In early June I did a week of hiking on GR65, also called Via Podiensis, Le Chemin de Puy or Le Puy Camino, from Nasbinals to Conques.
I land in Lyon and focus on getting the logistics right for getting to Le Puy as quickly as possible using trains. It works, but required having looked up the relevant train schedules, a lot of brisk walking, never getting lost, and a slight bit of luck. Barely any waiting at all - I land at 10:40 in Lyon airport and at 14:21 I'm already in Le Puy.
Getting the credential at Le Puy Cathedral is an easy process, and I have an amazing dinner at "Les Flâneurs" right next to it. The food is delicious and it seems upscale without being annoyingly pretentious.
Le Puy Cathedral
Rocher Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe
Dinner at "Les Flâneurs"
The next morning I find the Compostel'Bus at Place du Breuil and, initially, I am the only passenger. It's a long (2h 5m), scenic ride to Nasbinals with hikers stepping on and off the bus in various towns.
Compostel'Bus from Le Puy
Time to start my walk!
I reach Saint-Chély-d'Aubrac in the early afternoon easily enough, walking alongside for a while with a Québécois couple. Even though I've been practicing my French before the trip, it's very rudimentary, and combined with their accent, it's really not easy to understand each other, but we try.
An Aubrac cow in the Aubrac plateau
At Saint-Chély-d'Aubrac I've booked dinner at a pilgrim's gite on the outskirts, and it's really enjoyable, with plenty of good food (especially the vegetable soup!) and conversation. The Ukrainian-Swiss owners assign King-/Queen-/Princess-/Fairy- of the Evening titles, who then have to say toasts.
Pont des Pèlerins at Saint-Chély-d'Aubrac
I start in the morning and walk to Saint Côme d'Olt. The Couvent de Malet convent where I'm staying is not open yet, so I walk down to the town centre and back. It's another lovely medieval town but the restaurant I hoped to eat at is closed so that the people running it can take a vacation.
Couvent de Malet at Saint Côme d'Olt
I go back to the Couvent de Malet and check in. It's an impressive medieval building, and the communal dinner involves singing the Ultreia song. I really enjoy the vegetable soup and manage to procure an extra portion.
View towards Saint Côme d'Olt
The next morning I walk from Saint Côme d'Olt, past Espalion and onwards to Estaing.
Saint Côme d'Olt
Lot valley near Espalion
Pont Vieux at Espalion
Pont d'Estaing at Estaing
I spend the night at Estaing, which is yet another beautiful medieval village with an impressive castle that I don't visit.
A house in Saint-Génies des Ers
Château d'Estaing
I continue the next day towards Le Soulié, meeting a very friendly dog who reminds me a bit of my own dog back home. It's very different from some of the less friendly dogs which I encountered in Sicily.
A doggie!
There are two routes between Estaing and Espeyrac - the one through Golinhac, slightly shorter and easier but with more paved roads, and the one through Campuac - more difficult but more scenic. The Gronze guide says that "pilgrims split into two similar groups", but that didn't seem to be the case for the day I walked - I picked the Campuac route and didn't see any other pilgrims until the paths rejoined at Campagnac.
It's a long day that is somewhat hot, but I reach the the gite at Le Soulié and have a great dinner there. The young French-Irish couple running it grow much of the food served in their own garden. We have a nice discussion with them, their British friend and some Australian ladies.
At breakfast I manage to procure some oats to use as cereal and eat some home-made yoghurt, it's a great start for the day.
A stew at a gite at Le Soulié
Countryside near Sénergues
Countryside near Sénergues
The day is hot again and I walk past past Espeyrac and Senergues to Conques, barely stopping to buy some fruit, but nothing more. I want to get to my destination and feel like every minute spent sightseeing on the way will mean that I will have to spend more time in the heat.
Bag weighing station at Sainte-Foy, Conques
At Sainte-Foy, Conques
Abbatiale Sainte-Foy de Conques
At Conques, I have booked the pilgrim hostel of the Conques Abbey, but it's not check-in time yet, so I go for a walk at the truly amazing Conques medieval town and buy some very tasty, very expensive, very artisanal almond-pistachio cookies to bring home as souvenirs, and have galettes (savoury buckwheat crêpes with egg and ham inside).
I then check in and the pilgrim hostel turns out to be very nice. There are quite a few people in the room, but it doesn't feel crowded.
There is another communal meal, which begins with the head monk giving a very involved and detailed speech about the history of the abbey and its goals.
After dinner, there is a rather nice classical music concert in the Conques Abbey Church by a string trio, as well as a very involved and detailed presentation of the tympanum by the same head monk. His presentation style is well-practiced and impeccable, and he would fit right in on any TED Talk podium. The evening concludes by a light show of the tympanum.
Conques is one town that I definitely would like to return to.
The next morning I take a taxi to the very small Rodez airport and fly back through London Stansted (which had required me to carry my passport and get a British ETA, due to Brexit).
Le tympan du jugement dernier
At Abbatiale Sainte-Foy de Conques
On reflection, it was a great trip. Very calm and peaceful, with plenty of time for reflection. There were a fair amount of other walkers, but not too many.
Most of the days are packed together in my memories as a lot of the lovely scenery - the beautiful medieval villages and the fields and small patches of forest between them - did not vary at all between the stages.
My only regret is that I didn't try the regional aligot dish due to accidentally picking restaurants that didn't serve it and it also not being served at the communal meals. Thus, I have to come back to the Aubrac another time.
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