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Today started with a really stiff climb up the opposite side of the mountain from Conques. Lots of rough rocks, big steps and many pilgrims! I was perspiring so much my glasses fogged up. The first part lead to the Chapel of Saint Foy where everyone rang the bell when they arrived.

For the first time in five weeks I was not the only Australian. I heard an accent go past and at the Chapel I introduced myself. They were three guys from Geelong who had walked from Geneva and were finishing at Cahors like us. Then we met Mary Roch from Perth. She is in her mid Seventies and fit as. I felt really inspired to keep walking. She is having her bags shifted but otherwise doing the same distances as us.

We walked across the top of the ridge all day with fabulous views.

There are more pilgrims than we have seen for ages and the Gites are buzzing. We are staying in a very run down camping ground that the manager has just taken over. The shower was good though and he is working very hard to get it functioning again. It is right on the River Lot in a lovely position but it was a shock when we arrived. French camping grounds are usually really neat, smart and well designed.

We ended the day on the road which I find hard on the feet and Karen was getting warm but it was a good days walk. The town Livinhac is unremarkable but we saw lots of new homes on the way and there are a lot of large agricultural concerns around so it seems to be quite prosperous.

Check out the bark on this tree. It is so unusual and beautiful.

We are getting closer to the end and that seems sad in a way.

Thank you everyone for your great comments. I am so pleased you are still interested and I find it hard to respond to everyone but your comments are so appreciated. It is a fantastic but challenging walk that is for sure. Only six days to go and I will miss it.

A gorgeous walk today but we are tired after 9 days walking and will have a day off tomorrow. There were some steady climbs even though we are actually descending overall. This morning we left our campsite which was called Bellevue. It had a 180 degree view over the river valley below filled with mist. We feel on top of the world. We are meeting the same few pilgrims now that we have met over the last 9 days so a loose Camino family has formed. It is one of the pleasures of a walk like this.

We arrived at a little quirky gite to find the”Germans”. They are walking and driving with friends and are having a great time. We always find them in cafes or coffee stops! They are enjoying being in nature and will stop at Conques. The gite had a chapel which we found was a bedroom, a toilet that was so low to the ground it must have been a child’s, and a tap that shot straight up which I discovered when I turned it on! They had set out amongst the flowers a little gazebo with tea and coffee and biscuits for pilgrims. It seemed very Byron Bay.

The Germans have visited Australia and loved it and want to return. They lamented that Australia doesn’t have a walk and Gîte system like Europe. I always have to point out the distances but I do think about whether it could be done somewhere. I also said the only saints are a footy team! We have one Saint Mary McKillop but she is new.

We passed through two pretty medieval towns that are neat and well cared for and seem to be thriving. The gardens are full of unusual coloured Irises and other bright coloured flowers, even Rhododendrens and roses.

Finally we make a descent into Conques. It seems like a secret path, like a snuggker’s route because it is a steep descent through a tunnel of green. You can see nothing until you emerge on a steep slope overlooking the famous cathedral. This is another beautiful town that is so well preserved that is like a fairytale place. No cars in the town and rough stone paving. Not stilleto territory! Quite a few tourists but very quiet nonetheless.

We rewarded ourselves with a glorious ice coupe because it was a hot day and we had arrived! Another milestone accomplished.

Then it was a task to find our campsite down by the river. We are in a mobile home, like a caravan in fixtures but a cabin in fact. The reception we received was very warm and hearty. The woman reminded me of Peter’s aunt Sylvia. Once washed and washing done we decided to have a game of table tennis as they have permanent tables set up. I was feeling a bit stiff but hopping about chasing a yellow ball loosened us up. I actually could keep the ball in play and we managed a top rally of 16! We were in hysterics. Pilgrim ping pong. Then dinner and a stroll UP to the town. We stumbled upon a pilgrim’s mass and the singing by the monks was beautiful and brought the cathedral to life. While inside there was a clatter of rain and after the service we were followed back to the campsite by thunder and lightening.

We met Suzanne on the bridge and decided to follow the river rather than take the route via the castle. The walk was very pleasant but had lots of stiff ups and when we arrived in Estaing we were glad to take a rest with coffees and cool drinks. Karen decided to mind the bags while we did a quick explore. This is one of the most beautiful towns in France.

