing houses, a kestrel which flew out of the cemetery gates right before me. Big loud buzzing insects deliberately bumping into me, clearly wanting me off their territory, a silent owl with wings bigger than her body, a well-endowed bull. A weasel which wasn't bothered by me at all, calmly judged I was no threat, and gone doing its business.

I then called the lady where I am staying tonight. She is the head of an association dedicated to restoring the ruined houses of Peyrusse with the help of volunteers. I got a tent down on one of the terraces where once stood a house. This will be the furthest from an inhabited building or caravan I will be sleeping until now. It feels a little bit as bivouac in the wild. I was offered small lunch and dinner, too. The price is the membership to the association, €10. She has occasionally hosted a wayward pilgrim before. It is complicated now that the gite is closed.

I spent an hour of the afternoon wandering this marvelous abandoned medieval town perched on a steep ridge. It has a rock with two towers of the lower castle, an enormous ruined church, a ruined synagogue, a former hospice (these last two I will view on the route tommorrow), a so-called royal tomb, various towers in various states of preservation, a fortified gate, three stone-built market vaults, millstones used to grain ore, and lots of overgrown ruined houses.

 

[caminka]

Photos of Peyrusse-le-Roc because it deserves its own post. It's hayday were 13C and 14C when the royal silver mines were operating.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

I love ruins, thanks so much for the photos. If only this was somewhere near where I want/plan to walk!

 

[caminka]

I love ruins, thanks so much for the photos. If only this was somewhere near where I want/plan to walk!

Why not one day?

 

[Kirkie]

Day 44: Conques - Cransac-les-Thermes c.24km

The night was surprisingly quiet despite seven men in my dorm. Only the one above me snored but he obligingly turned over when I shaked him.

Almost everyone was up by a little over six, it felt so much as a camino.

Conques was still in the morning freshness when I started on the GR 65. But after the bridge I climbed on a petit randonnee. It was longer and therefore less steep and the path was good and solid. Near the top a fine view of Conques, too.

Just before I joined GR 65 on the plateau, I crossed GR 6 (actually the old 65 before they changed them sometime after 2016) and saw a lady walking confidently down on it. Immediately I thought she must have took the wrong GR because it was much more likely she was a pilgrim then a regular hiker. I called to her and asked her and she was quite surprised she was on a wrong route. We went together to join GR 65.

The panoramic route is now much more pleasant than it was in 2016, they made a small path that runs parallel to the road for nearly all the way to where I deviated to GR 62B towards Firmi. The split is just before Puy de Wolf, a very very old (like, 400 million years old) hill from extremely hard rock called serpentine.

GR 62B is waymarked with regular red-white blazes, scallop stickers and rare yellow arrows. I thought waymarking was rather sporadic, sometimes very good, at other times I was left questioning myself if I am still on the correct route.

About 100m from the split a car stopped by me and a kind lady asked if I am sure I am on the correct GR. I said I am sure.

The initial descent is on a small path down through the woods, along a stone wall, through beautiful oak woods, and down a dry stream bed. Almost on bottom was an unmarked triple fork, the right one is the middle path.

Getting into Firmi, stay on the road till an underpass. There was a very weird waymark which made me go straight down into a field, from where I deviated across someone's yard and around a house back to the road.

Bakery in Firmi was open, so I bought pain aux raisins and ate it in the cemetery by the water tap (through the gate where GR veers right and sharp left to a wall).

A steep climb to the next hill then down a grassy lane and up across a pasture to the next hill. The next grassy lane crossed the next ridge via a ditch, then the route passed an equestrian centre. Entry into Cransac is along a loop south on a gravel road then down a forest path, coming out at small lake with a spraying fountain in the middle.

Camping les Faysses in Cransac is a bit off route. The super friendly lady at the reception sometimes lets pilgrims sleep on the couches in the common area which is what I will do with the threat of storms. (The last one here came with a hail the size of eggs and broke all roof windows.) She also offered me the use of a washing and/or drying machine for free. Pitch (or couch) €10.49 for pilgrims, washing machine €4.50+1, drying machine €4.50, fridge and microwave. About 10min away is a supermarket.

When I wanted to reserve a bed for tommorrow, I learned that the only option in Peyrusse has closed down. It then took more than an hour and a combined effort of two tourist offices and the super friendly lady at the reception to find me a garden for the tent. But yey!

