Conques to SJPDP just completed

[BobM]

Here are a few quick notes that might be useful to others. I took 24 days to complete this sector of the le Puy route. I did not use a planned rest day in Lectoure, but walked a few short stages of 16 to 18 km instead. For me, a couple of short days were better than doing nothing for a whole day.

My costs averaged 46 euro per day, but I did not stay in many gite communal. I used 80 minutes phone time, for bookings only. I used the Orange network, but it was no better than SFR. Reception was poor or nonexistent in quite q few places.

Favourite places to stay: Rom and Aideens gite Ultreia at Moissac; gite communal at Auvillar; Ferme Gaineko Etxea 1 km after Ostabat; Esthers gite Violettes at Grealou. I will post more details when I get home. I used places recommended by kiwinomad and others where possible.

Not impressed with Esprit du Chemin at SJPDP, despite the good PR it gets. Overcrowded and touristy. That might be fine for new pilgrims just starting on the Camino Frances, but it grated on me at the end of my chemin. In fact, after seeing my small crowded room with 3 people packed in closely I decided to go to a hotel instead and said the gite could keep my money, since I had made a booking and was cancelling at the last minute. Another person took my bed, and the gite gave me my 20 euros back at the end of the day.

SJPDP was a complete shock after 24 tranquil days on the chemin. Seething with tourists and packed with souvenir shops. Much worse than I remember from 3 yeqrs ago. I hope the rest of the Camino Frances is not becoming like this, but maybe that will encourqge pilgrims to take other, quieter routes.

MMD was adequate for maps. Route markers for the GR65 were generally good, but not always. Care is needed in a few places; More on that later when I get home. I never used my camera maps. Too inconvenient in practice.

Anyway, thats enough for now.

Bob M

 

[gittiharre]

Hi Bob, well done, I am off to walk the Via Gebenennsis and Robert Louis Stevenson Trail from Le Puy through the Cevennes starting next week. Cheers, Gitti

 

[Thornley]

Well done Robert,
Take your time getting home mate , 13c and windy.

Found your comments interesting about St.J P de P
I think you are 100% correct.
We had a guy from Mt. Isa with us for a few days and Steven decided at Condom to head south to the southern route to avoid same. They had walked from Lake Constance and time was against them arriving in Santiago on the desired day.

Safe flight,
D

 

[gittiharre]

I agree with your views on STJPP. Even though Conques was magic in a way I was put off by the tourist element there too. Did not find any of the spanish towns touristy though in the same way at all. Crowded yes and noisy yes, but overall an experience I would not have missed. Gitti

 

[peregrina2000]

Enhorabuena, Bob (not quite sure how to say that in French),

I look forward to reading your detailed comments. Right now my plans for 2011 are either to walk from LePuy to Pamplona or to go Madrid - Sahagun -Ponferrada and onto the Camino de Invierno. Not sure how I will make this terribly difficult decision, but I will devour and study every word you write.

Thanks much and safe journey home, Laurie

 

[Canuck]

Enhorabuena, Bob (not quite sure how to say that in French),

Laurie

À la bonne heure. Félicitations!

Add me to the list.

Jean-Marc

 

[KiwiNomad06]

Glad to hear you have made it safely Bob, and that you enjoyed the tranquility of the route. I had an e-mail from Aideen in which she said that you had stayed with them in Moissac!
I guess mid-August is a busy time in SJPP, and I probably experienced it at a quieter time- but I quite liked the buzz, and the mixture of old and new pilgrims. I suppose for me though a rest day in SJPP was a kind of transition between France and Spain- but I can understand why you would have preferred more quiet to reflect at the end of the Chemin.

Like the others, I look forward to hearing more once you are home.
Margaret

 

[nellpilgrim]

Hi Bob, Congratulations I'm really looking forward to reading your comments and insights.
Nell

 

[jl]

Hi Bob, Congratulations. When I got to SJPdeP I did all the necessary "jobs" (like postcards home etc) and then hightailed it out to Hunto just so I could avoid all those crowds!. Mind you, we were the subject of a number of videos as we left town - a real pilgrim heading up over the mountain! After such a leisurely and peaceful journey it is amazing what a shock to the system all these crowds can be, but I am always surprised at how after 6 months at home one seems to slot into not taking too much notice of them again. Safe journey home, Janet

 

[Frood]

Tnxs.

Cautionary comments and will take into consideration since starting from Le Puy in early September.

Frood

 

[robertt]

Congratulations, Bob. Hope you can find time for more impressions of the Le Puy route. It's a fave topic of mine.

Rob

 

[BobM]

Just arrived home. Jetlag kills me for a week at least and I just want to hide somewhere dark and quiet until the nightmare ends. Worse than any of the rigours of the chemin.

Thx for the kind thoughts. I hope to get to my notes and pics next week to post something useful while the thoughts are still fresh.

BTW, I was continually surprised by the truly incredible distances some people walk - from Germany to Santriago, 3 months, is quite "common", admittedly among the pilgrim fraternity, not the population at large.

The ultimate pilgrim I met was a 62-yo Frenchman who had already walked from Jerusalem en route to Santiago and had been walking for 13 months. A simple man, but by no means a recluse or ascetic - actually quite garrulous, who had a certain air of self-sufficiency, of having found something truly meaningful and who lived "in the moment, and in the place". "Doucement, monsieur, doucement" was his approach to walking.

After a time, I could spot these characteristics in a few other pilgrims as well. Quite inspiring.

There is a good shop in SJPDP supplying pilgrims with clothing, equipment etc (more details later). The owner is a very experienced pilgrim and his stock reflects his experience. Next year he plans to walk from Canterbury to Rome. This statement proved to be most unfortunate for me, since now I can't get the thought of doing the same walk out of my mind. Pilgrims I met often told me that walking is like a drug or a malady. I seem to have caught it, alas.

Best wishes

Bob M

 

[BobM]

I had an e-mail from Aideen in which she said that you had stayed with them in Moissac!Margaret

They mentioned you with great affection. Rom gave me some expensive compeed for heel blisters. I bought more compeed that I did not use, and mailed it to him from SJPDP. "Those who give shall also receive"

Regards

Bob M

 

[robertt]

Bob, Canterbury to Rome has entered my thoughts. My first experience as a pilgrim was walking parts of the Via Francigena near Siena. I didn't know I was a pilgrim, I was just walking the countryside.