It seemed like a fairytale place. We passed these two gorgeous friendly dogs on the way out. I wanted to give them each a hug because they so wanted to follow us.

After leaving Estaing we walked beside a lake which was the first hydroelectricy system developed after the First World War. The quiet, muddy lake seemed such a change from the rushing river.

Then we started to climb and climb until we decided a lunch stop was required. Then it was climbing in earnest. We literally climbed up out of the valley to the ridge ( about 500 metres up).

Suzanne decided she had had enough and stopped at a Gite because she was tired but we were booked into a camping place and needed to push on. It was another down then up and finally about 4:30pm we arrived at Bellevue camping ground, just in time to pitch our tents before a downpour.

Some other pilgrims clapped us as we arrived. We had all done a tough day. One young guy has a hammock slung between trees. Karen and I saw him on the way out of Lasbros hanging in the trees!

The last few kilometres were a bit fraught. Andy had got a real walking rhythm and leapt ahead. I had also got ahead of Karen and Peter. I rang them to check they were okay and eventually we all reconnected at the edge of town. It was another small up to the camping ground!

Funny how you compare places, but this area reminds me of the hinterland behind Byron Bay. It is lush and green and rolling hills.

Internet not so great. So that is all tonight.

We left St Chély in glorious sunshine and crossed the Pilgrim’s bridge, so called because it was the only place for miles to cross the rushing mountain stream. As usual it was a steady ascent through quite magnificent Beech forest. The leaf litter is so deep and of such warm autumn colours that it looks soft enough to sleep on.

Soon the forest track changed to muddy, stones and tree roots but kept climbing. Then of course a descent! We are actually coming down off the plateau into the Lot Valley but it involves lots of ups and downs until we finally reach the valley floor- the Lot river at Côme d’Olt, a charming medieval town with twisting streets and many beautiful homes. We stopped for lunch at a Crêperie. Everything we had was delicious. I had a crêpe with goats cheese and honey, walnuts and salad. Andy and Karen had Bruscetta and Peter had an omelette. We followed with dessert of pear and caramel crepe, vacharin of strawberry and tiramisu.

We were joined by Susanna a Swiss walker/pilgrim who we had met along the trail. She was feeling quite dispirited and had found the going hard. She was going to stay at the village but couldn’t find a suitable place. Andy and Karen told her we were taking the low route along the river instead of another hill route and it was only 6 more kms to Espaniol. We invited her to come with us as she wasn’t sure of the route. Off we went and it seemed like we had entered the garden eden down here.

It was very warm, there are poppies and different wild flowers with a sweet herby fragrance more associated with summer. The river is rushing past with late snow melt, bees are buzzing, cicadas humming, cow bells tinkling and agricultural pursuits such as planting and hay cutting are in full swing.

As we were leaving the village dark clouds started to amass over the far hills and soon we had thunder rumbling louder and louder.

We were heading for the camping ground but just about 1.5 kms out the storm hit fast and furious. First we were pelted with hail stones about the size of large peas. They were large enough to actually sting when they hit! We scrambled to get our wet weather gear out but we were engulfed in a massive downpour. The road flooded. I was laughing so much because it seemed incredible that we really had little warning. Barely a raindrop before the deluge. Susanna was a bit overwhelmed but our laughing helped her see the funny side and we helped her with her poncho and umbrella. I had been wanting to wash the mud off my shoes but now they are clean but soaked again. We pressed on in the pouring rain and decided camping was a bad idea. We found a bar and booked into a Gîte which despite a gruff manager and dubious exterior has turned out to be a good place.

After getting the washing sorted and into dry clothes we started exploring the town. It has a famous bridge and very original medieval buildings, a chateau (in ruins), a museum of the history of scuba diving! It is Pentecost and another holiday so the entry to the museum was free. We visited to kill time waiting for our dinner reservation. Apparently the breathing apparatus for deep sea diving was invented by a local engineer.

