Walking the Via Podiensis: A Visual Adventure in Photos and Notes
Our Via Podiensis trek from Le Puy-en-Velay, France to Irún, Spain. Copyright National Geographic.
Why Walk the Via Podiensis?
During previous long hikes in Spain, Portugal, and the GR 5 from Holland to Italy, we’re always asking fellow hikers what their favorite long hikes are. The Via Podiensis kept popping up in conversations, with highlights including hospitality, the food, the scenery, and the Romanesque and Gothic architecture and art.
The Via Podiensis has many other names, including the GR 65, Chemin de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle, the Camino de Santiago, the Le Puy Route, or the Way of Le Puy. Traditionally, these treks or “pilgrimages” were performed for religious reasons. However, today, you’re more likely to find people of different or no specific faith walking for unspecified spiritual reasons, like experiencing nature, simplifying and reflecting on their lives, taking an active social holiday, and taking a break from technology. We use the words “pilgrim,” “hiker,” and “trekker,” etc, interchangeably in our blog.
The popularity of historical pilgrimage routes for Americans has surged in recent years. The pandemic made many people rediscover the health benefits of long walks and rucking, including improved physical, social, and mental health. Like many others, we wanted to make long walks integral to our travels.
The southwest region of France is an area that neither Darren nor I had explored outside of Lyon. We like hiking in rural regions and watching the daily terrain, farming, food, and culture change. On these long hikes like the Via Podiensis, you meet many interesting people who’ve opted out of various aspects of Western culture, as we have, and share similar values like adventure and working toward a healthier lifestyle.
Thus, we started planning this hike from Le Puy-en-Velay to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France. Then, we took the Voie Nive Bidassoa from Saint-Jean to Irún, Spain. Once in Irún, we flew to A Coruña, Spain, then walked the Camino Inglés from Ferrol, Spain, to Santiago de Compostela.
In this blog, we list which English books we used for planning. If you are interested in off-the-beaten-path Camino routes, the best high-level trail network daydreaming map I’ve found is the Europa Pilgerwege map, which has reasonable shipping to the US. It’s great for piecing together a trail-sampling journey.
Our Thru-Hiking Style
We prefer a private room with an ensuite or adjacent bathroom for long hikes. We book our accommodations ourselves and in advance. We typically book a three-star hostel, inn, or gîte (Europe uses a 5-star rating system).
We eat meals with food provisioned from our accommodations, grocery stores, restaurants, and markets along the route. We like to eat out several times weekly, selecting small restaurants with food typical of a region. We also enjoy a glass of wine or a beer about once daily. In France, many accommodations offer a demi-pension, including dinner, lodging, and breakfast, for one price.
We carry our kits (15 - 18 lbs each, depending upon daily water needs) and don’t have them sent ahead with a luggage service. We limit our checked luggage to a robust box, which includes our hiking poles, pocket knife, and Leatherman knife.
We like to walk 22 to 28 km (13 to 17 miles) per day. We plan about one rest day a week.
We average €150 per day on this hike for a couple ($80 per person per day). In the fall of 2023, the exchange rate was $1.08 for €1.00. When we list prices for lodging, meals, tours, etc., it is the total for two people.
Including prices, our blog provides valuable information for readers, helping you budget and plan your trips more effectively. It adds transparency, aiding decision-making and allowing readers to assess the affordability of various destinations, accommodations, and activities.
For health insurance, we use expatriate health insurance year-round, which covers us globally and throughout the United States.
For mobile phone coverage and data, we use Google FI. Occasionally, we supplement Google FI with a local SIM card from a cell phone shop.
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Planning Resources for the Via Podiensis
We used maps and a guidebook to plan the Le Puy route.
Camino de Santiago - Via Podiensis: Le Puy to the Pyrenees on the GR65
The author Dave Whitson is a high-school history teacher in Portland, Oregon, who has blogged on the Podiensis and other caminos, and has written a few Camino books. He also has an excellent podcast that recently (2023) featured episodes on all sections of the Via Podiensis.
We liked using this guidebook, as it features detailed maps (including water stops), alternative routes, lodging at various price points, contact information, and brief overviews of each village and history. The author also provides updates to the book on his website.
