The Le Puy Route - Part 5

Foie Gras & Friendships Forged - Cajarc to Cahors

Day 4: Cajarc to Limogne-en-Quercy

21.12k (13.18 miles) / Ascent = 606m / Descent = 437m

We had a somewhat shorter day in store for today, but one which turned out to be very rural with almost no villages except for Gaillac encountered along the way.

Narrow streets of old town Cajarc

After the physical demands of the previous two days, we set off a bit later than normal at about 9.00am. As it's a bank holiday and a Monday, two reasons why shops in France don't open, we were wondering about getting lunch stuff – would there be anywhere in Cajarc to buy food?

Fortunately, we found a boulangerie that was open and bought ham and cheese baguettes and two quiches – enough lunch for two days with our exercise- and heat-suppressed appetites.

Looking back towards cajarc

It was very quiet out walking. We saw dolmen man (a chap we had first met at the dolmen yesterday) a couple of times early on, who sped ahead but twice went the wrong way and eventually disappeared altogether, but aside from there were few walkers about.

Nearing Gaillac

The next village, Gaillac, was equally quiet. We popped into the church which, besides being cool, held a statue of St Jean Gabriel with an unusual Chinese styling. It turns out he was a C19th French missionary who was brutally martyred in China for failing to renounce his faith, and canonised as recently as 1996.

Statue of St Jean Gabriel, Gaillac 

Beyond Gaillac, we followed a nice sun-dappled path rising through the trees. This landscape of tree-covered limestone plateaux cut into gorges by the major rivers is known as the Causses, and although we were grateful for the shade the dense woodland offered up reduced views.

After a lengthy spell of road walking, we picked up a path again and soon came upon an unusual sight. Surrounded by a confetti of colourful scallop shells, we found a sort of impromptu road-side café and stopped for drinks and a rest. There was no mention of this stop in our guidebook, nor any advertising en route – at least as far as we saw. But this unexpected stop was very welcome, especially given the lack of other food and drink stops.

Colourful drinks stop, near Mas del Pech

Moving on, we followed more stony tracks and walled lanes through a couple of tiny hamlets barely big enough to warrant a name, and with around 5k still to go we took a break for lunch.

Poppy field near Mas de Dalat

Somewhere near Mas de Dalat, we met Karen from the US via Paris, one of the first English-speaking walkers we had met. With a chance to do so, we talked a lot, all the way to Limogne-en-Quercy, and kept doing so over cold beers. It’s funny: we see hardly anyone all day, then, come late afternoon, walkers inexorably migrate towards a bar and a group coalesces. 

We found our rooms in a nice chambre d’hote nearby, and after a tidy-up pottered back round to the bar for dinner. Our starter was a tiny bowl of asparagus soup, followed by a large plate of salad, charcuterie, pate and the like, which was great. 

Then, expecting dessert, we were surprised to find an enormous plate of whole turkey leg in a chorizo sauce set in front of us. It was no good – we couldn’t eat it all! So, ready for lunch tomorrow, a whole turkey leg plus four slices of bread were carefully secreted away, to be smuggled out later after our ice cream desert.

Day 5: Limogne en Quercy to Mas de Ceres

21.00k (13.10 miles) / Ascent = 331m / Descent = 326m

Breakfast at the chambre d’hote was a communal affair, with us plus four other French walkers enjoying coffee, jam, bread and fruit, and Dolmen man outside preparing for the day ahead.

We set off about 8.20am. Skies were overcast for practically the first time all week, and we left town with the threat of rain in the air.

Walled track near Limogny-en-Quercy

We joined a wide walled track beneath trees, with a gentle descent that made for easy walking. After about 15 minutes, we took a short detour to see another dolmen – this one much smaller and more intimate than the previous one.

Small Dolmen

The going was straightforward and route finding simple, and we made good progress. The skies continued to darken, and thunder rumbled away somewhere to our right. Just before the rain hit we caught up with Karen, and walked for the next hour or so with her, the conversation a distraction from the increasingly heavy rain.