While we were waiting for dinner Susanna appeared and so she joined us and we got to know more about her. She has invited us to visit her in Switzerland and will travel with us tomorrow. She is also a widow and ex-primary teacher. She is good fun and insisted on paying for our aperitifs. Sometimes you just meet people and it clicks.

I have been feeling a deep sense of calm and feeling centred and really relaxed which I find comes with these long walks. It is an unusual alertness to beauty and small things but not the hyped up alertness I get at home.

Yesterday’s country

Today’s

Today we left the wind swept empty high plateau behind and descended 500 metres towards the valley into trees and forest again. The Aubrac region has really charmed us, partly because of its simplicity and space. The towns seem more prosperous and there are places being renovated with charm and style. The cattle are the big industry as well as tourism and walking.

Now we are heading into the Auvergne region so it will be a bit different I think and then the Lot back to a river. This trip has covered such diverse parts of France and it has been so wonderful walking through the country. The people have been so friendly and helpful and hospitable.

We left St Albin this morning with great enthusiasm. Last night’s dinner was excellent with radishes and terrine and eggs and bean shoot salad as well as green salad for entree followed by pasta and cheese, millet and Zucchini, chicken casserole and omelettes for the vegetarians.then cheese and fruit salad.

The bar was a humble place but you couldn’t fault the hospitality and willingness to provide comfort and nourishment. We haven’t stayed in a bar/gite before. The hostess was saying over breakfast that there were too many tourist pilgrims walking the Chemin Saint Jacques who were ill prepared. At that time a group passed the window. It seems odd to us because we have been walking virtually alone and now there are about 30 pilgrim walkers we are seeing daily. The track isn’t really busy but for us it is. I have discovered I really like walking on my own now. I am happy to chat at lunch or days end but less so while walking. Most of the walkers are French here which means there is not as much English spoken and it is harder to have a good conversation. There are a few groups too who are only walking to Conques. Today’s walk was beautiful with lots of animals and a different sort of country.

Today we had to back track to avoid a herd of cows. The farmer told us to stay clear because some walker had been hurt by the horns once so they take no chances now. These cattle are the pride of the Aubrac region. They have a big festival and parade when they move from winter to summer pastures. The cattle walk from town to town decorated with flowers.

What was lovely to see were the farm dogs rushing to be with their mistress. Beautiful border collie types. The cows just ambled along with the farmer bringing up the rear with a switch. No giddy ups, just relaxed ambling!

It was an easy walk and we ended up at the Resto grill for lunch where I finally had my Tête de veau. Calf’s head. It was presented like pressed meat not a calf’s head and was delicious.

The internet is not so strong in these places and I have tried a few times to post text and photos to no avail. I am frustrated because this is beautiful country and somewhat like the moors of England. Very different to other places. There are lots of granite boulders and flowers again. <img src="https://fleetfootkath.blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/img_5447.jpg&quot; alt="img_5447" width="3024" height="4032" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3

We had a lovely breakfast with home made yoghurt and apple cake as well as the usual muesli, fruit and breads. They may have some rules but they know how to feed pilgrims.

The weather was misty but no rain and as we climbed( again!) the mist/fog rolled in. The road is good and I got such a rhythm going I shot ahead accompanied by a lively black dog. Creating a hill I looked back to see where the others were and Karen was waving to me. They had stopped at another of these pop up rest stops. I charged back and went in to find the guys drinking hot coffee and chocolate. I needed a loo stop but the sign said behind and below the house. In fact it was the public loo across the park a good distance away. When I went in it was quite modern but the placement of the toilet and the urinal left a lot to be desired. If you sit on the loo and bend over to attend to yourself you nearly end up with your head in the urinal! Anyway it served the purpose. We were back on the track again and visibility was quite low, about a 100 metres. All you could hear was the tinkle of cow bells, a few birds twittering and the gurgle of water running as snow melted. Other obstacles were fallen trees and branches from the sudden snowfall.

