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oooh the Vezelay route passes very close to my house
I have been told that a person must book ahead every night, is that true from either LePuy or Vezelay routes?I am reading with interest the comments about large crowds walking the Frances. I am walking through the most beautiful countryside, eating wonderful goodies from the French Pattiserie shops, staying in great Gites and refuges, meeting wonderful local people in the villages and in the last two days have seen one other pilgrim! I am on the Vezelay route. Two years ago I walked the Le Puy route to SJPDP. Also a fabulous experience. So, for those who are still planning, do think of alternative ways to seek peace and contemplation.
I have been told that a person must book ahead every night, is that true from either LePuy or Vezelay routes?
Hi ml - Good point re cancellation andHi Gerry and MT,
The Le Puy route can get busy around long weekends and some people do suggest booking ahead for that reason. But the main reason to book ahead is that in many gîtes it is possible to get demi-pension - dinner, breakfast and a bed. Reserving a day in advance is a matter of courtesy so the gîte owners can know how many people they need to shop and cook for.
For me, the chance to share home-cooked meals - and not to stress out the cook too much - more than made up for any minor reduction in spontaneity.
Of course, if your plans do change, you can just call and cancel. I did this a number of times and was never made to feel like I was
causing any inconvenience or irritation.
Bon chemin
ml
I have been told that a person must book ahead every night, is that true from either LePuy or Vezelay routes?
Wonderful suggestion, Thanks !I am reading with interest the comments about large crowds walking the Frances. I am walking through the most beautiful countryside, eating wonderful goodies from the French Pattiserie shops, staying in great Gites and refuges, meeting wonderful local people in the villages and in the last two days have seen one other pilgrim! I am on the Vezelay route. Two years ago I walked the Le Puy route to SJPDP. Also a fabulous experience. So, for those who are still planning, do think of alternative ways to seek peace and contemplation.
if your plans do change, you can just call and cancel
Great to hear you are loving your camino...is there a lot of road walking? (near cars)
Nevers or Borges route?
I have been told that a person must book ahead every night, is that true from either LePuy or Vezelay routes?
I am reading with interest the comments about large crowds walking the Frances. I am walking through the most beautiful countryside, eating wonderful goodies from the French Pattiserie shops, staying in great Gites and refuges, meeting wonderful local people in the villages and in the last two days have seen one other pilgrim! I am on the Vezelay route. Two years ago I walked the Le Puy route to SJPDP. Also a fabulous experience. So, for those who are still planning, do think of alternative ways to seek peace and contemplation.
I would love to walk the French camino. But I worry about the prices for food and shelter. How do they compare with the prices on the camino frances in Spain?
I would love to walk the French camino. But I worry about the prices for food and shelter. How do they compare with the prices on the camino frances in Spain?
As a vegetarian (I do eat fish) this seems to point to communal meals with no choice. Obviously this could not work for me. Reflections from those who have walked the French routes would be welcome. I am beginning my camino this year on the camino d'Arles in the south of France, heading for the Aragones. But I shall be only three days in France and have arranged for accommodation in a hotel with bachelor apartment units (full kitchen) for the first night in Oloron Ste Marie. Does anyone know what persons with special diets do on the French routes?
@ml:Hi Albertagirl,
I walked the St. Gilles route with my partner who is a vegetarian who sometimes eats fish. We had booked ahead (before we left home) and just asked if would be possible to accommodate her. We got some excellent meals with locally caught fish. Also omelettes and sometimes some nice small savoury tarts. And, of course, incredible cheeses and wonderful green salads.
On the LePuy route - most of the meals I had in gites had meat, vegetables, salad and a cheese course. Often a soup - sometimes a lentil soup. I never asked about the stock used for the soups.
I walked for a few days last year with a French couple who were vegetarians. They stayed in gites, but they were pretty flexible with the variety of responses they got. Again a lot of omelettes. And sometimes they just had the non-meat parts of the meal. One night, in an area very well known for duck - the rest of us were served duck, green salad, and cannellini or some similar kind of white beans. An omelette was made for the vegetarians and then they were offered the salad and the white beans. My friends asked how the beans had been cooked. The answer: in duck fat, because, of course, that is how you cook beans! The woman who ran the gite (it was very small) was genuinely perplexed that someone would not want to eat beans cooked that way. My friends just smiled and thanked her and took the beans. There is more acceptance and understanding of vegetarianism in France than there used to be - but it is still surprising for some people.
ml
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