Signpost, Bach

We were reasonably soaked by the time we reached Bach, but the rain had stopped and we were beginning to dry off as we decided to stop for drinks. A rest was required: we had completed almost 12k this morning without a stop or any food, so we enjoyed the break.

Our next overnight stop was some way off route – around 4K or so, in fact – so shortly after Bach we bade farewell to Karen and struck off on our own. For the first time this week, we were following the orange blazes instead of the usual red-and-white-striped waymarkers. Passing through Veylats, we stopped for lunch at a handy picnic bench, the mainstay of which was turkey sandwiches purloined from dinner last night.

Mas de Ceres

From Veylats, it was a couple more kilometres to Mas de Ceres. It's a beautiful old farmstead, right in the middle of nowhere. We got a nice welcome, and were asked in for a cold drink and a brief chat, after which we popped to our room to rest and clean up.

Lentil and terrine starter - delicious!

Dinner featured a starter of lentils and a delicious terrine, with a vegetable and herb omelette for main course, bread and cheese and ice cream to follow and a cup of tea to finish. Last night’s meal was good but a bit too big – according to our host, that restaurant is renowned for its ample portions. This meal was simple, tasty and manageable – and for us that meant it was perfect!

Day 6: Mas de Ceres to Cahors

26.25k (16.25 miles) / Ascent = 537m / Descent = 624m

Breakfast was simple but delicious – homemade yoghurt, bread and jam, juice and coffee. These rural stops may be a bit off the beaten track, but have proved to be a highlight of the trip.

Leaving Mas de Ceres

As we set off, rain began again – steady at first, but increasing in persistence until it became quite heavy. Our first challenge was to find our way back to the GR65, which we did without too much trouble, and after about an hour we were passing through Mas de Ver – the first named place on this section of the route.

Once again, we are in sparsely populated countryside, with almost nowhere en route to buy food or drink all day. Because we were running slightly behind those who overnighted elsewhere, we saw no familiar faces all morning – in fact, we saw few people at all until Cahors.

A brief sunny spell

Rain meant we trundled on without a break, and it was close to midday, over three hours after setting off, that we stopped for just a few minutes for pizza and apricots, sitting beside a busy motorway junction.

Stony track on the way to La Quintade

Each time the rain abated, we thought we had seen the last of it. The sun would come out and the temperature rise, and we’d have good weather for a while. However, some time later we would catch another heavy shower that soaked us properly again.

Descent into Cahors, with rain sweeping in

As we headed into town, we crossed the Louis Philippe bridge over the Lot. At the end of the bridge, in the old toll-booth, the L’Octroi provide support to pilgrims. We were invited in for a cold drink and a passport stamp: chatting briefly, they enquired politely if we were Julian and Claire? It seems that Karen had called in earlier and asked them to look out for us – pilgrims looking out for one another.

While we were there, we met another pilgrim who had walked all the way from Geneva. As this is something we have a mind to do in due course, we quizzed him a little about his route. He said it was good, and confirmed that at least one proper route does exist, which is encouraging news for our future plans.

As we passed through town on the way to our hotel, the heavens opened. Amidst the heaviest rain of the day, we sploshed through the streets and arrived at our hotel bedraggled and dripping wet. It wasn't long before we were installed in our room, though, and set about drying ourselves and our wet things.

A relaxing drink at the end of the day

Having had just a 10-minute sit down during a 16-mile day, we were ready for a rest. Then we tidied ourselves up and went out for dinner, opting for a bar on the main square in case any pilgrims passed by. None did, but we had a nice meal (salads, ice cream / pannacotta, beers) and enjoyed the quite busy atmosphere. We even managed to successfully challenge the bill in French!

Unusual clock

To help dinner settle, we had a quick look round the old town before returning to the hotel. It looks quite interesting, and on another occasion we might have been tempted to explore further. 