View attachment 175718 View attachment 175719 View attachment 175720 View attachment 175721 View attachment 175722 View attachment 175723 View attachment 175724 View attachment 175725

I do love your reports, and in this one, especially, the cost of the pitch or couch. It reminds me of a shop in a country town where the lady had all items in boxes, ladies under garments! And the prices were like that: no rounding off to the nearest five cent!

 

[caminka]

I do love your reports, and in this one, especially, the cost of the pitch or couch. It reminds me of a shop in a country town where the lady had all items in boxes, ladies under garments! And the prices were like that: no rounding off to the nearest five cent!

That weird .49 is the tourist tax. I have no idea how they arrive at such a number.

 

[caminka]

Day 47: Peyrusse-le-Roc - ferme le Soulie 22,2km

I slept ok, I was only woken in the night by (probably) a small rodent looking for night snacks.

The route descended through the abandoned medieval town so I admired the view of the two towers (again), a carved tomb (again), the church (again), a tower which became a synagogue, Hospital dit 'des Anglais' with an amazingly preserved fireplace and chimney, a bridge, and a chapel. This is followed by an easy walk down the valley along a small river.

A mixture of small roads, tracks and grassy paths lead past a hotel and superb 14C Chateau de Marianesque to a cascade on a curious stream.

Then a lovely shady and good path ascended a narrow valley. Somewhere towards its end I must have stepped into a nest because when I wanted to roll up my pants at the start of the following gravel road, the left pant was spotted with minuscule ticks crawling up.

A long stretch of ascending and descending gravel roads and tracks was interrupted by the source of the river Diege, the only water point between Peyrusse and Villeneuve. I had a on-the-go breakfast of blackberries.

When I arrived in Villeneuve d'Aveyron, my first stop was the tourist office to see if there are alternatives to the former gite d'etape now renovated and more a hotel (with matching prices). There is a farm with a small camping about 5kms from Villeneuve in the right direction but not on GR. They provided me with a map how to get there and the phone number. This was actually not a bad thing because it shaved off 4km of what would have otherwise be a 30km following day.

I then visited the bakery, the shop, the fortified gate with an exhibition of old postcards, the former hospice, the cute town, the church, the toilet, and the water tap.

The church is special. One of the side naves in its romanesque part is frescoed with the most popular pilgrim legend of 'pendu-dependu', as they call it in France, the legend of the wrongly accused pilgrim who survived the hanging with the help of st Jacques and was the cause of roasted chickens springing alive from the plates (the legend most known by Santo Domingo de la Calzada on Camino Frances). Frescoes of the legend are not very well preserved, except for the three depictions of pilgrims.
Apart from that, there were two interesting carved capitals.

The route to the camping farm was along a beautiful path atop a wide stone wall, mostly in shade and with a view back to Villeneuve. It also passed three restored capitelles (round stone shepherds' huts) and a beautiful old dovecote.

The countryside changed south of Villeneuve, to the pales and browns of the south of France.

The last descent was a wide lane past pictures someone fixed to a small cliff, and the last steep climb was trodden a lot by caws and very uneven.

Ferme du Soulie with five friendly border collie mixes and lots of other animals has a fairly shady meadow for camping, a bungalow (if it's not occupied pilgrims can also sleep in it), tents-to-lent, washing machine €3, and a toilet block. Drinks, but bring food. Pitch €5 for pilgrims, bed €15.

(Photos once I get to a faster connection.)

 

[caminka]

Photos from Villeneuve d'Aveyron:

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Did you try out the Chocolatier?

 

[caminka]

Did you try out the Chocolatier?

No, because that was an old mark from an exhibition in the fortified gate.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Shame!
Are you taking a break or are you one of those that post on the move?

 

[caminka]

Shame!
Are you taking a break or are you one of those that post on the move?

Taking a break. I need to do something to be able to stay put for longer periods of time.

 

[caminka]

Day 48: ferme le Soulie - Monteils c.25km + 1.7km to the shop and back

When I woke up to go to the bathroom during the night, I looked up and stared openmouthed. There were so many stars! I brought a chair and just sat there for a while, staring up. And saw a shooting star!

The direct route from the farm descended somewhat overgrown path marked yellow then followed a local road to St-Remy whose church had a few sculpted corbels and a water tap in the cemetery.

Here I joined GR for mostly quiet local roads and a couple of steep and stony paths - passing a lintel with a scallop and two staffs of someone who went to Santiago in the 18C - into Villefranche-de-Rouergue.