The Discovery of France: A Historical Geography
Whitson, the author of our guidebook, also recommends another book to learn further about the history of France, and in particular, the regions one passes through on the Le Puy route.
We especially enjoyed listening to the Audible version of this book to learn more about the history of this region of France.
North Central Kansas to Kansas City
5 September 2023. We live part-time in North Central Kansas, three hours from the MCI airport. We got our home ready for departure and drove to see my parents in northeast Kansas. We then had a nice lunch with a travel enthusiast friend, Corianne, at Rogue Street Tacos in Hiawatha, Kansas.
We left our automobile with family in Brown County, Kansas, and took a private shuttle to MCI Airport for two adults (77 miles).
After arriving at our MCI airport accommodations, we enjoyed excellent brisket and burnt end bowls at Scott’s Kitchen, which featured black beans, lettuce, lime, and cilantro seasoned rice and hot sauce.
We had a couple of happy hour dinner drinks at the Holiday Inn bar (Cinderblock IPA and Buffalo Sweat Stout) while we did some last-minute laundry.
Shuttle: $90.00. Lodging: $0.00 Holiday Inn, MCI; laundry $4.00. Meals and Drinks: $55.50
Bern Street Bowl, Scott’s Kitchen, nearMCI Airport. Brisket Bowl with chile fire salsa, jalapeño slaw, ghost pepperjack cheese.
Kansas City to Geneva, Switzerland
6 September 2023. From MCI to Geneva, it was straightforward, with one seven-hour connection in New York (JFK).
Airline tickets for MCI-JFK-GVA-MAD-ATL-MCI were $1511 per person. Outbound flights were Delta One Business Class; returning flights were Delta Premium Select seats.
Geneva, Switzerland to Lyon, France
7 September 2023. Once we arrived in Geneva, Switzerland, we took the train to Lyon, France. We purchased two tickets for € 75 (standard fare, 2nd class). Trains frequently depart from the Geneve-Aeroport station in the direction of Geneve station (7 minutes). From Geneve, it’s a two-hour and eight-minute nonstop ride on the regional train to Lyon Part Dieu station.
We walked to the Paul Bocuse Food Hall and purchased two brioche-wrapped saucissons, a tomato/mozzarella salad, and a cucumber/feta salad.
Later in the afternoon, we procured groceries at LIDL (6 L sparkling water, Alsatian Pinot Gris wine, a melon from the Canary Islands, muesli, coffee, milk, yogurt, and 1/2 kilo of Mandarin oranges).
We checked into our apartment near the university and slept for 10 hours.
Distance: 8 km
Lodging: €120.50 at DIFY Universities, a 600 sq ft fully furnished apartment. Meals: €60.27
Lyon, France Rest Days
8 September 2023. Fully refreshed, we headed to the Orange store at 50 Rue de la République to procure a SIM card for one phone in case GoogleFi decided to turn off our data packages while we were in remote Southwest France. The staff were terrific, and the excursion took less than 15 minutes.
We had lunch at Chez Chabert in the bouchon area of Lyon. Our lunch comprised eight starters, two entrees, two cheeses, five desserts, two coffees, and a bottle of wine. We sampled pig foot salad, beets, pates, sausage, potato salad, sardine salad, cow nose sausage, lentils, chicken in a cheese sauce, spicy cow tongue, pears in wine sauce, prunes, rice pudding, and two types of egg custard.
We worked off some of the meal in 90 F heat by scaling the Fourvière hill of Lyon, taking in the Gallo-Romain museum.
On our way back to the apartment, we picked up a bottle of Gascone white wine and salad fixings for dinner.
Distance: 12 km. Lodging: €120.50. Meals: €78.00. Groceries: €14.79. Other: €5.00 museum pass
9 September 2023. We purchased two audio tours online from Rewind City Tours. The first was an audio tour of Fourvière Hill, which included an overview of the history around the basilica and Roman amphitheater. Of interest to us was a description of the size of the aqueduct and the wars of religion on the hill before the area was revitalized in the 19th century.
Lunch at Nacre in the Bouchon district was a phenomenal plat de mer of oysters, whelks, and shrimp. Darren opted for a salmon croque monsieur.