The Le Puy Route - Part 4

Les Grangettes, Long Days & Life on the Road - Conques to Cajarc

Late May 2017 found us back on Camino again for the first time in about a year, amidst more upheaval back in the UK. Last time around, it was Brexit: this time, we arrived in the wake of the Manchester Arena bombing. We seem to be living through turbulent times, so the prospect of a few peaceful days strolling through the beautiful French countryside has much to recommend it.

With flights and transfers running to time, we arrived at our first digs near Conques, Les Grangettes, at around 1.30pm, only to find there was no one in! No matter, we waited on the veranda for a while, eventually ringing a mobile number gleaned after a complex telephone rigmarole, just as our hosts returned. We’d surprised them by arriving earlier than expected.

Les Grangettes

Les Grangettes is a lovely place, rural, rustic and seemingly rough at the edges, but with an underlying chic and two lovely owners. We were showed to our room – a small, two-floor accommodation – after which we walked the 5k into Conques for a warm-up before tomorrow’s exertions – warm being the operative word, as it's about 30 degrees in the shade.

Abbey Sainte-Foy

Later, we wandered up to the library for beer before aperitifs at 7.30pm and dinner at 8.00. It was a fantastic evening, and very sociable. We ate with our hosts and family (Sybille and Jean-Pierre, her sister Delphine and her son) and another family, and the conversation in French and English flowed all night. As a poor French speaker, I loved the way we were made to feel properly included.

We took aperitifs and canapes in the library, then had dinner in the main kitchen (pate and ham to start, braised venison, strawberry ice cream to finish) with wine and cheese – a very civilised couple of hours, and a million miles away from the usual rushed meal in front of the TV!

Day 1: Conques to Decazeville

19.75k (12.25 miles) / Ascent = 786m / Descent = 846m

We woke to a bright morning, and took breakfast in the communal kitchen – toast and jams, sheep’s yoghurt, coffee, bread, cold meats and cheeses. There was so much to choose from, we could only eat a little of what was on offer. Jean-Pierre wasn’t about, though: he was busy flying to work in his private plane!

Sybille gave us a lift into Conques, and we said our goodbyes. We had only spent a few hours together, but it had been so relaxing and enjoyable it felt like much longer, as if we had arrived as strangers and parted as friends.

Porte du Barry

Conques was busy. There was some sort of old car event going on, and the streets were full of cars and people. We bought quiches from the bakery, and set off downhill, excited to be on the Camino once more.

It's holiday time in France, with a clutch of Bank Holidays close together encouraging walkers out onto the GR network. Consequently, the path was the busiest we had seen it since starting out on the Le Puy route. Climbing past the Chapelle St Foy, a group of around 15 people coalesced, passing and repassing each other through the day.

Looking back to Conques from the Chapelle Sainte-Foy

It wasn't too bad, though – everyone found their own pace, as they do when long-distance walking, so the group stretched out and we had plenty of quiet, and for the most part walked alone.

Chapelle Saint-Roch

We stopped for drinks in Noailhac; stopped again for lunch at the Chapelle St Roch. Then began an 11k stretch where the route barely passed a house, let alone a village, as it wound its way through idyllic countryside. It was quiet, and quite lovely – and hot!

Typical signage - left turn ahead

Since the climb up past the Chapelle St Foy early in the morning, we had been on high ground for much of the day, the countryside perhaps resembling the uplands of the Cotswolds or the White Peak more than anything else, with a mix of quiet lanes, tracks and paths leading us on.

Walking beside the D606

After a brief stop to top up on food, sunscreen and hydration salts, we carried on. Keeping energy levels up and staying hydrated are important, especially when you are not yet acclimatised to hotter temperatures and the demands of walking for several hours each day.

At the start of the descent into Decazeville

The descent into Decazeville followed a narrow lane, and was quite steep in places. But we eventually reached the town, crossing road junctions and ducking under the bypass. Our hotel was easily found, but again it wasn't open, so again we had to ring them up and were given an access code with the promise that someone would be there “à bientôt”.