The route went right by chapelle st Jacques which once belonged to a pilgrim hospice and now hosts an exhibition about pilgrimages.

On the main arcaded square I visited church of Notre-Dame with its monumental porch and 15C stalls carved with some humoresque motifs, and a water tap. Just of the square is a bakery in an amazing medieval Maison Combettes with richly sculpted portal.

On the way down the route passed a 14C fountain, then I detoured a bit to the tourist office for the stamp.

Make provisions in Villefranche as there is nothing between here and Monteils, about 14km.

The route left Villefranche on a lovely path by the river before it climbed to a split and became GR 36. I took the left branch and was soon spotted by several neighbouring dogs. (The right branch connects with Varaire on Voie du Puy.)

Another stony climb to plateau then a road and an okay shady trail lead to the main road and a school. A made a brief stop here on a convenient stone wall to get rid of the hitch-hikers.

The next two hours were on a pretty unpleasant stone road (the ankle-tourner) up and down on the plateau, past meadows and woods, and occasionally shady. The landscape was so repetitive and the sun so hot that after a while I lost sense of time and distance. I couldn't even daydream because I had to pay attention to where I was walking. I took a longer rest at the start of the descent which was predictably stony.

On bottom, I detoured directly to camping. What looked like a short-cut lane turned out to be a grassy lane blocked by a gate, buy I managed to hop down a low stone wall and quickly scuttle across someone's garden and driveway.

Camping la Capelle on the river bank is fairly shady, has a washing machine €2, mosquitoes, and no toilet paper. Pitch €5.10. You need to go to the shop in the village to pay.

There has been quite a commotion between some birds up in the trees for a while.

There is also a feast in the village and for once I am glad that the camping is a bit away from it. The music carries loudly all the way to here.

Pilgrims can also sleep in a dominican convent on top of the village which is what I wanted to do, but the sisters had some extra duties today and didn't have the time.

 

[caminka]

And the church in Villefranche with its stalls:

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

When I woke up to go to the bathroom during the night, I looked up and stared openmouthed. There were so many stars! I brought a chair and just sat there for a while, staring up. I saw a shooting star!

Aside from the freedom it gives me, this is one of the things I love most about camping.

 

[caminka]

Day 48: Monteils - Laguepie c.26km

The night sky wasn't as big today, I was amidst trees and there were street lights, but I still saw a shooting star. There was/were also birds/animals going on squabbing all night.

The day started with a walk to the village where a speed counter informed me that I am walking 5km/h. I am sure I am not that fast but perhaps this was the lowest it could go.

The stroll became a steep climb then a more gradual path up to the ridge, all still in shade (and with those big bumping insects). A lenghty walk on a small road above the wooded gorge (with a peek to Najac) ended above a 13C castle. The descent on a path through woods was pretty okay, I crossed a stream and climbed a steep stony path up to a stony road.

GR waymarks (I didn't see any scallops) then lead me on a completely different route than on IGN or OSM or mapy.cz, directly down to La Fregere on the river below Najac. Down here are also camping and gite d'etape, so if you are staying here, this is a good option to get rid of the backpack before climbing back up to Najac. It is quite a climb.
(There was an unmarked intersection at the end of the grassy track above a building. You need to go left to a good path past a big tree.)

GR entered Najac on top by the toilets, post office and a water tap, then turned right and crossed all of this long village.

I stopped at the tourist office for a stamp (they also gave me an email address to where I was asked to write any comments about the route), a kiosk, and a bakery.

I strolled through the village, pausing here and there to admire a house, or a mansion, or a fountain, or a letter box, or a church, or the fortress, but I didn't climb to the fortress. I chatted with a local guy about our cyclist Pogačar. It is a nice village, but not as pretty as, say, Conques or Figeac.

I took a longer rest by the church and the last toilets, so that I could camel up and top up for the next 15km stretch without services. Faucets were very low, I was hlad I carry a small 0,33l bottle.

After a steep descent to the river and the medieval bridge there of course there followed a climb up to the ridge of the higher height than the village. At least it was mostly a good shady climb on a lovely path (I did miss it at first and had to backtrack), with a nice view back to Najac from near the top.

Two shadeless roads later, finally I was getting closer to the shady wooded gorge. A path, a scramble across a stream, and a long undulating stretch on a good dirt road populated with lots of butterflies: big dark yellow with black spots, small pale ones, big blacks with a white blaze, small browns. The road lead to a ridge with 'boules', accommodation in small round glass structures.

