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Thank for sharing your experience of walking from La Puy. I was planning to do it next year on my own but I think that I will rather walk another route in Spain. I thought that this might be as you have described it and as my French is non existent this is probably not a good route to do on my own.I hesitated writing this thread since I will be focusing on some negatives about walking the Le Puy Camino. It is very difficult to discuss negatives without misunderstandings and misinterpretations. I will comment more on the Le Puy in subsequent postings. All clearly was not negative. Well, here it goes.
My wife and I walked the Frances in 2013 and had a wonderful time and experience. In 2015, six months ago, we walked the Le Puy and our experience was quite different. First, let me say that walking was not the problem. We enjoyed the scenery, the landscape, the solitude, the adventure, the exercise and the food. Here is a short comparison between the Frances and the Le Puy that explains why we much preferred the Frances.
First, the atmosphere was very different. On the Frances, everything was the pilgrimage. On the Le Puy very little was the pilgrimage. Most of the people we met were French and walking the Grand Randonee, not the Camino de Santiago. Many French families walk this route for a few days or a week during their vacations. For this reason, I missed the “Buen Camino” or “Bon Chemin” salutation and the camaraderie that the Frances had.
Second, unlike the Camino Frances, most of the people walking the Camino were French. We did meet some Germans and a scattering of other nationalities, but the overwhelming majority were French. I truly missed the international atmosphere of the Camino Frances.
Third, since I spoke little French and my wife spoke only some French, conversations on the Chemin and at the gites were very limited for us. I spent many a day listening to French spoken at the dinner table with limited understanding and even more limited conversation. I especially spent many meals struggling with my loneliness. This was very different from the Frances where I was able to communicate in Spanish and mostly, in English. Due to the international environment of the Frances, English was generally spoken by almost everyone. It was our experience that very many French people on the Le Puy either didn’t speak English or chose not to speak English. Quite honestly, I don’t know which it is. There were some notable exceptions and we quickly befriended them. We were also invited to Paris from two Parisian couples. Don’t misunderstand me I am not an arrogant American that expects everyone to speak English. This observation only suggests how much easier the Frances was for someone with very limited knowledge of French. If I was fluent in French, I obviously would have had a very different experience.
Fourth and related to the above, calling ahead to book reservations was very difficult and time consuming for us. My wife attempted to speak French during these times and often ran into difficulty. Even the places where Miam Miam DoDo indicated English was spoken, we found otherwise. Going through this process 30 to 35 times during the pilgrimage and several times a day (trying to locate availability) was very stressful for us (especially after a 15-17 mile walk). We also had mixed experiences at the Information Offices. Many of them were helpful, but we often ran into people there that resented our lack of fluency. Some said, "No, I don't speak English." Afterall, this is an Information Office.
Let me throw these criticism out as an introduction to more discussion.
Fourth and related to the above, calling ahead to book reservations was very difficult and time consuming for us.
Most of the people we met were French and walking the Grande Randonnee, not the Camino de Santiago
This is exactly how I found the route from Le Puy to Conques in 2013. I eventually left this route taking a train to St Jean PdP and walked 2 weeks to Burgos, more appropriate for a non French speaking person, for all the reasons above, in my opinion.I hesitated writing this thread since I will be focusing on some negatives about walking the Le Puy Camino. It is very difficult to discuss negatives without misunderstandings and misinterpretations. I will comment more on the Le Puy in subsequent postings. All clearly was not negative. Well, here it goes.
My wife and I walked the Frances in 2013 and had a wonderful time and experience. In 2015, six months ago, we walked the Le Puy and our experience was quite different. First, let me say that walking was not the problem. We enjoyed the scenery, the landscape, the solitude, the adventure, the exercise and the food. Here is a short comparison between the Frances and the Le Puy that explains why we much preferred the Frances.
First, the atmosphere was very different. On the Frances, everything was the pilgrimage. On the Le Puy very little was the pilgrimage. Most of the people we met were French and walking the Grand Randonee, not the Camino de Santiago. Many French families walk this route for a few days or a week during their vacations. For this reason, I missed the “Buen Camino” or “Bon Chemin” salutation and the camaraderie that the Frances had.