I know now!

 

[BobM]

Bob, Canterbury to Rome has entered my thoughts. My first experience as a pilgrim was walking parts of the Via Francigena near Siena. I didn't know I was a pilgrim, I was just walking the countryside.I know now!

Before I heard of the Via Francigena, I was tentatively thinking of walking to Rome from somewhere in Italy next year, spending maybe 10 days on such a walk.

But doing the whole thing seems much more meaningful - although as a "church-falling-down-when-I enter" Protestant I should perhaps walk from Rome to Canterbury. I did a quick Google on Via Francigena, and there is a heap of information available. It is about 1900 km, and takes 85 - 90 days.

I am certainly going to research it fully.

Regards

Bob M

 

[BobM]

When I got to SJPdeP I did all the necessary "jobs" (like postcards home etc) and then hightailed it out to Hunto just so I could avoid all those crowds!

That is an excellent idea. A German guy I met planned to do exactly that on his spare day. I also had a spare day and was hoping to walk up to the high point of the pass myself if the day was clear. Three years ago I walked over the mountains in May, and it was foggy nearly all the way. Alas, it was raining in SJPDP and I decided not to go.

Regards

Bob M

 

[BobM]

Here are a few general notes before I get into detailed stage comments next week.

WATER: MMD does not show all the water points and that can be misleading when planning a day's walk. The locals told me that many churches and every cemetery has a water point. That was my experience, and I occasionally refilled at cemeteries. However, water is not always as abundant as on the Camino Frances, so I carried an extra 500ml reserve in my pack as well as 2 x 500ml plastic bottles outside. Most days were warm to hot after about 12:00, and my water consumption went up in the afternoons.

WALKING: The average pace for most people, including me, was about 4km/hr. Typically I would walk 20 - 25km/day, with a couple of short breaks and 20 - 30 minutes for lunch on the road. So my walking days were usually about 6 hrs. If I walked 25 - 30 km in a day, the extra effort was quite noticeable. I started about 7:30 to get the bulk of the walking done in the coolest part of the day. To my surprise, many, if not most, pilgrims started later and arrived at the gites after 4 pm. My pack was about 7kg including food and water.

SHOP HOURS & FOOD: Bakeries are open every day, often from 6:30, so you can always buy fresh bread. Epiceries (grocery shops, mini-marts) are sometimes closed on Mondays and certainly on Sundays. So care is needed about food for the weekends. On one weekend, I had to carry all meals for 2 days, and that added about 2kg to my pack. I always carried an emergency ration of 1 or 2 cans of fish, and had dried fruit or nuts as well. Quite often I ate bread that was 2 - 3 days old, which I am sure would horrify French people, who must have piping hot fresh bread every morning. If it were spring/autumn I would have carried cheese, but in summer the heat makes cheese sweat badly.

More later.

Bob M

 

[BobM]

Here is another instalment of general notes.

MAPS: The MMD maps are quite adequate if you stick to their routes. Their main weakness is the lack of elevation profiles to help planning stages. In my camera I had pics of the detailed GR65 topo maps, but I did not use them, mainly because the small screen on my camera made it too frustrating to scroll around the images and it was consuming too much battery power. Electronic maps would be practical on large-screen devices like netbooks or iPads.

WAYMARKS: The GR65 is well marked with red/white stripes (balises) in various shapes. However, there are many other routes as well, so it is common to see a variety of waymarks in different colours and shapes on the same post or tree. That also makes it essential to do one's own navigating and not simply follow the group ahead. They may be doing a quite different walk. I would rate the waymarks as say 7 or 8 out of 10 overall, but in a few places I would rate them only 3 or 4, and in others 10. I wil try to comment in more detail in the relevant stage notes later.

PLAN/SCHEDULE: Originally I planned a rest day in Lectoure, but I used the day instead on the
Nogaro/Maslacq sector to avoid three days of 30+km per day. This can be a difficult sector to plan 20-25km stages because of the distances between accomodation. Actually, rest days frustrated me on the Camino Frances, because of the wasted time involved when I had no physical problems requiring rest. This time I found a better option was to walk a couple of short stages (under 20 km) instead. Other variations were made if my preferred accomodation was booked out. That happened a few times where the logical place to stop was booked out.

ACCOMODATION: I booked one day ahead, except for the Nogaro/Maslacq sector where I booked 3 days ahead to ensure my daily stages could be done for that problematic sector. If big groups are walking, booking becomes more important. After Navarrenx a group of 12 tied up a lot of accomodation. I could not get into the gite communal at Aroue. A couple of others ended up sleeping on tables. Local staff there were not particularly sympathetic. Aroue was occasionally mentioned as a problem stop because of limited accomodation.

TRAINING: My thoughts on pre-chemin training have changed completely: Don't bother, if you are already an experienced walker and basically in good shape. Regardless of training, the first week of the chemin will still involve conditioning the body with its attendant aches and pains and sore feet. A couple of very experienced pilgrims said that their approach was to do only short stages for the first week until the body is conditioned and any injuries are under control. Of course, if we are walking for only 1-2 weeks and have to meet a schedule for flights/trains etc, this may not be always possible. Experienced walkers may want to do a long training walk if they have new shoes to break in or a new pack to test. Beginners should probably train, more as a confidence-building exercise and to see how they can cope with a full pack over a full day's walking. The physical benefits of training for normally fit, healthy people are minimal, but the psychological benefits may be important.

Regards

Bob M

 

[BobM]

Here is the first instalment of my route notes

Wed July 21: Conques - Livinhac le-Haut (26km, 6.5hrs) via the Chemin des Cretes variant route in MMD that avoids Decazeville. Rained last night and still stormy with thunder at breakfast in the Abbey. Cloudy and damp all day, but no rain. Very stiff 1.75-hr climb out of Conques. The variant route after Agnac is not well way-marked and care is required. I arrived at La Magnanerie and had lunch in the nice garden until Mrs Robertson arrived at 3 pm to receive pilgrims. I slept in the tower section, which was very comfortable, with only 2 beds on each floor. "Magnanerie" means a place for silk-making in the Occitan language. A good place to stay, but out of town. Dinner with a French couple. The man is writing a crime novel which is set partly in Australia, so he was interested in local colour from me. Had a salad with gesiers, which are part of the stomach of a duck. See Wikipedia.