The final descent into the gorge ended under a railway bridge. It was followed by a footbridge, a climb to a boulder, a scramble over rocks and boulders above the river, a mossy wonderland, and an overgrown path strewn with fallen trees. After about 20min of this a kind soul cleared the vegetation and the last two hours I spent on a good dirt road above river Aveyron. I took a short rest on a sort-of bench somewhere in the middle.

I arrived in Laguepie pretty tired. Perhaps it was hotter then I thought. I bought myself half of a small watermelon to cheer me up. (I love watermelons but they rarely sell them in parts in France.)

When I called the camping yesterday, the guy said they were full full. But I found an affordable chambre d'hotes at friendly 86-year old Mme Couvelier, in a fine 18C stone house with a beautiful wooden staircase and a beautiful garden. Room with a shower and breakfast €40, wc in the corridor. Washing machine, towels.

For some unfathomable reason, the left shoulder strap of my backpack all of a suddden chaffed my left arm today.

 

[AlanSykes]

ed. There were so many stars! I brought a chair and just sat there for a while, staring up. And saw a shooting star!

Keep an eye out for the next several nights. We're about the hit the peak Perseids meteor shower: "les larmes de Saint Laurent" (his day is today, but the forecast for most shooting stars is, I think, Monday night).

 

[caminka]

Keep an eye out for the next several nights. We're about the hit the peak Perseids meteor shower: "les larmes de Saint Laurent" (his day is today, but the forecast for most shooting stars is, I think, Monday night).

I know! It will depend where I'll be sleeping, I have more towns coming in.

 

[caminka]

Day 49: Laguepie - Cordes-sur-Ciel c.15km + c.3km around town

The village feast culminated in cannon shots and fireworks at about midnight, but music and laughts lasted for a long while. I did sleep, though.

After breakfast (my first this year) and a nice goodbye, I was just starting the climb towards the castle ruins when a cyclist called to me, saying that the lady owner is asking if I forgot to leave the keys. I saw her standing on the bridge and yelled I left them in the room.

Today was a pleasant day of paths and lanes (some steep stony but mostly shady grassy) and quiet roads up and down rolling hills, heading almost due south to Cordes.

At the end of Bournazel a dog burst out of the bushes to get some sniffs and fuss, then decided to go with me. After a while a cyclist came by and he followed the cyclist, so I don't know if he found his way home.

The last descent came with very nice panoramas of Cordes, the town in the sky. The route here was meandering a bit and it took a while to reach the bridge in les Cabannes, the lowest suburb.

Here I passed by a grand mansion with goats on the porch and the parochial centre (no helpful phone numbers on the door of people who host pilgrims), then climbed lots of steep twisting cobbled streets to 13C Porte de la Jane (toilets). Here starts the centre with the most spectacular medieval houses.

Maison du Grand Ecuyer, Maison du Grand Veneur, Maison du Grand Fauconnier and Maison Prunet all have splendid 14C facades resplendant with windows with traceries, capitals, reliefs, sculptures and gargoyles. I drolled quite a lot.

I stopped by the tourist office for a stamp and to enquire about accommodation options. She managed to get on the phone the owner of chambre les Tisserands I was unsuccessfully calling yesterday. So I got my little studio with a king size bed, bathroom, kettle and shelves of books in a stone house in the eastern lower end of Cordes. €41.

After an hour resting I then spent the whole afternoon wandering up and down around town. I saw a lintel with a date 1562 (possibly), pumpkins hanging down a wall, sketched profiles of people from the beginning of the 19C, cats too lazy to bother running, metal sculptures. I peeked into chapelle st Jacques with contemporary murals, a chocolate shop with mice racing in the Olympics, artists' ateliers.

I had an interesting conversation with an english lady who inherited a house here from her aunt, who let me peek inside her lowest floor (out of six!) to the rock foundations and concreted vaults. She explained that this is the back side of one of the Maison du' on the main street where facades are 'only' four floors high. Her sister inherited a medieval house nextdoor, with frescoes and spiral staircase, but it burned not too long ago and was now empty.

In the very interesting museum of local history I saw half of a double merovingoan sarcophagus with holes that let the deceased souls communicate with each other, part of an incantation on a lead plaque found with a body under the main stairs to the church, a sculpted medieval cross, the remaining scallop which decorated the disappeared Hopital st Jacques, a parchment with prediction/advice notes found hidden in one of the grand houses (it worked on the same principle as tarot)... Also, I chatted for a while with the very knowlegeable volunteer about all sorts of medieval and esoteric stuff.