Second, unlike the Camino Frances, most of the people walking the Camino were French. We did meet some Germans and a scattering of other nationalities, but the overwhelming majority were French. I truly missed the international atmosphere of the Camino Frances.
Third, since I spoke little French and my wife spoke only some French, conversations on the Chemin and at the gites were very limited for us. I spent many a day listening to French spoken at the dinner table with limited understanding and even more limited conversation. I especially spent many meals struggling with my loneliness. This was very different from the Frances where I was able to communicate in Spanish and mostly, in English. Due to the international environment of the Frances, English was generally spoken by almost everyone. It was our experience that very many French people on the Le Puy either didn’t speak English or chose not to speak English. Quite honestly, I don’t know which it is. There were some notable exceptions and we quickly befriended them. We were also invited to Paris from two Parisian couples. Don’t misunderstand me I am not an arrogant American that expects everyone to speak English. This observation only suggests how much easier the Frances was for someone with very limited knowledge of French. If I was fluent in French, I obviously would have had a very different experience.
Fourth and related to the above, calling ahead to book reservations was very difficult and time consuming for us. My wife attempted to speak French during these times and often ran into difficulty. Even the places where Miam Miam DoDo indicated English was spoken, we found otherwise. Going through this process 30 to 35 times during the pilgrimage and several times a day (trying to locate availability) was very stressful for us (especially after a 15-17 mile walk). We also had mixed experiences at the Information Offices. Many of them were helpful, but we often ran into people there that resented our lack of fluency. Some said, "No, I don't speak English." Afterall, this is an Information Office.
Let me throw these criticism out as an introduction to more discussion.
We walked from Le Puy to Condom last year and could not agree more with your comments. But we did love walking in France, and are going back to Condom in 4 weeks time to finish our Le Puy Camino to SJPDP. Then on to walk the CP. Then because we love walking in France we are going back to Le Puy to walk the RL Stevenson before we go home.I hesitated writing this thread since I will be focusing on some negatives about walking the Le Puy Camino.
Negatives? I don't find any.I will be focusing on some negatives about walking the Le Puy Camino
most French people I met when walking are extremely reluctant to speak English but in my experience it's because they're afraid of sounding stupid!
I will practice "bon matin", or is it "bon jour" even in the morning? And I will have "s'il vous plait" off pat, along with "Je n'parle Francais"
True but please don't worry about making mistakes or you'll become like the French"Bon matin" doesn't exist --> "Bonjour", or "Bonsoir" in the evening.!
"Bon matin" doesn't exist
I agree, I am from Australia and have travelled a very large part of this world and I only speak English. I find a smile will get you anywhere you wish to go.And I'm sorry if someone gets annoyed but are we not to visit these countries because we don't speak the language?
Hi Louise, we are starting from Le Puy on 14th April so perhaps we will meet you somewhere along the way. We will be walking quite slowly. I have read that it is important to book as you go along as a lot of places are demi pension (half board). They may be in rural locations so the hosts need to know how much food to buy in advance. Miam Miam Do Do has all the information for booking accommodation. It is in French. There is also an iphone app for Miam Miam Do Do. I have also read that it is possible to get help with booking the next place from the hosts at the place you are staying. It does mean deciding how far to walk in advance which is not so flexible. There are also about 3 Bank Holidays in May when there may be high demand for accommodation. During these holidays we may find it more difficult to buy food, shops closed etc. not sure about restaurants but may be good to book demi pension a few days in advance.I am also starting from Le Puy in mid-April. As a minimal French speaker, I have found that if you make the effort, much hilarity & mix ups can break the ice & the French people usually go out of their way to assist. I have been to France each year for the last 7 years, tracking down my ancestors - so feel an affinity anyway. I had not planned on making any forward bookings for accommodation, as I am never sure how far my poor long-suffering feet are going to carry me each day. Is this going to be a real problem?
Reading Rellrog's original post, I think it is important to focus on his central issue: that his inability to communicate in French made him feel lonely, isolated, disconnected, and this was very uncomfortable for him. Not everyone reacts in the same way.I was planning to do it next year on my own but I think that I will rather walk another route in Spain.
It is easy to yield to insecurity, especially after too much browsing on internet fora. I'm getting more encouraged to try trekking in France, however, after reading this thread. I have my maps and some phrases to use and that was all I needed in Spain in 2014. Buen camino.Negatives? I don't find any.
