This is one of the more barren less inhabited sections of the Via Podiensis which contains evidence of human settlement that extends back to Neolithic times. By continuing along the classic GR 65 route this took me through southern part of the Causses du Quercy following my departure from Cajarc
The one thing I remember most about the Causses was the presence of walled lanes (mercifully shaded in a number of instances), along with the remnants of old stone houses. However there are some great Gites in this region that I stayed in where regional French cuisine was on the menu (think pork terrine, duck sausage, lamb stew and goats cheese).
Every now and then I would spot an old dwelling made of the local stone (this region was far more intensively farmed back in time but is far less now as it is uneconomic), or an old well like this one near Veraire. There are some dolmens in this region but all of them are away from the main route, however I managed to detour at one stage to look at one of them.
It continued to be really warm during the days. Some of the road walking during the mid afternoon period once the bitumen was radiating heat (& there was no cloud cover), was fairly challenging. I can remember my thermometer measuring 34 C one afternoon around 4 pm. Mercifully the Gite owner of the particular accommodation I was staying in that night came looking for me after some of my weary companions indicated that I was going to be last in (it saved me walking the final leg of the journey that day).
One local Frenchman opened up the front yard of his house for the hikers on the outskirts of Bach on another particularly warm day. You could stop under a tree, have a chat and refill your water bottles!! Such kindness! It was a relief to get back under cover of the trees further on past this town and walk along an old roman road.
The view of Cahors is worth stopping and admiring from the top of the hill before you walk down into the town. This was after I had walked along a section of the GR 65 which passed through a semi barren landscape. I was grateful that it was not raining that day as there was no shelter to be had. From that final hill top I could already spot the magnificent Pont Valentre to one side of the town. However I needed to watch those cars again, once on the outskirts before I crossed the Pont Louise Phillipe. I remember that it was another warm day and shortly after crossing the bridge I spotted a fountain. It took a lot of self control not to throw myself in order to cool down!
There are a number of shops as well as a market in Cahors so this was a great place to stock up on snacks for the backpack. My only problem was trying to work out how much cheese I could carry (and which ones)!!!
Plus there are other sights in Cahors. There is a pleasant walk along the river Lot where I remember watching the lock being operated near the weir. Of course the Pont Valentre looked good from every possible angle! Plus I checked out the Saint Etienne Cathedrale, which also has its own church garden to the rear of the building. Then there was the poignant memorial to the French Resistance in the local mairie.
Cahors also has some nice parks as well as a post office, banking facilities and a number of shops. If you are looking for a special card or a small present then you may find it here. A tip for eating out is to avoid the main street and head for the back streets closer to the hospital – where there were some good priced smaller family type restaurants to be found along with some boulangeries.
To be continued: Tales from the Via Podiensis – f) Bastide villages and towns of the Lot and the Tarn et Garonne https://debverranlivinglifeoutdoors.travel.blog/2020/01/08/tales-from-the-via-podiensis-f-bastide-villages-and-towns-of-the-lot-and-the-tarn-et-garonne/
Living the Life in the Great Outdoors 