It was very pleasant to have a shorter day to be able to enjoy this lovely and pretty big medieval town.

 

[caminka]

More photos:

 

[caminka]

Day 50: Cordes-sur-Ciel - Gaillac c.29km

Whether it was the cheese or the chips or the grapes, I had a terrible unsettling in the stomach in the night and spent some time next to the toilet, hoping to throw up and get rid of the usurpers. Didn't happen, but I did see two shooting stars through the window. After this episode I slept pretty well, despite weird dreams mixing my college and university characters.

I was up before dawn and out the door shortly after it because it was going to be a long hot day.

Except for the last four kilometres, the whole day was up and down big rolling hills of Languedoc. Mostly on nice grassy tracks, with a quiet road or a shady path in between.

I started with a local walk past a superb panorama of Cordes-sur-Ciel to Souel (water tap inside cemetery) then continued on roads and tracks to Donnazac (water tap outside cemetery).

In Donnazac is a church of st Jacques with a fairly known tiny relic of the saint encased in a gold reliquiary, plus his statue and a painting of him with Mary. I had great fortune to happen upon a friendly local lady who knew the key-keepers and arranged for me to see the inside. The ceiling is painted blue, she said it was pastel, the colour that made Toulouse rich. I am a bit surprised the Chemin doesn't go through here.

Another local walk delivered me to Cahuzac-sur-Vere where I made a longer rest by the water tap then joined GR.

Shortly after Cahuzac GR 46 heads right towards Castelnau and an unnamed GR, aided with scallops, heads south to Gaillac. There is one water point in Broze. Les Amis also suggest a few short-cuts, two of which I took.

The heat was tiring, although random clouds and cool breeze did help me get along.

I reached Gaillac and went straight through the old town with a few lovely medieval houses to the abbey (it holds a founding inscription of the local medieval Hopital st Jacques) but it was totally closed for renovations. So I swung by a shop and by the post office before heading to my accommodation.

I am sleeping at Mme Anne Capelle in a wooden roulotte. Roulotte is kind of a precursor to a caravan and was/is used often by circus people and Roma. I've never slept in a roulotte before. It has everything in it, including a small kitchen (microwave, kettle, toaster, coffee maker, fridge) and a bathroom with a shower. Washing machine is also available. Bed and breakfast €20.

Unfortunately, there are lots of mosquitoes. Mme has all sorts of detterents but at this time of year very little helps. I already killed several and will sleep with my bug net on.

 

[lovingkindness]

Bonsoir @caminka!
How exciting it is to read your latest entries. You have been passing through some of my favourite places. I walked the GR 36 & 46 from Albi to Rocamadour in the opposite direction. The approach to Courdes sur Ciel was along a ridge. First views of the hilltop bastide were mystical. Leaving the next day was too...

Bon chemin!

 

[caminka]

Day 51: Gaillac - st Sulpice-la-Pointe c.32km (yesterday)

Mosquitoes disappeared during the night and I could lean out the window and catch three perseides shooting stars.

Heading back to GR, I approached the abbey from the back and discovered it has lots of sculpted corbels very high up, worth a good zoom.

The route climbed out of the river valley to cross the main road. I left the waymarks here and headed on a self-made more direct route closer to the river to l'Isle-sur-Tarn. I'm not sure why the GR makes a big loop to this town and doesn't follow the more historical direct route. Part of it is even called Ancien Chemin de Toulouse.

An elder gentelman on a bicycle stopped by and remarked that I was the first pilgrim he saw passing this (direct) way. He confirmed this was the route that succeded the roman road which was too inland for the river traffic and a new route was created.

l'Isle-sur-Tarn has a lovely main arcaded square where at least one half-timbered house had also carved window frames.

I joined GR out of l'Isle. (GR runs as per IGN, I don't know if there is a scallop-marked variant as on mapy.cz.) We were fairly soon on grassy tracks and passed a grand mansion. It started to rain then but stopped just as I reached Rabastens.

I immediately went to visit the church of Notre-Dame-du-Bourg, famous for being almost entirely frescoed. It has been recently restored and only newly reopened. It is quite a sight. (Lights switch is on the left as you enter. You will need to make several trips to it as the lights are timed.) Beside the stories from the New Testament, a chapel off to the left from the altar is dedicated to st Jacques and it holds several depictions of him. On the outside it's decorated with shields bearing scallops.