Thu July 22: Livinhac le-Haut - Figeac (26 km, 7.3 hrs). Steady rain all the way to Figeac made it impossible to follow the guide. The waymarks were very good, but I did miss two turns in the rain that cost me an extra 20 minutes or so of walking. Very irritating. Sections of the route were very beautiful. Difficult to find dry places to rest and eat, which made the walk quite hard. Relentless descent into Figeac on hard bitumen road, not comfortable at all with shin splints stabbing pain up the legs with every jarring step. Stayed at the Hotel le Pont D'Or so I could sleep properly that night and dry my shoes, washing etc. A good, but expensive hotel right at the bridge into old Figeac. Dinner of veal sausage with potatoes with a crepe and honey and banana at the street market. A couple of local ladies gossiping at the table were observing me closely and remarked on my voracious appetite, wishing me bon appetit.

Fri July 23: Figeac - Grealou (20.5km - if you don't get lost!). Cloudy and cool all day, with patches of sunshine and no rain. Recovered well overnight, no leg soreness. Stiff climb for about an hour up to a tall stone pylon. I continued on the well-marked main path for 45 minutes until I realised I was on the wrong route, heading back to Livinhac on the variant GR6A. Wasting all that time and retracing my steps was extremely de-motivating. What I hoped would be a short day turned into a 27km (7.5hr) day. The waymark showing the turnoff to La Cassagnole was easy to miss, but I am still not 100% sure how I went wrong. The MMD maps don't tally exactly with the ground I saw, so possibly I was on a variant route not shown. I had taken a shortcut out of Figeac from my hotel, following waymarks but that is always risky with no topo maps! Today's walk was very enjoyable, beautiful paths through woods, past stone walls and buildings. Stayed at Atelier des Violets Bleus in Grealou, right next to the church. Wonderful welcome with coffee. Nice dorm upstairs, beds not crowded together, so there was a sense of privacy. Esther, the owner, is quite an extroverted character. Extremely hospitable. Excellent, plentiful food which we all
helped to prepare for dinner in a very happy atmosphere. A very relaxing place to stay in a nice, small village. Definitely Recommended.

More to follow

Bob M

 

[sharon w]

Dear Bob,
Thanks for all your info. We are planning to walk this route in 2012, or if push comes to shove, maybe next year. Are there many steep parts?
Sharon

 

[BobM]

Are there many steep parts?Sharon

There are quite a few steep parts. Often the major towns are in river valleys, so that usually involves steep descents and steep climbs out. The climb out of Conques for example is long and hard. The last ascent into Auvilar is hard.

I find that the thing with climbs is to slow down before I feel really puffed, and to progress slowly while breathing relatively normally. Don't push on panting hard until you have to stop for a rest. Of course, the key thing is to have a light pack. A good walking pole (not one of those wooden pilgrim poles sold everywhere) is a big help too.

This website http://www.godesalco.com/plan/podense has a stage planner that also prints out elevation profiles. Unfortunately the vertical scale does not give a really good idea of difficulty.

Also, have a look at this thread el-camino-frances/topic4065.html for more discussion on the topic.

Hope this helps.

Bob M

 

[BobM]

Here are some more notes:

Sat July 24: Grealou - Limogne (28km, 8hrs). The day started very cool and foggy, but became sunny and quite warm in the afternoon. Vineyards, farm fields. Shady paths, nice views. Stone walls. Wonderful view overlooking Cajarc. Did not see a single walker all day. Very tired today, sore legs. Routines for food, breaks, daily chores are established now and I feel more in control. Stayed at Les Gloriettes. Kind, very chatty owner - keen to talk at length when I just wanted to take my shoes off and flop on my bed. Nice spacious grounds. I was the only person in my room. Very comfortable. Pizza and fruit for dinner in town.

Sun July 25: Limogne - Lalbenque ( 24km, 6.5hrs). Retraced my steps twice to confirm waymarks. Cloudy and cool most of the day. Did not see a single walker all day. Stone walls in fine white limestone. Some massive walls. Huts and mounds. Two trail bike riders roared past while I was having lunch on the road. Unfortunately, they did not crash to rid the world of two of these abominations. More enjoyable were the multitudes of cicadas singing as the day warmed up. Lots of delicious small plums ripening. Too early yet for the blackberries, but I am watching them carefully too. Nice off-road paths most of the day, except for the last few depressing km on hot
bitumen and traffic into Lalbenque. I wanted to stay at Poudally, right on the GR65, but it was fully booked. Poudally is the logical place to stop to avoid a few km detour from the GR65, but book early. I stayed at Le Lion d'Or hotel in Lalbenque. Nothing special. Likewise for the town. There are quite a few variant routes in this region, especially if you want to bypass Cahors to save time. Today I felt good and strong. Aches and pains on the mend. Still tired at the end of each day, but overnight recovery is good. That's the key thing to watch on very long walks. Usually in bed by 9.15 each night.

More to follow.

Bob M

 

[BobM]

Mon JUly 26: Lalbenque - Les Mathieux (24.5km, 7.5hrs). Cloudy with fine drizzle off and on all the way to Cahors. I took the D10 out of Lalbenque to rejoin the GR65 to save about 1 km. Navigation with MMD Map 37 is easy. Easy walking to Cahors. Covered paths, some rocky places, Very attractive. A couple of the wood GR65 signs were defaced in this sector, but it was obvious. Saw only 2 walkers all day. The lack of pilgrims is surprising, but there are lots of footprints. Spent 90 minutes in Cahors buying food, having lunch and a look around. It is an interesting city and would be worth a half-day stay if you could plan a short stage accordingly. Heavy rain shower and then the sun came out. Very steep climb out of Cahors on steps, with nice views over the town. Confusing waymark (strip of red and white plastic tape tied to a tree) at the top of the climb. The final walk to Les Mathieux was along a main road. Sunny and quite hot. The last 30 minutes was relentlessly uphill. Stayed at Domaine Les Mathieux. Wonderful. Quiet location.
Pool. Spacious gardens and relaxing places to sit. Good rooms. The gite is fairly new. Lots of photos, maps of the route to Santiago. Very hospitable hosts, nice food. Definitely recommended. I much prefer to stay in places like this, rather than in towns like Cahors. Today was a good day. The body is fine now and I am able to focus more outwardly on the journey, rather than being concerned about routines, food, injuries, accomodation etc. Here is where I met the pilgrim who had walked from Jerusalem. A remarkable man, as I have mentioned earlier.