I have walked Le Puy twice, Tolosana twice, and Vezelay once. Your descriptions are quite accurate. I am language impaired, so appreciated the volunteer translators I found. At a gite in Ostabat, the host lead the pilgrims in song in Basque, and even the French did not know what they were singing much of the time. One song was "She'll be coming 'round the mountain" in Basque! Who would have imagined.
Your experiences were negative because you yielded a bit to your insecurities. If being lonely or in communicado does not bother a pilgrim, then your accurate facts to not lead to a negative. Pilgrimages in France do not lead directly to the cathedral in Santiago, the real point of a Camino de Santiago, so the general atmosphere is different, just as you say. Without the end goal, the routes in France do not attract as many "foreigners." The French take to the GR system every weekend, so booking ahead becomes necessary because the French book ahead. I always found the hosts willing to make phone calls a couple of days ahead so that I did not have to struggle with a phone call in French.
The caminos in Spain drew over a quarter of a million pilgrims last year. The routes in France drew just a few thousand. It makes quite a difference! Vive la difference.
I describe the difference between the Chemin du Puy and Camino Frances as the Chemin de St. Jacques is a pilgrimage with the French; the Camino Frances is a pilgrimage with other pilgrims. One needs to decide which is best for himself/herself.
Your post is an excellent description of what many find! I hope it helps some Members decide what to do. The ones that hate crowds may love a two hour dinner with a conversation mostly in hand gestures...
August will be very hot (at least by Seattle standards - your life in Australia may be better preparation for the heat). Also the French - including gite owners, shopkeepers, and restauranteurs - take holiday. So be very fore-handed regarding your food supplies. Check with your gite about local supply availability.I am planning to walk the Le Puy solo in August.
Started in late August last year and arrived in Santiago in November. It is a great time of year to walk.It is late August I am starting, so I am expecting the heat. I am currently walking in hot humid conditions at home. Thanks for the tip about the food supplies.
Thanks Sharon, any tips as this is exactly what I will be doing. I have 90 days on the Schengen visa and hope to use all of them. I am trying to pack for nearly all weather without adding too much weight.Started in late August last year and arrived in Santiago in November. It is a great time of year to walk.
That has happened to me a half-dozen times in France! At one place the host asked what we wanted for breakfast. We said "eggs and bacon." We got it, the first non-bread-and-jam breakfast in weeks!!My most memorable "no bed in the inn" time was a when the woman who ran the fully booked gite said she had a friend who has an extra bed and would I like her to call the friend. I
I hesitated writing this thread since I will be focusing on some negatives about walking the Le Puy Camino. It is very difficult to discuss negatives without misunderstandings and misinterpretations. I will comment more on the Le Puy in subsequent postings. All clearly was not negative. Well, here it goes.
My wife and I walked the Frances in 2013 and had a wonderful time and experience. In 2015, six months ago, we walked the Le Puy and our experience was quite different. First, let me say that walking was not the problem. We enjoyed the scenery, the landscape, the solitude, the adventure, the exercise and the food. Here is a short comparison between the Frances and the Le Puy that explains why we much preferred the Frances.
First, the atmosphere was very different. On the Frances, everything was the pilgrimage. On the Le Puy very little was the pilgrimage. Most of the people we met were French and walking the Grand Randonee, not the Camino de Santiago. Many French families walk this route for a few days or a week during their vacations. For this reason, I missed the “Buen Camino” or “Bon Chemin” salutation and the camaraderie that the Frances had.
Second, unlike the Camino Frances, most of the people walking the Camino were French. We did meet some Germans and a scattering of other nationalities, but the overwhelming majority were French. I truly missed the international atmosphere of the Camino Frances.
Third, since I spoke little French and my wife spoke only some French, conversations on the Chemin and at the gites were very limited for us. I spent many a day listening to French spoken at the dinner table with limited understanding and even more limited conversation. I especially spent many meals struggling with my loneliness. This was very different from the Frances where I was able to communicate in Spanish and mostly, in English. Due to the international environment of the Frances, English was generally spoken by almost everyone. It was our experience that very many French people on the Le Puy either didn’t speak English or chose not to speak English. Quite honestly, I don’t know which it is. There were some notable exceptions and we quickly befriended them. We were also invited to Paris from two Parisian couples. Don’t misunderstand me I am not an arrogant American that expects everyone to speak English. This observation only suggests how much easier the Frances was for someone with very limited knowledge of French. If I was fluent in French, I obviously would have had a very different experience.
