Tales From the ViaPodiensis – c) From the Lozere into the Lot Valley of the Aveyron

If you have only a couple of weeks to walk along the Via Podiensis in France (the GR 65), then the section that crosses from the Lozere region into the Aveyron is a must. It has everything, scenery, medieval architecture, good company (as there are plenty of hikers on this section) and great towns to stay in at night. Plus this encompasses some of the upper Lot Valley and its namesake river. However every morning always seemed to begin with an obligatory climb up a hill sometimes after crossing over a medieval bridge.

Following the initial hill climb each morning there was often an opportunity to stop and compare notes with a couple of (or more) fellow hikers. Then there were would be a series of more hills occupied by either woodland or farmland. Some of the local farmers had set up pop up refreshment stands which provided a welcome opportunity to take a break (and grab a coffee for 1 Euro). One of the noticeable differences during this stage was that there were far less cattle to be seen, but there were still the chickens!

Sometimes you could look down on to the next town from a distance or look back up depending as to what was your exact location on the GR 65. Probably one of the best views of St Come d’Olt is to be gained whilst crossing the bridge across the river Lot heading for the next town. I was also fortunate to spot a bright blue kingfisher flying along the Lot shortly afterwards. However there were not that many ducks around, which may reflect the fact that historically they have been hunted. Plus there are plenty of opportunities to have duck confit or guinea fowl for dinner but this is due to the fact that these are farmed.

Both St Come Dolt and the town of Estaing have well preserved medieval centres which are worth the walk around, although in the middle of the day it can be quite warm! I did try to persuade one group of hikers not to miss Estaing (as foot blisters and tendonitis had become a problem and they were going to be transported by road through to Conques).

There are a number of magnificent churches along the way and on a hot day they were a really good place to have some respite from the heat. Plus many of the churches are a source of potable water, which I was thankful of on several occasions, particularly by mid afternoon. It was on this particular leg of the Via Podiensis that I first experienced heat rash because it was a lot warmer in the valleys especially if there was no breeze compared to being up on the Massif Cebtral. This led to some adjustments with my hydration regimen along with venting of my hiking shirts!

Then there was Espalion, with the exquisite view to be had as you walked into this town alongside the Lot river. Also, Espalion had shops, which was one of the places where I stocked up on snacks for the backpack.

Plus there was another quite spectacular medieval bridge to also look at. No cars are allowed on this bridge either which was not the case in Estaing where you needed to be particularly traffic alert whilst crossing the bridge into that town.

Every picture tells a story and the St Pierre de Bessuejouls eglise (pictured below), is one. Prior to encountering this particular eglise one morning I found myself walking behind a group of French hikers who were singing the Ultreia pilgrim song. I then opted to stop and check out this magnificent church whilst the French hikers marched off into the distance. I thought that I would never see them again that day at the pace that they were walking.

However it is on the section of the GR 65 not long past the St Pierre-de-Bessuejouls Eglise that there is a serious uphill climb through some woodland. In fact it is recommended that in bad weather you walk instead via the road as this part of the trail can be treacherous. Halfway up the steep slope I found the members of the French group who had all stopped and were no longer singing but instead gesticulating. One of them asked me if the batons (hiking poles) were useful (in French). “Oui Oui” I said as I passed by. Of note this was one of the few times that I passed French hikers, because most of the time they were passing me!

The route close to Estaing was memorable for some of it being along a road where it was essential to be fully traffic aware. The vehicles pass by really close at times and they did not slow down either! Then I had to navigate the narrow one lane medieval bridge into the town. A good time to cross the bridge is during the 2 hour lunch break because there is far less traffic at that time! However I will never forget sitting outside an eatery in Estaing comparing notes with other hikers and watching large trucks (or tractors) navigating the narrow streets. One tip, if you book accommodation near the main road which passes through Estaing then be prepared for vehicle noise through the night!

Some of the smaller villages were really quite pretty what with the old houses and the flower boxes. Shortly after I took a photo of the outskirts of Golinhac I stopped in the square near the church for an early lunch just as the church bells pealed at 11 am. I was joined by a woman French hiker who I had already talked to earlier in the day (just after the obligatory morning hill climb whilst having a hydration break). We had already compared notes on other long distance walks and I had seen some of her impressive photos from the Camino Santiago.

It was not often I missed the trail markers but on the way to Espeyrac was one occasion where this happened. Gazing around at the scenery as I was descending from the last hill prior to this town meant that I found myself on a road and suddenly there was no sign of the usual trail markers. No worries, I pulled my trail notes out and realised that I could see this village in the distance, so I stayed on the road (and scored some nectarines from a large tree on the edge of the village)!

I picked up the trail markers in Espeyrac and headed off. After a couple of kilometres I came across the same woman French hiker I had met earlier in the day who informed me that I was heading in the wrong direction! I followed her back towards Espeyrac (and went past the church for a second time), and was back on the trail. Merci beaucoup!!! There were more hills to climb that day!

To be continued: Tales from The Via Podiensis – d) Passing through the Aveyron Region https://debverranlivinglifeoutdoors.travel.blog/2019/12/07/tales-from-via-podiensis-d-passing-through-the-aveyron-region/