Once installed inside, we had a wash and brush up and a rest before dinner. Today’s walk was not that long, but it was quite hot. As we have two much longer days to come, time available to rest up and relax was gratefully accepted.

Central square, Decazeville

We walked out for a few minutes either side of dinner, checking out options for supplies for tomorrow. Dinner itself consisted of a ham and melon starter, steak and chips, tarte aux pommes and lots of water.

So, it was mission accomplished today – do the distance, without getting too tired, footsore, sunburnt or dehydrated, for tomorrow is a big day!

Day 2: Decazeville to Figeac

30.25k (18.75 miles) / Asecnt = 997m / Descent = 946m

We woke early and enjoyed a simple breakfast of coffee, orange juice, fruit and croissant. Quite a big day beckoned and we were eager to be underway, so by 8.30am we had checked out, got a stamp for our passports, bought lunch from the local patisserie and set off.

Crossing the Lot on the way into Livinac-le-Haut

The first objective was the climb out of Decazeville, rewarded by great views over the Lot valley as we reached the ridge and enjoyed a level stroll for a couple of kilometres. Dropping down into Livinhac-le-Haut, a little town that was almost asleep in the bosom of warm sunshine, we crossed the River Lot before a more gradual climb back out of the valley.

Sign in French and Occitan

Gaining height, we followed a series of lanes and tracks to reach the hilltop village of Montredon, where we stopped briefly for pear and apricots and a short rest by the church, watched over by an insouciant cat.

Viewpoint on the way into Montredon

Moving on, we followed lanes and tracks towards the Chapelle de Guirande, where we got another stamp to make up for missing yesterday! We took another short break, and topped up with water from the nearby fountain.

For the first few days walking in hot conditions, we drink quite a lot of water – maybe 3-4 litres or more each per day. I think many people, us included, spend much of their day-to-day lives a little on the dehydrated side, and that, alongside the significant loss of fluids (and salts) through perspiration, means it takes 2-3 days of frequent water stops before we are properly hydrated.

Interesting tiled roof

Our goal since spotting the sign near Livinhac was to reach a gîte in a tiny hamlet called Bord, somewhere that looked capable of selling food and drink. Options had been few and far between earlier in the day – even Livignac only had a grocer’s shop open.

We just about made it before tiredness and hunger set in, and it was well worth it. A shady stop with picnic tables, we bought cokes and ice creams and guzzled them down, and sat for half an hour just resting in the cool. We ate one of our quiches, too.

There were other walkers here as well – four or five groups, some of whom we would see over the next few days like the pair we dubbed the “Brazilian couple” – not that they were from Brazil, but she wore a bandana with “Brazil” on it.

As I paid, I struggled to make the lady understand we wanted to buy another coke. In the end, I paid our bill, held up a E2 coin and asked for a coke. Light dawned, and laughter too!

Shady path beyond Bord

Moving on, we skirted St Félix and soon came to the church of St Mirabel. We sat at a communal stop with drinking water and a large bicycle sculpture (commemorating some local Tour de France stage winner from 2004), eating fruit and drinking rehydration salts.

Bicycle sculpture with church of Saint-Jean Mirabel behind

  

Most of the final 6-7k were also nice, and a pleasant way of finishing a lengthy day. After a long stretch by the busy D2 road, the route threaded its way through countryside on tracks and quiet lanes, followed finally by a long descent into Figeac.

It seemed hotter lower down, the heat not mitigated by the cooling breeze of the tops, and the final trudge along a busy road that morphed into a town street of scruffy appearance wasn’t perhaps the most auspicious approach to a town.

However, this poor first impression gave way to a rather pleasant old town centre. Our hotel for the night is one Best Western chain, of quite a nice standard and with a smart room. 

Enjoying dinner beside the river

We had dinner on the terrace, sitting beside the River Célé, and I can't remember us ever having done that before. It was a nice meal, too – chicken salad to start with, salmon/duck for main course and crème brûlée/tarte au chocolat for dessert.

Our hotel on the river front

Afterwards, we took a quick stroll round the old town, checking out shops for restocking in the morning.