Fourth and related to the above, calling ahead to book reservations was very difficult and time consuming for us. My wife attempted to speak French during these times and often ran into difficulty. Even the places where Miam Miam DoDo indicated English was spoken, we found otherwise. Going through this process 30 to 35 times during the pilgrimage and several times a day (trying to locate availability) was very stressful for us (especially after a 15-17 mile walk). We also had mixed experiences at the Information Offices. Many of them were helpful, but we often ran into people there that resented our lack of fluency. Some said, "No, I don't speak English." Afterall, this is an Information Office.
Let me throw these criticism out as an introduction to more discussion.
Hi Hilary,Thanks Sharon, any tips as this is exactly what I will be doing. I have 90 days on the Schengen visa and hope to use all of them. I am trying to pack for nearly all weather without adding too much weight.
Thanks Sharon.Hi Hilary,
Last year, we had 85 days for our trip. We spent 2 nights in Paris, then train to Le Puy. Walked to SJPDP then caught the train to St Jean de Luz where we had 2 nights before walking into Spain and walking del Norte. Upon reaching Santiago we decided to forego walking to Finisterre/Muxia as we had been there before and wanted to explore Santiago in more depth. We had 5 nights in Santiago and then 3 in Barcelona.
So, altogether, 73 days walking. The weather was delightful. Some storms at the beginning and then fine through France. Only a couple of very hot days. Some rain early on in Spain and getting cooler. Only twice did I wear gloves and that was in Galicia. Of course, it rained a lot in Galicia. I loved the coolness for walking. So I guess, take layers. Many women were wearing leggings under shorts as it became cooler. Wet weather gear was the most important.
In 2012, we walked from April till July from Le Puy to Finisterre. We walked the Frances after SJPDP. As I recall we used about 85 days. We had 2 nights in Paris and 2 in Le Puy and SJPDP and Santiago. The rest of the time was spent walking.
The scenery is stunning in France and the food delicious. Enjoy!
From Le Puy to Cahor I had no guide book and no map. I just followed the markings, white over red. Though I did go the wrong way for a while at least once a day. I used Miam Mian Dodo from Cahor onward and found it was all that I needed. The symbols and maps were easy enough to understand and I could struggle through enough of the French. I found the maps in Miam Miam to be adequate and useful. I found the listing of stores and places to eat less dependable. Between Le Puy and Cahor there were only two days when I didn't put on my rain gear.Le Puy will be a great place to practice your French. We used two books...Miam Miam Dodo (in French) and the Cicerone book. We used the former for its gite and chambres d'hote recommendations. We used both for route guidance. For the latter, we didn't find either to be that great. We would have liked to use a Brierley, but he didn't write one for Le Puy. If I was to do this route again, I would still get the Miam book. I would look for another in English that is highly rated by Amazon.com. I see some there that I didn't see when I first looked. I am sure others have suggestions.
All the more reason to carry Miam Miam Dodo and consult it frequently. With its schematic maps of the area either side of the route, it's quite easy to see where you are.The other problem we had with signage was the lack of signs for the upcoming villages. Even worse was the lack of distance markers telling you how far places were. .
be able to make the distinction between the Camino and the GR...it was often distinguishable...but often not.
I do have similar experiences of people at dinner ignoring me until someone asks me something in English. They then proceeded to spend the rest of the meal not sharing any of the conversation with me. This happened often enough to be unusual in polite society. Again, I don’t expect conversations to magically switch to English, but I do expect some consideration ….especially since there are those conversant in English and I was clearly uncomfortable.
Negatives? I don't find any.
I have walked Le Puy twice, Tolosana twice, and Vezelay once. Your descriptions are quite accurate. I am language impaired, so appreciated the volunteer translators I found. At a gite in Ostabat, the host lead the pilgrims in song in Basque, and even the French did not know what they were singing much of the time. One song was "She'll be coming 'round the mountain" in Basque! Who would have imagined.
