Conques to Moissac: May or June?

[Felice]

Last September, I walked from Le Puy to Conques, and really enjoyed the experience. This year I intend to walk on from Conques, as far as Moissac or beyond if I have time. The question is whether to go in May or June. May is more convenient for me, but I read somewhere that May is the month when the French go walking.

So I have 2 questions: is it likely that the route will be busy, with full gîtes, and secondly, will there be other nationalities around? (I know, to answer properly you need a crystal ball, but your own experience will be more than adequate). If it is likely to be busy, then I will have to book a long way ahead which I would rather not do.

What concerns me more is my very basic French. Whilst I can speak enough to get what I need, book accommodation etc and make a few pleasantries, it is not enough to hold a proper conversation. I don't want to be the only non French speaker at a communal meal, night after night, as I shall be walking on my own. Last September I walked with my daughter, and we found that there was a nice mix of French and non French nationalities in the places where we stayed, making for good sociable evenings. I'd love to replicate that this year.

Help much appreciated. Thanks

 

[Deleted member 3000]

It will be the same mix of nationalities as you have experienced -- mostly French. May has a lot of holidays which the French turn into very long weekends. That is why they begin their walking year in May. June is hotter. Many accommodations will be full both months if you are planning to just drop in. The French reserve ahead, so you should do so as well. A day or two in advance is sufficient to find a bed. Your host or the tourist office can call around for you. The gites d'etape take reservations, so they too may be full. There is a good chance that you will be the only English speaking pilgrim, but try using your basic French and don't be shy about getting help from anyone who speaks English. Don't expect them to become a full time translator at dinner, but they can assist on direct questions and answers.

Bon chemin!

 

[Felice]

Thanks, Falcon.
I've just looked up the French bank holidays for 2019, and there are the usual 2 in early May - Labour Day (May 1st) and V-E day (May 8th). Both fall on a Wed, so hopefully there will be less temptation to bridge the same weekend. I'll probably set off after the weekend after the 8th to be sure. The next two are much later than usual, due to Easter being so late. So Ascension Day is Thurs May 30th and Pentecost is June 10th. I can work around those dates.

In September, we found that we did not have much choice when it came to reserving ahead. Gîtes in the countryside generally had space, but not in towns. And popular recommended gîtes had been fully booked for ages. I had booked Montbonnet and Le Sauvage in June, and was glad I did. So I will book ahead in the next month or so when I am sure of my plans. Such a contrast to walking the Camino Frances.

I've been putting quite a bit of effort into learning French, so it will good to try it out! Nothing like planning a walk when the weather is as cold and dreary as is it in my part of England at the moment.

 

[Macman]

I walked this section in May two years ago. I am Australian, and the were others of multiple nationalities on the route at the same time then, but who you share your days and evenings with is pot luck! My French is not brilliant, but I was able to hold a basic conversation with most of my fellow walkers, and I have found that provided you make an attempt at French, many of the natives will reveal that they have some English! I think that part of the route will be prettier in May as well as cooler - many of the blossoms are still out and the wayside flowers were blooming then...

Have a great walk, whenever you do it!

 

[TMcA]

Congratulations on your efforts to improve your French before you go.

Consider making a brief detour to see Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, a famous little village on the top of a hill. But I recommend this only if you will visit there on a weekday. On the weekends there is a crush of tourists and tour busses. It's a day's walk fom the GR65. I stayed at a gite in Bach and then walked there the next day. I had several interesting things happen on my detour, one of which included getting very lost and also being helped by a generous French woman (the link to my post on my getting lost/rescue is attached).

Bon chemin.

Tom
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...y-of-hiking-vers-to-cahors.27270/#post-221546

 

[Kitsambler]

the French bank holidays for 2019, and there are the usual 2 in early May - Labour Day (May 1st) and V-E day (May 8th). Both fall on a Wed, so hopefully there will be less temptation to bridge the same weekend.

Fat chance! They will just take the entire week.

I'll probably set off after the weekend after the 8th to be sure. The next two are much later than usual, due to Easter being so late. So Ascension Day is Thurs May 30th and Pentecost is June 10th. I can work around those dates.

A good plan, especially if you begin the Monday after that weekend.

I've been putting quite a bit of effort into learning French...

Many French (and other French-speakers, esp. Belgians and Swiss) know more English than you know French. But it's their turf, eh? This dynamic is complicated by a French cultural preference to be perfect in all things or not at all. Once you demonstrate respect with a good-faith effort at French, they will decide that their poor English is better than your even-poorer French. I've managed just fine over several different years in France, with about the level of French proficiency you describe. But be advised, it is a humbling experience to so limited in communication and so dependent on the kindness of strangers: not a bad thing for a pilgrim though!