Tue July 27: Les Mathieux - Montcuq (25km, 7hrs). Sunny all day and quite hot after 12:00. Steep, rocky climb to Labastide. Quite a few other pilgrims today as Cahors is a popular start point. Lunch outside the Lascabanes church - sardines, bread, banana, dried apricots, nuts. Steep, hot climb out of Lascabanes then Very open country, little shade. Very hot (35 degrees?) on the final leg to Montcuq. Stayed at Le Souleillou ("Little Sun" in Occitan). The gite is in nice surroundings and gardens, but quite a way out of town. My room was crowded, with 4 double bunks, all occupied. Excellent meals. Nice hosts. Recommended. Lay on the bed till dinner, not feeling very well.

Wed July 28: Montcuq - Lauzerte (14km, 4hrs). Had a quick look around Montcuq before hitting the trail. The big tower is most impressive. Sunny and hot all day. Route markers not good at Bonal and I wasted 10 minutes figuring out the route. Fantastic view of Lauzerte on a hill across a valley, about 40 minutes away. Very steep descent, with ropes to hang onto in places. The final climb up to Lauzerte was steep. Convenient supermarket to buy food just before the climb. I stayed at Les Figuiers. Great welcome with cold drinks. Friendly and hospitable. Nice places to sit outside, with wonderful views over the countryside. Starlings wheeling about at dusk. I was the only one in my room, but the place was basically full. Recommended. Managed to get a couple of hot spots on my heels today walking on hot bitumen. Felt quite good today, yesterday's malady seems to have gone.

 

[BobM]

I have been using words like "Steep" and "Stiff" to describe climbs, but they are very subjective terms. I don't mean steep in a vertiginous or clambering sense, but in the sense of an ascent where you have to slow down markedly to avoid puffing and panting unduly. That also depends on the individual. I seemed to be about average, maybe a little quicker. I never tried to push myself on climbs, but tried to deliberately slow down to walk well within my capacity. Lots of people took the same ascents very slowly, but others were faster than me. Of course, the weight of the pack is a critical factor.

Thu July 29: Lauzerte - Moissac (26.3km, 7.5hrs). Stiff climb out of Lauzerte. Cool and cloudy all the way to Moissac. Clay soils now, the limestone buildings and fences are behind us. Farmlands. Sunflowers, vines apples, peaches, plums. Waymarks pretty average today, especially entering Moissac. Rain just before arriving in Moissac. Stayed at Gite d'Etape Ultreia, run by an Irish couple Rom and Aideen Bates. Probably my favourite place to stay on the whole walk, mainly because of Rom and Aideen. Both are very welcoming to pilgrims. It was nice to be able to speak freely and easily in English, so I babbled on at great length to Rom and probably kept him from other jobs. Nice sheltered garden to relax in. Very nice rooms. We ate an excellent dinner in the garden. Good breakfast. Moissac has an interesting central area around the church, which is well worth spending some time in.

Fri July 30: Moissac - Auvillar (18.4km, 4.5hrs). Rom and I were keen to keep chatting, so it was 8 am before I hit the road. Cool and sunny all day. Very beautiful, shady walk along the canal towpath all the way to Pommevic. Saw the occasional boat on the canal - very serene. Several locks. The route left the canal at Pommevic and wound through flat farmland on hard bitumen roads. The final steep climb up to Auvillar was very slow going. Had lunch in a little park with a cat for company while waiting for the tourist office to open so I could check in to the gite communale. Very efficient and helpful, like all the tourist offices I visited on the walk. A staff member took me personally to the gite and showed me around. Without a doubt this is the best gite communale I used on the whole walk. Single rooms. Sitting room with books. Very spacious
and interesting design. Shady garden outside the kitchen where you can sit and eat or just relax with wonderful views over the countryside. Plum trees with ripe fruit. I gave one loaded branch a shake and down tumbled plenty of luscious plums for snacks next day. I was the only person in the whole place. Absolutely wonderful and relaxing. Cooked dinner of soup, pasta and plums. Auvillar is interesting, with a couple of museums and the dominant "grain hall" in the central area. Felt very tired at the end of the day and not 100% well.

Sat July 31: Auvillar - Boue (28km, 7.5hrs). Clear, quite hot with no breeze all day and it became a real drag after 12:00. After Castet-Arrouy much of the path was on broken clay soils between fields. Very uncomfortable walking, with no shade or breeze until the last couple of km to Boue. Stayed at Ivor and Rosemary Elliott's farm (listed in MMD) rather than plugging on to Lectoure. They are an English couple who retired to France and are renovating an old farm - in the vein of "Grand Designs". I arrived at the end of a big lunch with their friends. All extremely hospitable and curious about my walk. Very nice room, nice garden to relax in. Today was the hardest day so far for me, mainly because of the heat and distance. Extremely tired and foot sore. The Elliotts and their house guests were very attentive. Good food. Recommended. The middle stages of a long walk become a mental challenge to some extent. The days roll on, but you never seem to be getting anywhere, just punching out the stages.

Bob M

 

[BobM]

Sun August 1: Boue - La Romieu (24.3km, 6.75hrs). Excellent breakfast, fresh OJ, fresh bread and croissants, local honey. Sunny all morning, but not hot today. Some of the route markers in Lectoure were obscured by trucks and stalls setting up for the street market. Spent about 20 minutes looking around. Quite interesting, but I am not sure it would be worth a rest day. Music in the cathedral at night, that would have been a nice diversion. Clouds rolled in after 11:30, with thunder in the distance that quickly came closer. Then it started to rain heavily. Not very thrilled to be walking in the open with a metal walking pole with lightning about. Sticky, slippery clay soil built up into a heavy mass on my shoes. Unpleasant walking. Somewhere I lost my hat, having stuffed it into a pocket when the rain came and I donned my poncho quickly. Picturesque walk on the final leg into La Romieu, despite the rain. Stayed at Le Couvent de La Romieu, with a room to myself. Very spacious. Welcoming host. Recommended. I told him I had lost my hat. Did the tour of the church, but I was not too motivated to be a tourist. Lots of them about. Pests. In the inner garden of the church there is a life-size plywood cutout of some religious figure, with a hole where the face would be. Tourists can stand behind the cutout, poke their face through the hole and get their picture taken, thus bringing out their inner child. Very tired and hungry today. Dinner at a local restaurant. Very good, but it dragged on for too long. That's the problem with restaurant meals if you just want to re-fuel. Fine if your are with a group and want to chat and socialise.