I wished to sleep in Rabastens but gite d'etape was closed that evening, chambres d'hotes and hotel were full and camping far away. The lady of Chambres d'hotes le Puycheval was very concerned about me and sent me all sorts of links and ideas to try to find something, even offered her husband to drive me to the camping. In the end I decided to continue and try my luck in the next town. It was not so hot, clouds were about and there was an occasional breeze.

I did short-cut a bit by taking the road past chapelle de Puycheval with fine panoramas (and cemetery with water tap). There I met a man who bought a plot for his grave in the cemetery and came to see if they have already started on the hole. He said he wishes to be buried here because he has very nice childhood memories from here.

Further on a pilgrim with a big backpack was slowly climbing towards me. It was a french guy who started in Toulouse and was walking without any digital devices, just following the waymarks and bivouacing when he decided to do so. He said that the only annoying thing about that was no showers. His backpack weighted 25kg!

Finally, with tired legs and still nowhere to sleep, I arrived in st Sulpice-la-Pointe. I left messages at two families who host pilgrims, the third lady cut my call. I asked in the mairie if I could sit down for a while and eventually a lady there called several people and found a family for me. They wouldn't be home before 19h30 so I passed by the church with a very tall belfry, and a shop for dinner which I ate at a picnic table below castle ruins.

It was a friendly couple, both pilgrims, and we had a long conversation over dinner (I ate little but gazpacho was good.) I went to bed at 22h.

 

[caminka]

Church in Rabastens:

 

[caminka]

Day 52: st Sulpice-la-Pointe - Toulouse probably c.35km (yesterday)

The day started well enough (at 6h40), I got about two hours walking in before it started to rain.

Leaving st Sulpice, GR makes a loop but it's possible to short-cut this by a variant reccommended by les Amis (not waymarked). The final climb up to Roqueseiere was badly waymarked and I took the road in the end. Water tap in the cemetery.

It started to rain when I left Roqueseiere and didn't stop until I reached Toulouse. There were some grassy sections at the start, then mostly roads because I followed - mostly from memory with occasional peeks at the phone if I could find enough shelter - the old and much shorter GR.

There were almost no places to sit down, no toilettes and no water stops. But I did bypass both village centres to avoid a slippery descent and shorten the route.

I stopped at the train station of Montestruc hoping for a toilet, no luck, just a bus stop. Changed my socks, although new ones were wet within 100m.

An hour later I really really needed a toilet but it was difficult to find a spot out of sight of a house. Finally there was a field behind some bushes. I did my business with the backpack and poncho on.

Still later, I made a short break under a railway underpass just as it started to pour down real bad. But the underpass started to flood soon and I had to move on if I didn't want to be caught in a lake.

I took the shortest way to the gravely lane along the river la Sausse and took a longer break in the wonderfully dry toilets at lac st Caprais.

From there, it was a long main street into the centre, but the rain has let up a lot.

I arrived at the st Sernin cathedral at 16h50, went straight to the accueil by les Amis de st Jacques, got two stamps, and the guy helped me find a simple hotel close to the train station.

Hotel Excelsior has seen better days, could do with some cleaning, but there were no bugs and I could spread my staff all over the room. Luckily, I carry everything in separate bags, because my backpack was soaked. So were all the clothes I had on while walking, not to mention my shoes. €40 with pilgrim discount, shower in the room, wc in the corridor.

I went out briefly during a rain break to the shop (tommorrow/today is a feast day) and treated myself to take-away ethiopian dinner (galette was a bit bitter to my taste but the vegetables were excellent).

I feel much better now, in the dry, satisfied I walked all the way, because I did contemplate on several occasions taking a bus or train or taking up the offer of that friendly man for a lift.

Let's hope my shoes and my pants are at least reasonably dry by morning. (...well...)

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

A longer day is one thing, but 35k in the rain - yuck. Well done for persevering!
Hope today is considerably better for you

 

[caminka]

A longer day is one thing, but 35k in the rain - yuck. Well done for persevering!
Hope today is considerably better for you

Definitely not my favourite day, probably one of my least favourite days. I forgot how much I really really don't like walking in the rain.
I'm off to Figeac for the last leg of this year's caminos. It will be a day of strolling around this lovely town because my legs deserve a (short) break.

 

[peregrina2000]

@caminka is continuing on. You can follow her on her next installment here.