day 07 – draft
Tuesday, 12 April 2016
Golinhac to Conques
25 km today - 206 km to date
Up about 5h30, pack and off to the social place for the whole camping complex. A single breakfast place has been set. I watch the sky lighten as I work through this meal. The previous night I had found a recent popular history of the village which supported a parish and a public school. These, plus an open church, I encounter just beyond the camping complex.
Usual missing of way points on leaving.
I quickly tire of the mushy “official” track and take to the road (D42), through Esperac (church open but not much else at 10 am), Senergues (another open church) and Saint -Marcel (third open church in a row). Then down another stoney steep track to Conques.
Conques, wow! It is just like stepping back 400 years in building history. The purpose of the village is to support the Abbey containing an alleged relic of Sainte Foy (Faith), a young girl from Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) martyred for her faith around 1,600 years ago. I have my first restaurant meal (pilgrim's menu based on simpler items from the a l'carte menu) and attend Compline and pilgrim blessing in the Abbey church. Staying in the communal gite.
And so to bed.
27 April 2016
day 06 - draft
Monday, 11 April 2016
Sainte-Come-d'Olt to Golinhac
33 km today 181 km to date
Breakfast early and most of the six from Nice are soon there. We say our good byes and I am off. I Ihave decided to avoid mud and stones and will, whenever possible, use roads. Espalion is my first stop after an hour as I must find a toilet. And I do, although I rather wish I hadn't found the one I do: it is old and only has squat facilities.
Moving on I encounter the land mark church that features as a postcard stop, except it is closed. Continuing along there is now a hill to climb. It is not a particularly high hill but they have made it interesting. A significant part of the climb is up a the face of asmooth rock face with nice high steps, no hand holds and the mandatory water features. A pleasant walk along the ridge of the hill follows and I see my first farmer in action using a tractor to pull a frame across a small field. Then down the other side of the hill through a pleasant pathe that soon becomes a bog standard quagmire.
To another locked church alongside the best toilet ever to date
At the approach to the next village I miss a way marker and go around to the east (as I find out later) and not the west and get very confused about how to go on to Estaing, not being helped by the distance on the road signs being very different from those in my Michelin guidebook. The situation is not helped by the pathway signs being in both directions Twenty or something minutes later I'm sorted and see a sign telling me to go up a hill. I decide to stay on the road and am rewarded about 10 minutes later showing where I would have come okff the hill.
By now the rain has begun to establish itself and I put on the poncho I in a pouch across my chest without having to stop.
Estaing is an imposing town of about 1,000 people. Imposing as it is built around rock on which stands a manorial residence built of stone.
After a long lunch waiting for the rain to stop it is time to move on with a long pleasant walk along side the slow moving river Lot. Then 300 metres of elevation along roads that are connected by stoney pathways.
I reach the eastern side of Golinhac where my gite is and stop. Two room mates tonight and conversation is difficult. I take a punt and wash all the clothes I have worn so far except for one top to wear to bed. I have not booked so no meal tonight.
And so to bed.
Monday, 11 April 2016
Sainte-Come-d'Olt to Golinhac
33 km today 181 km to date
Breakfast early and most of the six from Nice are soon there. We say our good byes and I am off. I Ihave decided to avoid mud and stones and will, whenever possible, use roads. Espalion is my first stop after an hour as I must find a toilet. And I do, although I rather wish I hadn't found the one I do: it is old and only has squat facilities.
Moving on I encounter the land mark church that features as a postcard stop, except it is closed. Continuing along there is now a hill to climb. It is not a particularly high hill but they have made it interesting. A significant part of the climb is up a the face of asmooth rock face with nice high steps, no hand holds and the mandatory water features. A pleasant walk along the ridge of the hill follows and I see my first farmer in action using a tractor to pull a frame across a small field. Then down the other side of the hill through a pleasant pathe that soon becomes a bog standard quagmire.
To another locked church alongside the best toilet ever to date
At the approach to the next village I miss a way marker and go around to the east (as I find out later) and not the west and get very confused about how to go on to Estaing, not being helped by the distance on the road signs being very different from those in my Michelin guidebook. The situation is not helped by the pathway signs being in both directions Twenty or something minutes later I'm sorted and see a sign telling me to go up a hill. I decide to stay on the road and am rewarded about 10 minutes later showing where I would have come okff the hill.
By now the rain has begun to establish itself and I put on the poncho I in a pouch across my chest without having to stop.
Estaing is an imposing town of about 1,000 people. Imposing as it is built around rock on which stands a manorial residence built of stone.
After a long lunch waiting for the rain to stop it is time to move on with a long pleasant walk along side the slow moving river Lot. Then 300 metres of elevation along roads that are connected by stoney pathways.
I reach the eastern side of Golinhac where my gite is and stop. Two room mates tonight and conversation is difficult. I take a punt and wash all the clothes I have worn so far except for one top to wear to bed. I have not booked so no meal tonight.
And so to bed.
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