The second audio tour focused on the World War II resistance history in Lyon, which took us primarily through a hipster area. This tour did a good job describing the locations and sacrifices various Lyon residents made during the war.
Temperatures were around 90F, so we stopped by a nearby Carrefour and picked up some cheese, some lettuce salad, a chicken breast, and milk for dinner and tomorrow’s breakfast.
Distance: 15 km
Lodging: €120.50. Meals: €89.00. Groceries: € 20.33. Other: €18.00 audio tours
Lyon, France to Le Puy-en-Velay
10 September 2023. After a few rest days in Lyon, France, we took the train to Le Puy-en-Velay, France. Trains depart from Lyon Part Dieu a few times per day. We selected a train that left Lyon around noon. In under 50 minutes, we arrived at St Etienne Chataeucre train station, then changed trains to catch the one-hour 30-minute train from St Etienne Chataeucre to Le Puy-en-Velay. It was obvious which train was headed toward Le Puy, as most passengers were carrying 36- or 48-liter backpacks with Camino shells.
After departing the train, we walked uphill to the Association Grand Seminaire Accueil Saint Georges and checked in. Our requested accommodation type was unavailable, so we were upgraded to a private room with a shower, towels and sheets, breakfast, and dinner.
After checking in to our lodging, we procured the Via Podiensis credentials and two backpack patches.
We then went to the “pilgrim reception” next to the Cathedral and met several English-speaking US, Canadian, and Australian hikers.
After dinner, we enjoyed the summer light show set to music, highlighting Le Puy's historic statues and buildings.
Distance: 11 km
Lodging: Association Grand Seminaire Accueil Saint Georges €113.62. Meals: €0.00. Other: €16.00 for pilgrim passports, two backpack patches, train tickets, and €28.30 (standard fare - 2nd class).
Le Puy-en-Velay Rest Day
11 September 2023. We awoke to much cooler weather (55 F)! St George’s offered a simple breakfast of bread, jam, coffee, and apples.
We’d read about the unique way that Le Puy “launches” pilgrims. Since heavy rain was scheduled for our start date of 12 September, we decided to check out the Pilgrim Mass on the 11th. The mass was in French and lasted about an hour, with about 300 people present. The sides of the church were packed with backpacks, and everyone in attendance was wearing hiking gear. Most had their cell phones ready for the grand finale and start of their trek. After the mass, the priest used a remote control to reveal that the church floor was, in fact, a hidden door that led to the stairs leading to the beginning of the hike. We watched people leaving for the start of their hike, then returned to our room to plan our day in Le Puy.
We purchased a Le Puy City Pack at the Tourism Office, which allowed us to pick three sights in the city for the price of two. We visited an old abbey, we climbed to the top of The Needle (St Roche church) and the Notre Dame statue. We also walked through the St Joseph church.
We stopped to pick up some lunch and snacks at the Le Puy Carrefour Express, including a few cans of tuna, clementines, milk, granola, instant coffee, and cheese.
We met some hikers we would see for the following weeks at our evening meal in St George’s dining hall and our return visit to the Pilgrim’s Reception next to the cathedral.
Distance: 13 km
Lodging: Association Grand Seminaire Accueil Saint Georges €113.62. Meals: €25.81 (groceries). Other: €24.00
Le Puy-en-Velay to Saint-Privat-d’Allier
12 September 2023. We left at 7:00 to avoid the rain that would start around 16:00. We saw two hot air balloons rising above the fields just as we left Le Puy. Many of the houses and barns on the outskirts of LePuy were constructed of basalt.
We saw many extensive gardens, most with giant fairytale pumpkins. Asphalt turned to gravel, then dirt, as we climbed rolling volcanic hills. There were many small fields of wheat lentils, hay, and cow pastures. Lining the track were elderberries, raspberries, and wild plums.
The weather started off chilly at 55°F, but by 1 PM, it was already 88°F. This stage was our favorite first-day walk of any long hike we’ve done. The last 1 km into Saint-Privat-d’Allier was quite steep with many baby-head rocks.
Dinner was a lovely lentil salad with sauce slices of red peppers, red onions, tomatoes, and green olives, topped with a brown balsamic sauce. We also had fried potatoes, local sausage, three different cheeses, and a small slice of chocolate cake.
