Coments please: stages for Le Puy to SJPP at 25 km per day

[Roy_Smyth]

I have about 35 days for the walk and I plan to average about 25 km per day (30 days walking) giving me a few rest days.

A possible itinerary is attached. It includes one rest day (after the daunting prospect of a 41 km day) but I plan to take a few more rest days. I am a fit 60 something and in 2008 walked the Camino Frances in 29 days with a longest day of 42 km which was a day I just felt like walking on and on and felt no ill effects after.

Questions:
- where should I spend my other rest days?
- am I walking past any great places without staying the night?
- are any of the places on the list a bad idea for a night's stay?
- are any of the long stages really hard?
- and?

Thanks.

 

[KiwiNomad06]

Hi Roy,
Looks good but just a few quick comments.
Les Quatre Chemins: Are you sure there is still a gite there? My Miam Miam Dodo (2008) just lists a restaurant.
Aubrac: Not sure when you are planning to walk. I noticed the gite communal is only open from May to September. There are other options but they are more expensive.
Cahors: The day I walked there, early in May, it was really hot :shock: and I wouldn't have managed a 41km day in that heat. But you might not strike it so hot. Exposed walking on the plateau above Cahors though for quite a distance.
Lascabanes: Not always possible to get a booking here, - all those who start in Cahors tend to have made advance bookings- so you might be forced to rejig things a little.
Nogaro was the most missable town on the entire chemin in my opinion!! However L'Arbladoise gite, not that far past Nogaro, comes highly recommended. I couldn't get a booking there though as it was 'complet'.

Someone left a comment on my blog that there is a new gite (Aug 2008) at Lamothe, splitting the journey between Condom and Nogoro into two days, 27km/ 28km.
La Romieu, a deviation between Lectoure and Condom was well worth the deviation imo.
Towns I loved spending extra time exploring were Le Puy, Conques and Moissac. Don't rush away from Le Puy too quickly: there are some great places to explore.
Margaret

 

[gittiharre]

Hi, I would recommend staying in Nasbinals rather than Aubrac, Nasbinals is beautiful and I definetely recommend Frits'z place in Lamothe. It is small, pristine clean, new top quality metal bunks, hosptal grade mattress covers, delicious food, free internet and really cheap. I think it was 15 or 20 Euros for demipension. Regards, Gitti

 

[newfydog]

Nogaro was the most missable town on the entire chemin in my opinion!! However L'Arbladoise gite, not that far past Nogaro, comes highly recommended. I couldn't get a booking there though as it was 'complet'.

We too found Nogoro to be a "must miss" town. It was late, we were tired, but we pushed on a few KM to the best Chambre d'Hote we ever stayed in:

Between Nogoro and Aire sur I’Adour, we stayed in the best Chambre d’Hote of the trip, a beautifully restored farm once home to thousands of ducks.

Pierre et Monique PERINETTI
Maison Labarbe de St. Nicolas
32110 Lanne Soubiran
France

They were very pleased to have Americans, and even asked us to act like we were staying and extra night, to scare off some French speaking Belgians they, for some reason, didn't want.

 

[Roy_Smyth]

Thanks for the replies. Very useful and I have adjusted my plan. I will post some impressions and info about accommodation when I return.

This discussion forum is an amazing community--replies from all over--Palmerston North, Auckland and Bend, and oddly, all are places I have visited.

Roy