Day 3: Figeac to Cajarc

32.50k (20.25 miles) / Ascent & Descent not recorded

With another long day in prospect – longer than yesterday, in fact – a good early start was required. We breakfasted on the terrace overlooking the river, warm enough to eat out in just shorts and shirt even at 7.00am.

Early morning shadows

By 8.00am, we were on our way, heading out of town and starting our first steep climb of the day back up on to the plateau. The first few miles along the ridge were quiet and peaceful, with pilgrims only occasionally in sight before and behind.

Heading for the cafe in Feycelles

At Feycelles, a pretty village overlooking the Lot valley, we stopped for drinks and ice creams. We were served by Monsieur, polite and brisk, and two cokes were before us tout de suite. Madame, on the other hand, was a grumpy thing, whose demeanour erred a little too far towards surly to be charmingly quirky. She did manage a brief “Bonne journée” as we left, though.

Poppies in the hedgerow

A longish section followed – more lanes, tracks and paths, which were easy enough to follow except for the criss-crossing of a number of GR routes – we had to make sure we were following the right red and white blazes.

After another lengthy section, we stopped for a quick rest, snacks and a drink, then carried on to the village of Gréalou. Here, we took a longer rest on the green, topped up on sunscreen and potable water, and had a snooze prior to the final miles.

Taking a well-earned rest, Grealou

Those final miles were quite testing. Even though we passed a Neolithic dolmen to keep our interest up, we seemed to be walking for ages only to find we had barely knocked off another kilometre. It was like walking through treacle: would we ever reach Cajarc?

Neolithic Dolmen near Grealou

Eventually, we crested a hill and to our relief saw the town below, set in a loop of the River Lot in an amphitheatre of limestone cliffs. It still seemed some way away, but by following a cunning path below the cliffs we dropped suddenly to valley level and rolled into town unexpectedly quickly, with only our hotel to find. 

Path below the cliffs

We arrived at 6.30pm. The hotel is nice – modern and smart, suited rather more to business needs and family get-togethers than smelly pilgrims, but we enjoyed the facilities none the less. A brief tidy and we were ready for dinner – a lovely meal with a speciality salad starter, duck leg as the main course and a local pudding to finish, all washed down with large beers and a big bottle of fizzy water.

Relaxing before dinner after a long day

We have again drunk loads today – I reckon that from dawn to dusk I had about 5 litres yesterday, and it must be close to the same today. Keeping fit and healthy and avoiding dehydration is a must when days are long and the temperature is up in the 30s.

Sunscreen, too, is important. Walking in the heat of the afternoon, often out in the open in what must be in excess of 30°C in the shade, means taking precautions – besides plenty of fluids, a hat, covering up perhaps, and regular sunscreen applications are all recommended, especially as we have not been exposed to these kinds of temperatures when walking since this time last year.

Despite the heat, they have been good days, with an element of challenge too – something we like as part of our pilgrimage walking, especially when we have to get up and walk again the next day come what may.

Cajarc! A welcome sight at the end of a long day

Even though we may have done some preparatory hikes at home, the first two or three days of each trip always revolve around getting back into the fitness and routine required for multi-day long-distance walking. And, in a way, this is all part of the fun!

This time, we found slipping back into “trail readiness” quite easy – the baggage of our home lives easily surrendered, whilst our trekking baggage was properly organised from the outset.  

Bad For Good: Part 3

Day 5 – Walking and Skiing in Sportgastein, and walking back from Bad Gastein

11.75 miles

With a promising start and favourable forecast, we caught the bus up to Sportgastein at the head of the valley, wedged in on the 9.15am with all the downhillers. Characterised in the main by rudeness, interesting personal hygiene and lack of spatial awareness, it would be easy to get piste-off with the off-piste crowd.