Mon, August 2: La Romieu - Condom (16km, 3.75hrs). Very good breakfast. We each had a little basket with bread, spreads, yoghurt, cake, OJ and coffee. Leaden grey sky and a steady drizzle of rain, very depressing. Just as I was about to set off into the murk, the manager of the gite rushed up to me with my hat. A family had found it on the track and brought it here. My spirits rose at once and I thanked the family profusely in my cultured French. Happy faces all round. Could not make any booking for tonight as phone reception was very poor (even near the church) and there was only a recorded message at the gite communale in Condom. The walk was easy, but it rained all the way, sometimes heavily. More thunder and lightning flashes. Very open country. Hopefully not too many pilgrims get zapped. The gite communale in Condom was open, but no one there, so I found a bed and settled in anyway. Cooked lunch and dinner in the gite. Too wet to go sightseeing. Only 3 other pilgrims here. Very relaxing to have a short day and plenty of time to do chores. Staff arrived at 4 pm and the lady asked if I were scared of women, as I had chosen an empty dorm so as to allow the three girls in the other dorm their space and privacy. The gite is very close to the church, and I can see it from my window. Very nice - until you go to bed and the hours, quarters and halves strike relentlessly all night. In fact they strike twice, in case you missed the count on the first striking. Normally, church bells stop at 10pm or so, but not here, for some reason.

Bob M

 

[BobM]

Tues, August 3: Condom – Seviac (19km, 5.75hrs). Cloudy until arrival at Seviac, when sunny patches broke out. Very nice walk out of Condom, along a river, through trees. A couple of small deer ran across the path later on. Easy walking today. Stayed at Ferme du Soleil, because I wanted to visit the Roman villa (about 400m from the gite). Nice garden, lots of greenery. Quiet and secluded. My “room” is actually in a mobile home parked under a roof to provide shade from the sun and rain. Quite comfortable. One other person sharing with me. The other rooms are standard gite rooms. Excellent meals, hospitable hosts, friendly guests. Recommended. The Roman Villa excavation site was good, but extremely crowded with pestilential tourists.

Wed, August 4: Seviac – Eauze (16km, 3.7hrs). Today’s walk was short because I needed to start optimizing stages to avoid three 30+ km days coming up. Also, the short days allow better recuperation in the absence of a rest day. Slept extremely well last night. Felt very refreshed and strong all day. Terrain quite flat. Shady tracks for walking. Cool and some cloud. Saw a couple of hares, also the occasional cat hunting along the hedges. Stayed at the gite communal, with spacious rooms, partitions and un-crowded beds, giving some privacy. Lunch in the main square. Became a pestilential tourist myself and visited the excellent museum to see the famous Eauze Treasure of thousands of Roman coins and jewellery. Cooked dinner with the other two people in the gite.

Thurs, August 5: Eauze – Nogaro (20km, 4.75 hrs). Rained last night. Quite cool and cloudy all morning. Sunny and warm in the afternoon. Passed a tent and camper beside the track. Vineyards and cornfields, some sunflowers. Cows. A big duck farm. The blackberries are starting to ripen. Yum! Seemed to be climbing off and on all day, not steep, but noticeably tiring. Had booked at the gite d’etape associatif. It was well out of town and in a sort of industrial and camping area. Horrible. No one there to receive pilgrims until 2pm, so I sat and had lunch. Campers and assorted strays wandered in to use the toilets. Eventually I got sick of this depressing place and booked a room at La Fontaine St Jacques instead. The lady came to collect me in her car, then drove me to town to show me the food shop. Excellent rooms and facilities. Pool. Covered area for sitting and relaxing. Very hospitable and helpful hosts who helped me with my accomodation booking at Pimbo (I booked 3 nights ahead here). Excellent meals. Highly Recommended.

Bob M

 

[BobM]

Fri, August 6: Nogaro – Aire sur l’Adour (27.2km, 7hrs). Clear sky, quite cool. Today I am carrying two day’s food for the weekend, about 2kg and a very noticeable extra load. I took a variant route along a main road to pass by L’Arbaldoise. I wanted to stay there last night, but the gite was fully booked. It has really nice gardens and looks like a great place to stay. I suspect it is always in great demand. A team of horses clip-clopped past me, shining coats, glittering brass fittings jingling, proud passengers erect in their open coach. Later another man was feeding his horse delicacies and whispering endearments to her as she nibbled out of his hand. Quite a few walkers today, the most so far since Conques. Hot after 11:30. The route before Barcelonne du-Gers was through cornfields with lots of potholes and small mounds (caused by moles) on the narrow clay path. Very uncomfortable walking. Obsessive route marking today – sometimes even bends are marked where there is no possibility of taking another route. The last stretch into Aire was along a busy, noisy main road and was very unpleasant. Stayed at Chez l’Ahumat. Quite efficient, good room and food, but nothing special. The town itself is quite nice – on a big river, and we all know what that means for tomorrow!

