If you think that this section of the Via Podiensis is all about walking alongside the Lot river, then think again! Although one comes across the Lot at times, and I crossed it via various bridges, most of the time was spent walking in the hills of what is the northern Aveyron in order to get to the next destination (and accomodation)! So think hills, lots of hills ….. and more medieval architecture including one spectacular Romanesque cathedral
In between the small towns with their medieval architecture I also passed numerous chestnut trees which were laden with nuts. When these nuts happened to drop because they were enclosed in a softer outer case they fortunately tended to bounce, including off me!
The most famous Cathedrale in the northern Aveyron is the historic Abbey Church of Sainte- Foy which is UNESCO listed due to its association with the Camino Santiago https://www.tourisme-conques.fr/en/en-conques/st-foy-abbey-church. One small tip, the last 3- 5 km down the GR 65 into Conques is basically a downhill trek across rocks. This was memorable because I had already walked close to 28km before I even started this final downhill section. Some people in the know avoided this bit and walked into Conques via the road. Other tourists took the bus! So it was quite busy when I initially arrived there- by that stage shuffling along the cobble stoned streets on tired legs.
However I found myself in what is a very well preserved medieval village (which is worth walking around) and there were plenty of places to stop off for a drink or a bite to eat. Once I was inside the Abbey Cathedrale and looking up at the high ceiling, I was left wondering how had they managed to build it? Plus the acoustics were pretty good as well (I was there towards the end of an evening service). It is hard to fathom how this was all taken into account during the initial build of the abbey.
Then you realise that pilgrims and hikers have been have been coming this way for centuries (and are still coming). The route out of Conques via the GR 65 is also fairly spectacular although one had to watch for bikers (motorcycles) on the back roads. There was an equally challenging walk up a hill the other side of Conques where I stopped at a small chapel to admire the view, although in my case it was still misty so no view that day. This was followed by a reasonable amount of road walking so it was watch out for the cars again!
Whilst walking part of this route during a weekend I came across a group of French hikers (there were close to 20 of them), who were also on the same narrow track alongside a road. It was always best to keep off the roads if possible! I had stepped to one side to give way, when the lead hiker asked me where I was from and as to where I might be heading. When I said that I had departed from Le Puy and was walking the whole route of the Via Podiensis to St Jean Pied de Porte, I was greeted with “Vu Pelerin” and with that the whole group gave way for me!!! More “Merci beaucoups” followed as I passed by everyone. Later that same day I also chatted with the bilingual guide of another group also out for the day who stopped for a picnic lunch in a park near another old church. I had already stopped for a snack break in the shade!.
The one downside of having to walk along sections of road in the afternoons was that on the hot days (30C), the bitumen absorbed the heat so that by 3-4pm in the afternoon you could also feel the heat radiating up from the road! It was during this leg of the journey that I spotted a woodpecker flying in woods not far from Decazeville and then shortly afterwards I heard another one calling (sounded exactly like woody woodpecker in the old cartoon series from years ago). However do you think I could ever get a photo of one of these woodpeckers? No, and it was not for lack of trying!!
One of the best views I had of a town by the river Lot was that of Livenhac Le Haut but as it was first thing on a Sunday morning when I got there everything was still shut! So it was a short sojourn passing through this particular town. However by 11 am that same day it was 30C and I was again seeking shelter at times for hydration breaks.
One of my ways of obtaining a respite from the heat during the day was to go inside the eglises, including the one pictured below. In that particular case, I was able to refill my water bottle nearby and wash off two apples that I had picked up earlier. Later on after walking through maize fields where the ambient air temperature was 35C, I stopped off for more potable l’eau at St -Jean Mirabel.
There were to be more surprises including coming across two French hikers wrangling figs from the higher branches of some of the fig trees beside the trail (and then sharing them with me), along with managing to pick a bunch of grapes off a grape vine right by the trail. On the hot days fruit was a very welcome snack. One night was spent in Figeac where by chance I managed to tour the Maison des Templiers and attend an evening trumpet and organ recital at Saint Sauveur with some of the other hikers.
One early morning departure (at first light) had me spotting frogs hopping into a pond as I walked by (this happened on several occasions but the frogs were always too quick for the camera!). I was to then meet up with yet another group of French hikers, because they had stopped to wrangle fruit off some plum trees! I heard about their other camino treks (they spent 2-3 weeks each year camino walking). Shortly after photographing this dolmen I stopped for another hydration break, “Ca Va” I was asked, “Oui Ca Va” I replied. I was to walk on and off with this same group of French hikers for another 2-3 km, then they left me behind!
It was extremely warm some afternoons!!! The closest I got to sustaining leg cramps was on the final downhill leg into Cajarc as it was hot and there was no breeze (plus there were plenty of rocks on the trail)!. It was only because of my consumption of Hydralyte that I made it into the town. However I was rewarded by seeing another couple of woodpeckers near the old town ?water supply on the hill as I walked by. A woman hiker at dinner that night let me know that she had taken the shorter route via the road!
To be continued: Tales from the Via Podiensis-e) The Causses du Quercy of the Lot Department
Living the Life in the Great Outdoors 
hi! it is a long post and as always I have to find time to read it all as it is a topic that I am very much interested. :-)) Hopefully I will read it in the next few days and write a comment after… thanks for sharing.
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