Distance: 28 km
Lodging: €116.00. Meals: €27.00
Hot air balloon over Vals-près-le-Puy.
Saint-Privat-d’Allier to La Clauze, France
13 September 2023. We departed Saint-Privat-d’Allier in the rain and walked in the rain for at least another four hours.
Highlights of the walk included seeing a rainbow near Rochegude Tower (which we skipped by taking the D301 alternative route). We followed a young couple with about ten donkeys and a mule up D301 for ten minutes.
In Monistrol d’Allier, we crossed a bridge designed by Eiffel, then climbed for a couple of kilometers past volcanic rock outcroppings on our way to a small chapel decorated in an underwater theme.
Following another half hour of climbing, the rain started to dissipate. Opening up before us was more pasture land with beef cattle, sheep, and many wood carvings featuring mushrooms and a giant wolf monster.
We saw our first great Pyrenees dog guarding the sheep in one of the sheep paddocks. The dog started barking loudly at several hikers who got too close to it. When we arrived in La Clauze, we met a gentleman walking a herd of stinky goats down the street.
This evening‘s dinner was excellent; all the food was procured within 5 km of the lodging. The meal consisted of salad, homemade mushroom soup, a slice of ham, mashed potatoes with cheese and ham, three local cheeses from a neighboring dairy, fromage blanc, and crème brûlée.
Distance: 26 km
Lodging: €100.00 Au Repos d’Antan. Meals: €0.00
La Clauze, France to Le Faux, France
14 September 2023. Today was more walking through pastures and clusters of pine trees.
We met a friendly white rooster about 4 km away. A few minutes later, we passed a cow licking a newborn calf. Later in the day, we learned that a Vermont hiker and two farmers used a calf puller to extract the large bull calf. At birth, we heard through the hiker grapevine that the calf survived.
More pine forests ensued for several kilometers. Abruptly, the pine forest yielded to short grass prairie and a few large herds of Aubrac cattle.
Lunch was at Domaine du Sauvage - lamb chops, salad, potato gratin, and pumpkin purée. Dinner was green salad, cantaloupe slices, cured ham, rice and pork, and chocolate cake.
Distance: 26 km
Lodging: €147.80 L’Oustal de Parent. Meals: €25.00. Wine: €16.00
Le Faux, France to Aumont-Aubrac, France
15 September 2023. Breakfast was generous: a giant croissant, orange juice, yogurt, oranges, bread with butter and jam, and cheese.
The route consisted of small paved country roads and gravel two-track. Cattle outnumber people out here.
No lunch options were available, so we ate some tuna and pears we’d been carrying for a couple of days and some bread from breakfast.
We met up with fellow walkers from Vermont, and once we arrived in Aumont-Aubrac, an Australian couple purchased us a couple of beers.
We ate dinner at Brasserie La Gabale, a Michelin bib restaurant. We ordered a bottle of Chateau Clément Termes Gaillac red wine. Our menu included poultry terrine in a brioche crust, 200 grams each of Aubrac beef, a side of Aligote potatoes, red pepper purée, and dessert.
Distance: 25 km
Lodging: €92.40 La Ferme de l’Aubrac. Meals: €97.00. Other: €5.75 for groceries for lunch
Aumont-Aubrac, France to Nasbinals, France
16 September 2023. After a basic and gruff breakfast, we headed to the bakery and picked up some gourmet version of Pig in a Blanket for the second breakfast.
The weather was turning cooler - overcast with wind but no rain as the forecasters had threatened.
The terrain was open rolling hills, with extensive open pastures and big beefy cattle populating the prairie. The views from the hotel were more of the same - dramatic, expansive prairies and grazing cattle. Nasbinals looked much more affluent and bustling than the other villages we’d passed recently.
Dinner was included in lodging and was served at Maison Bastide. We had an excellent bacon and lettuce salad, aligote, homemade sausages, chocolate cake and ice cream, beer, and wine.
Distance: 30 km.
Lodging and Meals: €156.50 Hotel La Randonee. Other: €22.73 Grocery dry goods stock up (Terrine de Lapin, Terrine de Canard, canned mushrooms, bread, cashews, gazpacho, small pickles and beer).