Sat, August 7: Aire sur l’Adour – Pimbo (26.7km, 6.75hrs).
The sector between Nogaro and Maslacq needs careful planning to avoid 2+ days over 30km – or more, very short days. Standard itineraries seem to have stops at Aire, Arzac and Arthez – the biggest towns. I opted to stop at Aire, Pimbo, Pomps and Maslacq and booked those places ahead. Stiff climb out of Aire (what a surprise!). Very nice walk through woods and past a lake with mist rising form the surface. Fisherman casting into the still, misty water. Lots of ripe blackberries now, big and luscious. Even saw a couple of Australian wattles – what are they doing here? Cornfields all morning – Europe seems to be covered in subsidized cornfields for animal feed and for making ethanol. Excellent route markers. Hot walking in the afternoon, past cornfields and on hot roads. The last 30 minutes into Pimbo were steep and uncomfortable, but on shady forest tracks. Since it was Sunday, the gite was not staffed, but I found the hidden key exactly as per the complicated phone instructions from Virginie, the tourist office lady who takes bookings. Only 5 beds here, so book in advance. Beautiful, tiny village with a small tourist office, tiny Mairie and historic church around a tiny square, with shady trees to sit under. The gite is right next to the church. Great facilities, and views – first distant views of Pyrenees. One of the nicest towns I stayed at. I loved it. No shops, no crowds. Virginie left a note for me and the other 3 people staying here. Highly recommended, but only for people who like small, relaxing places.

Sun, August 7: Pimbo – Pomps (26.9km, 7.25hrs). The day started cool and very foggy. Stiff climb to start the day, then into Arzacq! OK, it was Sunday morning, but I found Arzacq to be a dead, impersonal town that I was glad to leave, Maybe it is better for those who stay a night here. Today was the first day I started to see “camino stuff” that would be familiar to those who have walked the Camino Frances – crosses made of pebbles on the path, a “Pilgrim Tree” covered with shells, old boots, messages etc. Bad route markers before Fichous and after Larreule. Saw a solitary gum tree, and a few more wattles! Cornfields. Hot, uncomfortable walking on uneven paths for part of the day. Otherwise it was a lovely walk through hilly farmlands. Stayed a the gite communale. Astonishingly large for such a small town – two dorms with maybe 20 beds. Cleanliness of bed linen questionable – my sheet was obviously creased from a previous occupant, used compeed on the floor. A kids playground is part of the complex. OK, but nothing special to recommend it.

 

[BobM]

Mon, August 9: Pomps – Maslacq (19km, 5.25hrs). Cool, cloudy day. Passed a hammock slung between two trees on the side of the path, with a bike propped against a tree. No tent. Watch waymarks on this stage. An interminable walk through Arthez, strung out for a couple of km along a ridge. Very forgettable, but maybe I missed stuff that overnighters would enjoy. Today, I have a sense of the walk nearing its end, but I try not to focus on endings prematurely. Sufficient unto the day are the travails thereof. This is the start of the third phase of long walks – each day makes a difference now, optimism increases. Ripe plums, yellow ones now. A few ripe apples. I ate a windfall apple from the path, very tart. Today is a cool, easy walk and the pack feels light. Some days the pack is light, some days it drags on the back like a dead weight. Very heavy sky leaving Argagnon and soon light rain is falling. Care is needed with waymarks here, as it is easy to continue on the very busy N117 in error. A big sign warns traffic of pilgrims crossing the N117, but there is no actual waymark until you are at the D275. Stayed at Hotel Maugouber. Very comfortable, excellent food. The best croissants I have eaten this trip at breakfast next day! No food for lunch tomorrow because the epicerie is closed on Monday’s.

The owner of the hotel is a man of 85. I chatted with him about the old sepia photos on the lobby wall. One large photo taken in 1939 showed an open-top car parked in front of the hotel. A young man sat proudly in the driver’s seat, with other young men in the other seats, all wrapped up in coats, trying to look serious for the camera but obviously very chuffed. Older men stood around looking on. A woman could be seen looking out of a first floor window. A moment of innocent happiness caught in time, just before France was engulfed in war. The owner pointed to each of them with his cane and told me who they were. The years fell away as the old man spoke of these vanished people in a simple country town. The driver was a cousin. Another bystander was an uncle. The woman in the window was his mother, “tres formidable, ma mere” he said softly, turning away. Her picture, and that of her husband, were on the opposite wall of the lobby, both well-dressed in the formal way of old photos, both looking straight and seriously at the camera.

Tues, August 10: Maslacq – Navarrenx (21.8km, 5.75 hrs). The day started very foggy and cool but became sunny and very warm later. Four stiff climbs today, but now I feel good and strong as the days count down to SJPDP. Very nice walk into Sauvelade – an excellent place for a short break. There is a small epicerie there to buy limited food. Quite a few walkers today. Very pleasant country views all day. Stayed at Relais du Jacquet at Navarrenx. Very good rooms, excellent meals, an hospitable host who had given up a good job to run this place for pilgrims. Recommended. Went to the pilgrim welcome at the church and drinks afterwards. Navarrenx is famous for its walls and is well worth looking around.

Wed, August 11: Navarrenx – Bohoteguia (17.5km, 4.5hrs). Light cloud, very warm. In the morning I had the first really good view of the Pyrenees, looming like a jagged wall in the distance. A local pate factory has provided a sheltered rest stop for pilgrims, plus samples of their products. Very picturesque walk today. Quite hot when I arrived at La Ferme Bohoteguia for the night (the gite at Aroue was fully booked). This is a working farm. Very good meals. Spacious dorm. Nice views. OK, but limited space to sit and write if the gite is full – as it was when I was there.

 

[BobM]

Thu, August 12: Bohoteguia – Gaineko Etxea (22.2km, 5.75hrs). Woke to steady rain and low, leaden clouds. Very nice breakfast, so I lingered till 8 am hoping for a break in the rain. Heavy drizzle and fog all the way to Ohaiby. The path was over a high, open plateau on a very soggy path, often running with water. The view in good weather would be magnificent. I felt an unreasonable sense of injustice at the rain today, feeling that I deserved a nice, easy walk for the last two days into SJPDP. I took the variant route via Uhart Mixe (MMD Map 84). The walk was very enjoyable after the rain stopped; great views and rural scenery. Stayed for the night at Ferme Gaineko Etxea. Very spacious, lovely gardens, excellent facilities. A highlight is the long balcony with panoramic views of the Pyrenees, now looming close and massive, and views back down the valley towards Ostabat. Very hospitable staff, including the Basque singing host at dinner. He sang the whole time we were eating and we also joined in the songs. I enjoyed it, especially since tomorrow I would be in SJPDP and was in a celebratory mood, but I heard later that a few others thought it was horrible. So, be warned, if sing-songs are not your taste, choose another place for dinner! Overall, I rate this gite among the top places I stayed at.