Once again the track turned slushy and slippery which is very tiring to walk on. We were getting tired from the effort to keep our footing when Andy and I spotted a picnic table. The difficulty with snow is you can’t just stop and rest. You get cold quickly and wet sitting. As we decided to stop and have a lunch stop of bread and cheese and muesli bars another group were also heading towards the table. It turned out they had stayed at the gite last night and two are driving and two are walking. The two driving had bought lunch. They insisted we share the table and even gave us a blanket to sit on. It was really nice of them. The couple walking are brother and sister and are walking with a huge dog. Andy and I both were amused about the gite not wanting our boots inside but no problem with the dog!

We were cold after the stop but once we got walking we warmed up and the track started to get wetter and wetter as we descended. Actually it was a fast flowing stream! When we came out of the forest to see the valley below it seemed surprising after we had been in fog nearly all day.

As we walked into town we came across two crosses loaded with pilgrim’s stones. It is common on these journeys to place stones on rocks and cairns and any place that seems significant to mark a sacred journey.

We are all tired and a little footsore but the bar we are staying at has boot drying machines! They look a little like vacuum cleaners but they blow warm air.

The town is in the Lozière department. We have left the Haute Loire.

I noticed a sign that said it was 1475 kilometres to Santiago!

After a very convivial and substantial dinner of lentil soup, beef ragout and polenta, cheese and dessert, with our hosts Miriam and Patrick and 6 French and 2 American walkers at the Gite Tsabone, we all slept very well. I woke feeling ready and able to face the day. We started the climb out of the valley in rain then as we got higher, sleet and finally at the top it was snowing again! It was a steep climb up to about 1300 metres. The whole countryside was still blanketed with snow but the path was good. It was constant but not as heavy as yesterday. We were all getting wetter and wetter but I felt pretty strong. We happened on a chap who has turned his barn into a comfort stop with toilet, heaters and simple refreshments. He couldn’t understand why we were all walking in this weather but it gave him business! There is a lot more focus on supporting Pilgrims now. When we left his place the track turned feral and it was walk in puddles or fall over! It was a goat track. My feet were soon saturated. We were trying to walk fast to keep warm.

Heading into Saugues you could barely see the town for the snow billowing around. But as you walk down the track there are these amazing wooden sculptures. A tree like a candelabra was quite outstanding. This is an Artisan town full of art, wooden carvings and iron sculptures. The weather was so foul we had no taste for exploring. We just wanted food and shelter.

The first place we came to we entered, creating massive puddles all over the floor. I don’t think the waitress was impressed but when we ordered the set menu de Jour she was happy. I had a salmon terrine and salad, beef bourginone and ratatouille mash, followed by a delicious chocolate mousse. It was so warming and nourishing and gave us energy for the next 10kms.

We put our cold wet gear back on and started walking fast to try and dry our clothes from the inside out now the snow and rain has stopped. Alas just as I started to dry from the thigh down it began raining again. The last four kms seemed for ever today! We walked through forest and fields all deep in snow. While we were at the restaurant the news flashed that France has had a record fall of snow in May. 30 cms or more. You don’t say!

Finally with throbbing wet feet, and flagging energy we arrived at our Gite, the Two Pilgrims. It is very nice but they are very rule bound. We all had to go to our room together, we needed to put our packs in lockers and take a box with our possessions. We must wear our shoes because we are going out side to get to our room. Our packs are wet through despite our pack covers and I felt a bit cranky about it but complied. I don’t think the young man has ever been a pilgrim! Anyway they did offer us a hot drink on arrival and they do washing and drying! All our smelly wet clothes were returned clean and dry. Wonderful.

Dinner promptly at 7.00 was preceded by a sing along. The host is a choir master in Grenoble in winter and runs the Gîte in Summer. He played a beautiful guitar accompaniment while his wife has a sweet, strong voice. We were all given the song sheet so after a couple of run through we could sing along. The song is Ultreya Santiago.

The group did a pretty good job of singing it. Then dinner of a tasty soup, sausage casserole and veggies followed by cheese and tart Tatin with ice cream.

Karen offered to correct the English Translation that our host gave us to explain why we did the singing. She is a professional editor so she was quick and accurate. It was another of her good deeds. She is a very generous, gentle person but no pushover.

We had a great room, no bunks! Our own bathroom and toilet so despite the rules it was a comfortable place to stay

We all crashed and slept soundly.