Nasbinals, France to Saint-Chely-d’Aubrac, France
17 September 2023. Following a generous breakfast at Hotel La Randonee, we took the GR65, then deviated onto the GR6 to gain some elevation and look down upon the cattle pastures. Quickly, we entered the free range zone - meaning that the cattle roamed freely, and hikers got to walk among the cows, bulls, and calves.
Soon, the pastures gave way to beech forests and deer hunting stands. We spotted a pheasant in the beech forest as we made the long, steep descent into town.
After more than an hour of descending from the plateau, we'd worked up a thirst, so upon arrival at our hotel, we ordered three beers.
Dinner included 50 cL of red wine, carrot soup, beef, onions, sheep stomach stuffed with pork trotters, and crème brûlée.
Distance: 23 km
Lodging and Meals: €171.10 Hotel Les Coudercous
Sheep stomach inside a pork stomach in broth with red onions.
Saint-Chely-d’Aubrac, France to Espalion, France
18 September 2023. The day started with Aubrac cows and more rolling hills of pastures. The chestnut trees increased, and we saw the first ripe figs.
Lunch was a simple country ham sandwich with tomatoes and lettuce.
We had good conversations with hiker Don from Seattle before quieting down as we descended on wet sandstone. The previous night, we’d had considerable rain, and the trail was slippery.
Once we reached the Lot River, it was one beautiful small medieval village after another. We opted to skip the higher elevation quarry path and walked along the Lot on the old Roman road into Espalion.
Over the next two nights, we would enjoy a break from restaurant and gite dining and make some simple homemade meals from the new Skinnytaste cookbook released today.
Distance: 26 km
Lodging: €72.18 Studio Apartment. Groceries: €54.88
19 September 2023. We spent the day exploring Espalion. We picked up a great map of the Lot River at the TI Office, which gave an overview of the elevation of many of the upcoming small villages we will walk through in the coming two weeks.
We took a short walk to an 11th-century Romanesque church on the outskirts of Espalion and met some more American walkers as they arrived in town.
After lunch, we found someone’s wallet and turned it into the police station.
Jolene stopped by a knife store run by a master knife maker and purchased a new knife made in the shop.
We visited a museum highlighting the history of scuba equipment, as two scuba gear inventors were from Espalion.
We met with Canadian hikers Steve and Maria at a local bar with a larger group of English-speaking walkers. We’d met Steve and Maria when we’d hiked the Camino Frances in 2021. It was great catching up and knowing that they’ll finish in SJPdP about the same time we will.
Dinner was at Maison Burgarella. We enjoyed beef, lamb thymus, aligote, 50 cL of wine, and a great apricot, rosemary, and pistachio dessert.
Distance: 10 km
Lodging: €72.18 Studio Apartment. Groceries: €13.90. Dinner: €57.50. Beer with Friends: €20.00. Knife from Master Knife Maker Fabien Rozelier €152.00
Le Lot River in Espalion, France.
Espalion, France to Campuac, France
20 September 2023. We knew starting that it would be a grueling day. Little did we know that this hike would end up being one of the most challenging in our through-hiking experiences!
After picking up some beautiful sandwiches at the UStore, we were off. We arrived at Bessuejoules, which had recently undergone significant investments, including new bathrooms and a catering facility. Vermont hikers raved about an excellent gite in that town.
Shortly after leaving town, we were herded into a cow pasture by a farmer. After he secured us seven hikers in a pen, we watched the farmer’s wife chase two dry, wild cows down the road to their new pasture filled with cow friends. The cows then pushed each other around to establish their pecking order while we “escaped” from our paddock.
We sat briefly to eat our sandwiches overlooking the town of Estaing. Then it was up up up a large hill rutted with oxcart.
Distance: 30 km
Lodging and Meals: €114.00 at Chambre d’hôtes l’Arche d’Yvann. Lunch: €10.05 (two delicious fig and goat cheese sandwiches)
Sébrazac, France on the Lot River.