Fri, August 13: Gaineko Etxea – St Jean Pied de Port (21.5km, 5.5hrs). Much merriment and goodwill as we all set off for the final walk to SJPDP. Group photos. Our singing host saw us all off. Very beautiful walking all day in a celebratory mood. Many ripe blackberries to snack on. Some stiff climbs. Finally the arrival at SJPDP and seething masses of tourists. I have mentioned this earlier, so I won’t dwell on my reactions again. I wandered around, visiting the place I stayed at 3 years ago, and walking up to the start of Route Napoleon where I began my camino to Santiago. A giant circle had been closed. I gave all my unused food, bandaids etc to the pilgrim reception centre – except for the expensive compeed, which I posted to Ultreia at Moissac.

Total distance from Conques to SJPDP: 546km.

I will post a few final general comments tomorrow. Photos will take some time to prepare and I will post the weblink when they are available.

I will be happy to answer questions or send pics if anyone wants to see something specific. The uploaded pics will be a very limited selection of images that interest me – not necessarily the most useful ones!

Anyway, I hope it has all been of some use.

Best Wishes

Bob M

 

[Ange]

Hi Bob,
I have been copying your reports onto a file so that I can refer more carefully to everything you have written next year when I prepare my next camino. This year I did the Primitivo from Oviedo. Next year I want to start from Le Puy and do it in two halves. The only difference will be the variant from Figeac via Rocamador, Penne, Pujols and finally Sembas which is right near where I live. To then restart from there the year after and continue to Agen and into the Gers picking up the route again in Condom. I have thoroughly enjoyed my first read and look forward to seeing the photos and going through it all again nearer the time. I have invited an Italian couple who I walked with me on the Primitivo - and have offered to collect them from the station in Agen stop over 'chezmoi' do the walk; back to 'chezmoi' and deliver them back to the station. If anyone is thinking of starting Le Puy next year and doesnt speak the language, I'm happy to make it a small group and there is plenty of floor room if I run out of beds! I might even start an albergue! But need to check out the distance from the house to the route before I consider it seriously. Ange

 

[BobM]

I have invited an Italian couple who I walked with me on the Primitivo - and have offered to collect them from the station in Agen stop over 'chezmoi' do the walk; back to 'chezmoi' and deliver them back to the station. If anyone is thinking of starting Le Puy next year and doesnt speak the language, I'm happy to make it a small group and there is plenty of floor room if I run out of beds!

You sound like a very generous person, Ange. Meeting people who have some sense of vocation has been one of the privileges of my walks. Talk with people like Rom and Aideen at Ultreia (Moissac), or Regis Gabastou at Le Relais du Jacquet (Navarrenx) before you start an albergue!

Good luck with everything.

Bob M

 

[BobM]

Here are some more general remarks to supplement those I made at the beginning of this thread.

PILGRIM SHOP AT SJPDP

Here is a weblink to a shop in SJPDP that caters for pilgrims: http://www.directioncompostelle.com
I got into conversation with the owner, an experienced walker who plans to walk from Canterbury (UK) to Rome next year. His stock reflects his experience. Of course, most people will have bought all their gear before arriving at SJPDP, but the owner is very helpful and well worth meeting. I am a little ambivalent about recommending particular shops, but I think the owner is genuine and not just trying to get rich by selling junk.

ACCOMMODATION INFO

Les Haltes vers Compostelle http://haltesverscompostelle.fr/ is an association of accommodation providers recommended by pilgrims themselves. The website (In French) shows pics and details for all the recommended places to stay. It also allows you to rate the places you stayed at. I used the list of members in conjunction with MMD to select accommodation.

THE LE PUY ROUTE VS THE CAMINO FRANCES

Walking the GR65 is quite a different experience to walking the Camino Frances. The latter tends to have standard stages, you meet the same people many times and often arrive in Santiago together. In contrast, the GR65 has no set stages and there are many variant routes, so it is not common (at least it was not for me) to meet the same people often over the weeks. Also, many people walk only short sections and quite often in the opposite direction, so that further mixes up walkers. Many walkers are simply doing nice walks, without necessarily focusing on the pilgrimage aspect.

For these reasons, I did not get the same sense of a common group of people with a common purpose that I found so characteristic of the Camino Frances. That can be an advantage, since you are able to focus more closely on what you particularly want from the chemin, and to set your own direction and pace accordingly.

LANGUAGE

One can obviously get by without speaking French – thousands do so every year! However, being able to speak basic conversational French opens up a whole new world of social interactions. People were remarkably responsive to my dreadful grammar and limited vocabulary and I was often touched by their efforts to include me in their conversations. They were curious to know why an Australian would come all the way to France just to go walking!

LE PUY - CONQUES

I wrote some notes last year on the Le Puy - Conques section that are probably still around if you search for "bob m"

 

[KiwiNomad06]

Ahhhhh Bob, I have been reading your postings all with great interest. It strikes me again, what a difference the season we walk in makes to our whole experience.

I only got lost once, but Figeac was totally confusing. On the way in, I seemed to repeatedly come to signs that told me I had four kms left to walk. :? The place I stayed at had a folder with an alternative route out- illustrated with photos they'd taken. It was steeply uphill at first, but easy after that. Saved us 4km of walking apparently, especially as everyone had explored Figeac without their packs the previous afternoon!

I had stayed in Cahors on a previous visit as a tourist, when I first thought of returning as a walker... it has a fascinating medieval heart to it. There was also a town I stayed where the church bells tolled through the night as well: wasn't Condom for me, but can't recall what it was. I agree with your summation of Nogaro- most forgettable place on the whole Chemin imo. L'Arbladoise was also booked out when I was in Nogaro, but glad to hear you found such a wonderful alternative. Gaineko Extea- am afraid I was not a fan- felt to me like a 'pilgrim farm' with the singer as a tourist attraction. I had stayed at Cambarrat, where we had the father of the family play his banjo for us after dinner- and that felt more 'human' to me. But each to our own!!

I can't imagine Rom minded having an extended convo with you: he was probably also glad to have a chance to speak some more English!

