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Le Puy to Santiago

Hannah Marino

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Will walk from Le Puy in Sept to Santiago
Hi,

Does anyone have any advice on how to roughly plan my trip. I am leaving Le Puy on September the 5th. Am walking for 5 weeks, plan to spend most of my time in France. Am going to bus most of Spain, however will be dropped 100km out of Santiago to complete walk (Spain will have to be another trip).
Any tips on how long I shall spend in France keeping in mind I need to be in Santiago on October 9th?
Thanks in advance Hannah
 
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Shalom Hannah and Greetings from Jerusalem!
I can't help you timewise everyone walks a different pace often on different days and different experiences attract different people cause one to pause, one to stop, and another to just walk on. I can send you these ideas and memopries hoping they may help:
I walked it last year in the Spring and the chemin is marvelous. Spend at least a day in Le Puy playing tourist its a wonderful little place with much to see-the cathedral, St Michael, and yes even the Mary statue-built by an engineer and looks like a ship's hold on the inside.
The Le Puy route is marked by a good stiff climb almost every morning to get the heart and lungs functioning, a steep descent in the evenings back down to lodging. In the middle there are often only small hamlets, villages of few houses or farms, often no cafe/bar no restaurant, no store so always always take a lunch or a hearty snack.
Weekends there may suprise you, Saturday-no problem, Sunday everything open until noon meaning by the end of the day all the shops are closed when you arrive anywhere , Monday nothing wil be open-if you haven't provided beforehand you may find yourself hungry, very hungry!
Little electronic connection due to topography-even the locals may be seen banging on their celluar phones trying to make them work!
Do the wonderful Cele Valley detour-the recommended route to the south is boring and uninteresting.
Many lovely gites, do call ahead to reserve if you want them to prepare your dinner-they may need to put on more vituals and prepare. Favorite ones? Oh dear, therre were so many-Saint Andre in Saint Chely d'Aubrac; Conques is a must and do attend dinner and go on to the pilgrims mass there is often an organ concert performed by one of France's best organists, a monk in residence; Figeac-I enjoyed my stay at Saint Joseph some don't, this is a good place to take a day trip by train to Rocamadour should not be missed!; on the Cele Valley route Saint Pierre at Marcihac-sur-Cele and the municipal gite at Saint-Cirq-Lapopie; in Cahors stay with Serge at Le Relais de Jacobins and no where else! he is a gracious host, good cook and a wonderful person-if you make it please give him my regards-Michael from Jerusalem; Moissac Gite Ultreia run by an Irish couple very Irish menu! lots of potatoes! Bon Marche Bon Camino and Ultreïa
 
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Great post Scruffy - brings back good memories.
 
Weekends there may suprise you, Saturday-no problem, Sunday everything open until noon meaning by the end of the day all the shops are closed when you arrive anywhere , Monday nothing wil be open-if you haven't provided beforehand you may find yourself hungry, very hungry!

I think saying everything is open Sunday morning is an exaggeration. In a bigger town/city, you'll find a bakery that will be open in the morning, and in Figeac I found a Petit Casino grocery store that was open. But generally things are closed on Sundays. I didn't have a problem, myself, on Mondays but some other people on the forum have reported not being able to find a store to get food.

As far as gîtes go, I recommend staying in Le Soulier. It's only a couple of houses, but dinner is provided and the hostess is a wonderful cook. Both she and her fellow host (sorry, can't remember the couple's names) are wonderful people. It's donativo.
 
Some donativos that could be nice to stay at (all include dinner and breakfast.) :

The donativo gite in Espalion--run by Vincent. Le "Par Chemin" It's after Moissac--so you may have to choose between the two. I've heard the donativo run at the convent is very nice, too.

In Decazeville there's a donative run by Bridgette (Association Chemin de Roch)--it's great. She's warm and friendly.

In Estaing, Hospitalite Saint Jacques--a pilgrim 20ish years ago decided to create an albergue/small quasi-monastic community. they are kind, and offer a prayer service with prayers and songs they wrote.

Accueil au soulie de st. Jacques (mentioned in post above)--a husband (Michele) and wife who have built room for about a dozen pilgrims. they've also built a chapel.

In Eauze, there's a gite called "Bethanie"--a sweet Catholic family--they've also built a chapel. Just a few km after that is a small cabin (Le Chalet du Bonheur) run by Antoine le Pelerin. You can stay with him--if you don't be sure to stop by and chat with him over coffee.

If you want to take a longer alternative route (an extra 12 k ?) You can stay with the nuns in Bonneval. They chant beautifully and quietly. They make chocolate!



As far as time--if you're sure about taking a train from France to near SdC--it shouldn't take you very long to walk from Sarria. This is the town 111km from Santiago. (there isn't really a town 100km away on the Frances.) You'll be in good shape. It's probably five easy days from Sarria. Or four regular days. Or three hard ones. So I suppose you can just figure our your time by subtracting.

It's your decision of course, but I wonder about the idea of walking so much and then taking the bus/train and skipping over a lot of distance. Many people walk one chunk of the path and then another a following year--and then finally reach Santiago (and get the Compostelle.)
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Hannah, 5 weeks is not much time to cover Le Puy and also the last week from Sarria to Santiago. You will also lose days by having to negotiate buses and trains. I'd forget Spain this year and just concentrate on Le Puy. It's worth it.
 
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