Campuac, France to Conques, France
21 September 2023. After excellent crepes, we set off at 8:00 am to avoid afternoon storms.
As expected, we passed many cows and pastures - a mix of Aubrac and Limousine breeds, with a few small dairies interspersed.
We caught up with Seattle hiker Don and had lunch, which consisted of a baguette, cheese, and pears.
As we descended the steep rocky trail into Conques, we heard thunder followed by an extensive rainstorm. We’d managed to avoid all but 15 minutes of rain.
Thankfully, the Hostel was open at 3 pm, and we could check in and get new dry clothes. We joined other dry hikers at a local bar for drinks while Darren topped up his Orange data package.
Lentils, lamb meatballs, green beans, cheese, and yogurt were served, with about 80 other hikers in a large food hall.
Distance: 25 km
Lodging: €96.40 Abbaye Sainte-Foy de Conques. Drinks: €23.00. Other: €27.00 SIM card top-up
22 September 2023. It rained all day and was an actual “rest day.” We did venture out to see the Romanesque architecture, eat my first of several gizzard salads, and pick up a map for the upcoming Célé variant (GR651).
Distance: 5 km
Lodging: €96.40 Abbaye Sainte-Foy de Conques. Meals: €46.00. Other: Map of Voie du Célé €12.00
Quiet neighbors outside our window. Abbatiale Sainte-Foy de Conques.
Conques, France to Livinhac-le-Haut, France
23 September 2023. Today was the dreaded climb up and out of Conques (1 km). First, we picked up a couple of beautiful sandwiches for lunch at Bakery Pelegrín.
The trail was steep, but it was not raining. We took our time climbing up and found that we’d had more difficult ascents earlier in the trip. At the top of our climb, we met hiker Mario from Mexico City and hiked with him the rest of the day.
We had expansive views of the valley and plateau and got to know Mario. We did encounter our first pig farms of the trip, in addition to many cow pastures.
We ended the day with beers with hiker Ken from England and Fred from Paris. Dinner was a gizzard salad and tiramisu at the bar next to our lodging.
Distance: 28 km
Lodging: €60.50 Gite sue Le Chemin Meals: €66.00. Beer: €7.50
Gizzard salad.
Livinhac-le-Haut, France to Figeac, France
24 September 2023. We had breakfast with two older gentlemen at our gite (a rock collector and an archeologist) and didn’t break away until 9:00. They were passionate about cheese, especially a local cheese that requires tying up the calf near the mother while milking.
It was pretty foggy when we left. We saw the most giant rooster we’ve ever seen! And more dairy cattle but no restrained calves.
We came across a llama and three donkeys. Hiker Ken fed the donkeys some apples, and we saw the jealous llama spit on the donkeys.
The terrain was flattening out since our departure from Conques the day before. We passed through a man-made pond full of local fishermen.
Arriving in Figeac, we noticed that the architecture of the buildings had changed. There were fewer solid limestone houses and more brick and beam structures.
The Mercury Hotel was luxurious, and our expansive room was on the top floor. The hotel was the home of the Viguiers du Roy and included its chapel and abbey.
Dinner was at Le Boutaric with hiker Kevin, who was departing for home the next day. The meal was excellent and comprised of duck confit, salad, fries, and veggies. The wine was Chemin de Compostela Chateau de Hauteriue, Cahors (Malbec).
Distance: 25 km
Lodging: €163.20 Mercury Figeac Le Viguier Du Roy. Meals: €94.90
Amazing room in Figeac, France.
Figeac, France to Espagnac-Saint-Eulalie, France
25 September 2023. We enjoyed a generous four-star breakfast with Kevin before taking off for our long trek to Espagnac-Sainte-Eulalie.
We found the GR65/GR651 split easy enough. Soon, we were walking near the Célé River and passing some troglodyte houses.
We found a Mirabelle tree near a cemetery and sampled some of its ripe fruits. We passed several tiny villages with few people.
By late afternoon, we had arrived at the priory, which now serves as a gite and serves an assortment of cold beers.
Our hosts at Célézen were fun and friendly and hosted us for a homemade dinner and breakfast.
Distance: 29 km
Lodging: €70.20 Célézen. Meals: €75.71
Refreshments at Espagnac.