Walking the 5k loop at Sportgastein

Not to worry. We grabbed a seat for the 40-minute journey, and enjoyed the views beyond Bad Gastein for the first time. As we passed Bockstein, we entered a steep-sided gorge that had the road ducking through tunnels and avalanche sheds before finally exiting the gorge to reveal a lovely snowy cirque perched at 1600m above sea level.

With more work required to get there, it was a little less busy than other ski areas, and with separate areas for downhill and walking/langlauf, good snow conditions and some of the best weather of the week, it proved to be a beautiful setting.

Getting ready for the off

We started by following the 5k prepared walking track, a gently undulating path that toured the bottom of the cirque whilst criss-crossing the langlauf tracks. It was such a beautiful morning that we were thinking of going round again, when Missy G declared she was up for a spot of cross-country skiing!

A short while later, replete with rented skis, poles and boots, we were gliding effortlessly across the snow in glorious sunshine and crystal-clear air like practiced professionals. Well, not really, but we were following the track with reasonable accuracy, if a bit slowly, and with only minor falling over.

However, we did improve, and the last couple of hundred metres was negotiated without incident and in some style in front of the watching hordes.

We then caught the bus back to Bad Gastein and picked up the Kaiser Wilhelm Promenade towards Grune Baum (stopping for a quick lunch break by a memorial to the Kaiser). After crossing the entrance of the Kotschachtal, we joined the Martin Ledinger Gasteiner Hohenweg, heading for Bad Hofgastein.

With signs advising the route to be “Closed in Winter” but plenty of footprints to evidence recent passage, there was some doubt as to how far we would be able to get. In the other direction, we had seen it was closed beyond the Rauchberg Muhle. But for how far?

In the end, the going was easy and there was little snow to negotiate. So, we made it a good way along before opting to drop into the valley at Gadaunern, from where we followed the back road into Bad Hofgastein via Felding.

We’d had another good day. It was quite tiring, though – you wouldn’t believe how many calories you burn Cross-country Skiing! - but we finished off the day as we did all days with relaxation, dinner and a stroll.

Day 6 – Grune Baum to Prossau and back, and return to Bad Hofgastein

13.50 miles

Another decent morning beckoned, with the promise of bright sunshine for much of the day. We ran the gauntlet of downhillers again, catching the bus to Bad Gastein and on again to Grune Baum.

We had enjoyed our trip to the Alpenhaus Prossau so much a few days ago, we decided to go again. Not that huge platefuls of strudel had anything to do with our decision! This time we planned to return to Bad Hofgastein by the high route found yesterday, making for a doable but quite long day out (and one which would require a bit of lunchtime fuelling).

The valley was looking beautiful with a little extra snow on the ground. We made our way up the track, reaching the hut at about 11.30. Radler and Strudel were promptly ordered. Mine took about half an hour to come, with suitable apologies, but was fresh out of the oven and almost too delicious for words. Almost, but not quite: layer upon layer of thinly sliced apples piled high, bound with a delicate pastry and served with vanilla sauce, whipped cream, and ice cream gently melting into it on the side.

As before, we made the walk back down in just over an hour. After a quick coffee at Grune Baum, we dispensed with our Yaktrax and set off to join the Gasteiner Hohenweg.

It was beautiful in the afternoon sun, and quite warm too – only a fleece and T-shirt required, which is not bad for an early March day in the Alps.

Making our way back via Gadaunern again, we were quite tired by the time we got back to the hotel. That didn’t stop us having our regular wander out after dinner, though!

Day 7 – Bas Gastein to Bad Hofgastein via the Gasteiner Hohenweg

6.50 miles

Once we had discovered our departure time, we realised we had a good few hours available in which to go a walk. The weather was good, so to make the most of the time and conditions, we followed the Gasteiner Hohenweg back from Bad Gastein again – for the third day in a row!

That may seem a bit under-ambitious, but to be honest some of the best views were to be had from the path, and we knew the way so needed a minimum of maps, bus timetables, etc, which were already safely packed away.

All that remained when we got back to Bad Hofgastein was to grab a spot of lunch and get ourselves tidied up for the transfer to Salzburg airport.