Hope you are settling in back home as well as you can. I sympathise with the jet-lag thing- I find going in an easterly direction is a lot worse.... I also hope that 'second-time around' you manage to avoid the post-Camino blues!
Margaret

 

[peregrina2000]

Bob, So many thanks for all of this incredibly detailed information. I am probably/hopefully going to walk from LePuy to Pamplona with my 25 year old son next May, and I'm sure I'll be back to bug you with more questions. This is so very helpful. I'm glad you had such an amazing experience, in spite of the St.Jean let-down.

Buen camino a todos, Laurie

 

[BobM]

Here is a link to some photos: http://picasaweb.google.com.au/bob.m.me ... esToSJPDP#

There are no captions, but most of the photos are self-explanatory. I may get round to adding captions later if I think they add anything useful.

The locations in Google Maps are reasonable accurate, but if you zoom right in they won't necessarily be on the GR65. It takes too long to really fine-tune locations manually.

If you want more information, or other pics of gites, waymarks, routes etc, just ask and I will see what other pics I have.

Anyway, I hope all this stuff is helpful.

Regards

Bob M

 

[nellpilgrim]

Gorgeous photographs Bob and if you need any encouragement for adding captions or indeed sharing just whatever each image evokes for you heres my tuppence worth! :lol:
Nell

 

[BobM]

Gorgeous photographs Bob and if you need any encouragement for adding captions or indeed sharing just whatever each image evokes for you heres my tuppence worth! :lol:
Nell

My pics are primarily a creative exercise rather than a record, so captioning is not so easy - other than giving factual information.

Too much information can be a disadvantage creatively, as my interpretations would take on too much importance. The very best pics allow of many interpretations and levels of appreciation.

It is far better for the viewer to respond to the beauty of our physical world and for my pics to trigger one's own happy and memorable experiences. My best pics are those I did not take, the ones inscribed in my memories.

Anyway, I will give the captions a go.

BTW, All my pics except the last 13 were taken with a compact Canon IXUS 850 IS camera. The last 13 were taken with my mobile phone after my camera batteries went flat. One does not need expensive camera gear to take interesting pics - it is the heart and eye that really matter!

Bob M

 

[BobM]

Well, I have given all the pics captions that hopefully give some useful stuff to think about. But I would much prefer it if viewers used the images as triggers for their own reflections, rather than attaching too much importance to my thoughts.

Bob M

 

[nellpilgrim]

Hi Bob, Your captions, though that seems too small a word for some of your reflections, added to my enjoyment and contemplation of the images. Not to spare you blushes Bob but you have a talent for the ancient form of Haiku.
Providing others with a composition (visual, written, musical etc) that gives one pause for thought it a lovely gift. The fact that you can use a broader 'pallette' than photographs alone to create those moments is wonderful ....so thank you again Bob and my apologies (as I can practically hear you blushing )
The technical information you provided about your camera was also very useful (feeling better now? :lol: )
Nell

 

[BobM]

Thank you, Nell. Language is a very interesting and beautiful thing. A word has a literal meaning that you can find in a dictionary. Words also come with associations that trigger emotional responses. Then there is the musicality of the word itself. So the literal meaning of a word is just the tip of a cascade of mental associations. Haiku and creative text in general are all about those associations and their emotional content.

I did not consciously employ Haiku techniques in my captions, but your observation is very apt. I certainly like the spartan simplicity of Haiku - sometimes the less one says, the more emotional meaning one allows the reader to experience.

It is interesting to couple words with images. I can't find it again, but many years ago the National Geographic magazine had an article on Dylan Thomas, which included a full page photo with the text of one of his poems overlaid on it. The combination was very powerful, 1 + 1 was much greater than 2 in that case.

Haiku have another dimension of beauty in the form of the calligraphy employed by the writer. Our alphabetic fonts do not lend themselves so easily to the expression of visual beauty that calligraphy provides to Japanese, Chinese and Arabic writers. But some of the old illuminated manuscripts such as the Lindisfarne Gospels and the Book of Kells are equally breathtaking.

Anyway, I hope others find useful reflections in all this.

Bob M

 

[Thornley]

Hi Bob,
1/
The young guy in " Direction Compostella " , in St. J Pied de Port is called Pierre.
He has wonderful clothes which we purchased at half the price of back herein Oz even allowing for sale time.

We also found that the coffee and internet went with the purchases.

We recommended him to friends a few months ago who purchased most of their clothing there instead of bringing from Australia. They were very pleased and travelled very light because he does have the correct clothing and they look dressy as well.
2/

We had our best day in Bohotequia as the temp. was high and the pool was cool and rewarding.
We got there around 1pm and had only one other person in the home.
Was a very relaxing day and the trip to the restr. and the food there was a highlight.

In our opinion Marcel and Marie typify the" best " of hospitaliers with Rom/Aideen [ Moissac ] and
Michel and Bernardette in Lauzette.
You won't go wrong in these places, they just give.

Keep well mate,
David
Keep well ,
David

 

[Thornley]

One of our better memories in St. John Pied de pOrt was in a wonderful cafe called
Cafe des Sports, on rue Sainte Eulalie.

This is near the school on the lower level just of the tract to the station.
Ran by mother and daughters with the locals all drinking /eating there .
They were very surprised we ended up there , away from the madding crowds, and made our days really enjoyable.

 

[BobM]

I arrived at SJPDP when the Basque festival was in full frenzy. There were certainly madding crowds then.

I am starting to think of next year! Perhaps I will start the Canterbury - Rome pilgrimage.

Regards

Bob M

 

[Luka]

Bob, thanks for this wonderful and elaborative report of your pilgrimage. Beautiful pics! It gives me a lot of anticipatory pleasure. Even looking more forward to my own journey.

 

[BobM]

Bob, thanks for this wonderful and elaborative report of your pilgrimage. Beautiful pics! It gives me a lot of anticipatory pleasure. Even looking more forward to my own journey.

There are many wonderful contributors to the various pilgrimage routes in this forum, as I am sure you have found when looking through the website.

I relied on so many people when planning my two pilgrimages, so I made a little promise to contribute as much as I can myself.

I am happy that you find my reports interesting. Don't hesitate to ask if you want more information.

You meet some truly inspiring people on pilgrimages. Where possible, I have tried to mention those who made an impact on me.

Best Wishes

Bob M