 

[TimH]

We walked this section in May 2017. It was wonderful. We did book our accommodation a few days to a week ahead. Some places were full but we got by OK , although on one occasion we had to catch a taxi to a place back where we had been and then forward to where we had walked to. Yes mainly French speakers but a smattering of our nationalities who spoke English and we kept finding French people who also spoke some English. The French were wonderful to us. We speak very little French despite failed efforts to learn. Or maybe I should say that I could speak very basic French 40 years ago but it has all gone. We finished at Pamplona very early June by which time it was getting hot. Would definitely prefer May over June.

 

[Sixwheeler]

I worked for a French company and it's amazing how quickly your French language skills improve through use. The French people you meet will be delighted and flattered that you are trying to speak to them in their language and will take pride in trying to help you, so just wade in and practice your French. Caveat 1: many will wish to practice their English in you so you end up with two people speaking each other's language badly, such fun. Caveat 2: NEVER pretend you understand something you don't, say so and work round it until you do. I once booked transport in exactly the opposite direction I intended!
Ultreïa.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

It's interesting how each year is so different weatherwise. I walked the Le Puy route as far as Auvillar in June 2018 and was glad I did. I'd read numerous reports and saw photos from others who had walked in May. They had lots of rain, paths turned to rushing streams of water and a few days even had some snow. In June the wildflowers were gorgrous and only the last few days were relatively warm.

 

[Felice]

Thank you for all these replies.

On the language side, last year I always started a request/booking etc in French as it's only polite to do so. How long the exchange lasted in French depended on how bad my french was, or how much English the other person wanted to speak. I was quite surprised as to how many people did speak decent English. Hopefully, such conversations will go on a little longer this year!

The weather in the second half of May versus the first half of June, looks like it can be summed up in one word: variable. Looking back over Wunderground's records for the past few years, there have been hot weeks in May and cold weeks in June (which usually coincide with heavy rain). I think I will just have to go ahead and book and pack accordingly much nearer the date.

 

[Felice]

Consider making a brief detour to see Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, a famous little village on the top of a hill. But I recommend this only if you will visit there on a weekday. On the weekends there is a crush of tourists and tour busses. It's a day's walk fom the GR65. I stayed at a gite in Bach and then walked there the next day. I had several interesting things happen on my detour, one of which included getting very lost and also being helped by a generous French woman (the link to my post on my getting lost/rescue is attached).

Bon chemin.

Tom
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...y-of-hiking-vers-to-cahors.27270/#post-221546[/QUOTE]

I intend to take the Cele Valley route, and stay at Bouziès, then do the 8km detour there and back before heading on to Pasturat. Thanks for the warning about avoiding the weekend!

 

[Felice]

Many French (and other French-speakers, esp. Belgians and Swiss) know more English than you know French. But it's their turf, eh? This dynamic is complicated by a French cultural preference to be perfect in all things or not at all. Once you demonstrate respect with a good-faith effort at French, they will decide that their poor English is better than your even-poorer French.

Totally agree!
Someone apologised for not automatically speaking English to English people. I told them absolutely not. It's your country, we English should at least make an effort to speak your language.

I also found the French to be very gracious about my mangling of their language. Several times they said I spoke French well - which is a total untruth. I did wonder a little if it was because my pronunciation is a little less dreadful than that of many English people, because I had revised my school French by listening to audio lessons rather than from a text book.

 

[Felice]

It's interesting how each year is so different weatherwise. I walked the Le Puy route as far as Auvillar in June 2018 and was glad I did. I'd read numerous reports and saw photos from others who had walked in May. They had lots of rain, paths turned to rushing streams of water and a few days even had some snow. In June the wildflowers were gorgrous and only the last few days were relatively warm.

I'm starting from Conques, so won't be going over the Aubrac plateau. Hopefully that will make a bit of a difference in late May.

 

[Sagiberg]

Hi Felice, we also intend to go during the second half of May ,starting from Conques- so that's two English speakers on that part. Our French is poor but we know that it served us well during the first part. It certainly turned to be better from day to day on the way. Regarding the weather it is a gamble. We also checked the records of earlier years and we simply hope that we will be lucky, at least part of the way.

 

[peregrina2000]

This may be a little off-topic but I think it is important for us anglos to realize that walking into a small establishment in France and diving into business (for instance, going into a bread store and just asking for a baguette) is perceived as extremely rude. It may be the way we do business, but it will not be well received in France. Once my husband and I figured that out, and started our interaction with a bonjour and whatever other niceties we could muster, we found that people all treated us kindly. Kind of ironic that so many Americans think the French are rude to us, when really they are just responding to what they perceive as our rudeness to them.

 

[Laurie Sanantone]

This may be a little off-topic but I think it is important for us anglos to realize that walking into a small establishment in France and diving into business (for instance, going into a bread store and just asking for a baguette) is perceived as extremely rude. It may be the way we do business, but it will not be well received in France. Once my husband and I figured that out, and started our interaction with a bonjour and whatever other niceties we could muster, we found that people all treated us kindly. Kind of ironic that so many Americans think the French are rude to us, when really they are just responding to what they perceive as our rudeness to them.

We found the same to be true in Spain, too!