Your experiences were negative because you yielded a bit to your insecurities. If being lonely or in communicado does not bother a pilgrim, then your accurate facts to not lead to a negative. Pilgrimages in France do not lead directly to the cathedral in Santiago, the real point of a Camino de Santiago, so the general atmosphere is different, just as you say. Without the end goal, the routes in France do not attract as many "foreigners." The French take to the GR system every weekend, so booking ahead becomes necessary because the French book ahead. I always found the hosts willing to make phone calls a couple of days ahead so that I did not have to struggle with a phone call in French.
The caminos in Spain drew over a quarter of a million pilgrims last year. The routes in France drew just a few thousand. It makes quite a difference! Vive la difference.
I describe the difference between the Chemin du Puy and Camino Frances as the Chemin de St. Jacques is a pilgrimage with the French; the Camino Frances is a pilgrimage with other pilgrims. One needs to decide which is best for himself/herself.
Your post is an excellent description of what many find! I hope it helps some Members decide what to do. The ones that hate crowds may love a two hour dinner with a conversation mostly in hand gestures...
We just finished the Portuguese from Porto. You'll never meet nicer people!In what little travel I've done, I've always run into someone who takes offence that they aren't being spoken to in English. Usually (sorry to say) North Americans.
That being said, Rellrog's point is well taken. We are considering options for our Camino, including the Portugues if we only have a short time. We do not speak Portuguese (my husband gets by in Spanish, and we will both be learning more before we go). Would I run into the same problem on the Portuguese, or even other routes less popular than the Frances? Or is this strictly a Le Puy issue because of the GR?
Bonjour, @Åshilld Sofia Henriksen. Here are three books I read either prior to or during my hike along la voie du Puy-en-Velay (late Oct, 2004). Enjoy!... I have decided to walk the Le Puy this summer(alone)....I need a book that I also can bring along during the walk. Any suggestions? In English....
What date do you commence Hilary, I'm doing it solo in August also.I am planning to walk the Le Puy solo in August. All this information is very helpful. I speak minimal French, although I have done a French for Travellers course in preparation, find it difficult to learn.
I had read previously about difficulty booking accommodation in the high season, so I have booked ahead the whole way to ST Jean. This keeps me to a schedule which is the downside, but makes me feel a bit more secure about not having to sleep in a bus stop. The walking and the solitude will be a major part of the experience for me.
I chose the LePuy because it is quieter and from what I have read, more beautiful. I am hoping to continue to Santiago at my own pace, no booking ahead, so I am expecting this to be quite a different experience.
Quite a number of places we ordered a coffee or food, after they brought what we ordered, would then bring out what food or drink they thought we'd like and made sure we had it. Many other memories of people just being genuinely nice. We walked from Porto so don't anything about Lisbon - Porto. Bom Caminho!Thanks Catahoula. In light of what was said in this thread, please elaborate? I will be walking the Portuguese from Lisbon in September and would be interested in seeing what you have to say.
It's good to hear all of your experiences! I walked the Camino Inglès with friends last summer and we have been inspired to keep going, so much so that we have started again but this time from our front doors to walk to SDC with a slight detour. We're doing it in sections as we have work and family which makes it hard to fit in longer segments, though once we reach Spain we plan to do the last part in one go.
We're walking from Chiasso (CH) to Basel on the Via Gottardo (we've reached Luzern, with more walking this weekend), then in the summer we'll do a week from Basel to Bescancon, but after that we're deciding whether to take the Vezelay or the Le Puy route - any advice? We'll be heading in the direction of Beaune/Chalon anyway as my parents live there.
Between us we speak English, Italian and German, and enough French to get by, so I'm hoping language won't be an issue.
Buen camino.
We just finished the Portuguese from Porto. You'll never meet nicer people!
During this thread many people have mentioned that they will be walking the Le Puy for the first time this year. I would love to hear about your experiences in light of my comments and those of the others. Some have indicate that they speak no French, others that they speak some French. Your comments are appreciated!
That practice is the most amazing of the Vezelay experiences. Local support organizations maintain the list of volunteers and find one for you when you call ahead. Calling ahead is essential! Typically the host will pick you up at the church, and return you there the next morning.really remarkable you will find families who will take you at home
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