billmclaughlin
Active Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- SJPP/Burgos 2012; Le Puy/SJPP 2013; Aumont Aubrac/Aire sur l'Adour 2014; Burgos/Santiago 2016.
For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here. (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation) |
---|
Bill,To me your post brings up an interesting consideration, Bill. That is, should we leave enough time in our scheduled days of walking to explore a little? For me, one of the downsides of a long day of walking is the tendency to make a beeline for the night's lodging, shower, wash the clothes, maybe have a beer, and then...chill with others at the gite awaiting dinner? All fine, of course, and what we feel like doing after a long day, tired as we are and happy to have arrived. But is there time or energy remaining to walk around a bit. In Conques, of course. But elsewhere?
The French group that I have hiked with has decided to cut the "mileage" down to twenty kilometers a day. Two reasons: first, to make the day a little bit easier for the less physically fit in the group; second, to allow more time at each destination...time that can be used to nose around the town, to explore a bit. I am looking forward to our twenty km days next year. For both reasons.
Figeac was a highlight for me, as was Cahors. Doesn't Figeac have two ancient cathedrals and a well maintained roman era center? And the coolest climb out of town after crossing that amazing bridge?I have elsewhere suggested that it's a good idea to get off the official path in Spain. Otherwise one enjoys only a very narrow (pun-intended) experience of contemporary Spain. Examples that come to mind are Pamplona and Logrono. I made this same point to a Frenchman while walking the Le Puy route recently, and his view was that the same advice applies to France.
It's perfectly obvious that the official route skits the edges of Figeac and Cahors. But no one should rush past Figeac without at least a detour to the town center. Cahors, though I like it less, has interesting sections and if you don't pause to explore at least a bit you'll remember little more than a tough descent and a very tough ascent broken only by a few minutes along the river and one fantastic bridge. The cathedral is an interesting hodge-podge of styles (not for purists!). At the right time of day there's a good market. Add some hidden gardens, a wine bar, dining al fresco -- for the non-French a good taste of comparatively urban contemporary life.
But my French friend had a few other places in mind.
Condom. The route skirts the city center and its interesting cathedral, a good produce market, a few good spots for a beer, and a great photo op with D'Artagnan and the 3 Musketeers. (Compare it to Éauze, where the route takes you right into the central square alongside the cathedral, or the way we meander through Nasbinals.)
Decazeville. The official route avoids the center, leaving most hikers with a descent, a few dreary streets, and a long uphill. Instead, when you reach Ave Laromiguiere, go left and across the rotary into the Rue Gambetta to find an attractive commercial main street that gets nicer the further you explore. Nothing historic at all, but lots of stores and services.
Moissac. The entry route is dreary until you reach the commercial center, which is livelier, then there's the Abbey and the route continues behind the tourist office to the less than pleasant walk out on the busy street alongside the railroad tracks to the canal. But if you explore south of the abbey a few blocks, you find far more attractive streets including several excellent bakeries. (Once, 30 years ago, visiting Moissac by train as a tourist, I missed my train back to Toulouse and spent the 3 hours waiting for another train exploring. There are nicer neighborhoods along the water to the east, too.) The exit route in particular left some hikers without provisions for lunch, requiring a detour that went bad when they tried to return to the canal and found a bridge under construction. Some of us enjoyed terrific little pizzas from a Moissac boulangerie instead, the fruit of our wanderings the previous afternoon.
Are we missing something in Nogaro? Is there more to Aire sur l'Adour? I haven't explored every town, but my general advice is to get off the path from time to time and see what's happening.
Yes this is possible - indeed it is the most common approach for walkers on the Le Puy. With your guidebook in hand, check the stages from previous walkers (see the Le Puy blogs section), and work out your general plan.We like to only walk between 18 and 22 km a day and stay in private accommodation.
Took me a while to work out this tool, then it totally clicked. It's a great way to plan your stopover places & even gives you a print out of the results. Thanks a million, Falcon.You can see stopping points here:
http://www.godesalco.com/plan/podense
I always take one for the three caminos for which it is available. I rarely stay at my schedule stops, but it lets me know if I am ahead of, or behind, the plan.Took me a while to work out this tool, then it totally clicked. It's a great way to plan your stopover places & even gives you a print out of the results. Thanks a million, Falcon.
Suzanne
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?