Espagnac-Saint-Eulalie, France to Sauliac-sur-Célé, France
26 September 2023. Today, we passed tiny homes built on the sides of cliffs, some dating to the 11th and 12th centuries.
Between ancient buildings on the cliffs and large farms in the valley, we came across several hobby farms and large homes of retirees.
We stopped at Brengues for a sandwich and a second breakfast. After lunch, we saw over 30 cave divers entering the Ressel cave near Marcilhac-sur-Célé.
Our accommodations for the evening were over 1 km off the trail; however, it was well worth it. We flushed a large covey of pheasant-sized birds as we approached the lodging down a long lane. We stayed in a small house on a large property with a 270-degree view of the Célé valley.
Dinner was homemade - fresh tomatoes with oil and balsamic vinegar, pork pate with bread, couscous, bean cassoulet with duck confit and pork sausage, Cahors wine, local cheese, and chocolate eclairs. We later learned we were the first Americans to stay at the lodging in 7+ years of business.
Distance: 24 km
Lodging: €189.00 Chambre d’Hotes C de C. Meals: €12.00
Brengues, France.
Sauliac-sur-Célé, France to Cabrerets, France
27 September 2023. Breakfast was chocolate croissants, yogurt, juice, coffee, and toast with two confitures.
As we approached Sauliac-sur-Célé, one of the highlights of the Célé variant, two French fighter jets flew over the iconic hillside with cliff dwellings.
Lunch was at Les Grottes Hotel in Cabrerets - two duck Gieser (gizzard) salads with lettuce, beets and cheese, tomatoes, and walnuts.
We checked in early at Auberge de la Sagne, just outside Cabrerets. The owner graciously drove us to the top of the hill to Pech Merle so that we didn’t have to climb up 450 feet from the valley.
The Pech Merle cave and tour were excellent, seeing impressive horse paintings and hand prints from about 25,000 years ago.
Distance: 20 km
Lodging: Auberge de la Sagne €147.50. Meals: €29.00. Other: Pech Merle tour with French guide and English audio €30.00
Saint-Sulpice, France.
Cabrerets, France to Vers, France
28 September 2023. Our hosts were departing for a long weekend with family, so they allowed us to make lunch from the generous breakfast buffet.
There was not much tourist traffic, so we deviated from the GR 651 and took the D41 around the river oxbow. There was an excellent mowed grass shoulder to dodge the occasional traffic.
We did not observe kayaks on the Célé River as the water levels were relatively low. We did see several cave explorers on the cliffs above.
Following Dave Whitson’s guidebook, we crossed the first train bridge (an Eiffel bridge) before Bouzies. It was easy to climb up but a little tricky to descend. If you take this shortcut, take your time descending. Once we arrived in Bouzies, we saw a lot of end-of-season folks on holiday, and a lovely bathroom.
We’re glad we had GPS tracks, as navigating from Bouzies to the GR46 was difficult. When we arrived at the second railroad trestle climb, it was much steeper than the first one earlier in the day. Ensure any loose items are secured when you climb the embankment, as my metal water bottle bounced down the hill after I made the ascent. Thankfully Darren was behind me and he retrieved it successfully, however the water bottle has a big dent and some battle scars from its fall.
Dave’s guidebook mentions many brambles on the abandoned rail tracks. In 2023, thanks to the drought, the brambles were not too bad. They were sparse enough that we could see a half dozen black pheasants scurrying in front of us down the tracks. Instead of doing a butt-scoot down off the rails on the far side, we walked further and departed the bridge after the road. We had a ham and cheese lunch on the roadside before following the D662 to Saint Gery.
At Saint Gery, we replenished our water at the grocery store, then took a winding asphalt road up the hill and across the plateau to connect to a forest road down to Vers. While we’d seen over a dozen hikers a day, we saw very few today.
We were welcomed to the hotel by a friendly but nervous staff member. He mentioned that it was his first day in Vers and his first day on the job, to which we replied that it was also our first day in Vers! The hotel was in a great location, and our room had an unobstructed view of the Lot River. We’d left the Célé River behind - the Lot River was much more extensive and faster moving.
We enjoyed a few beers at the hotel pool. After laundry and a short nap, dinner was their menu of the day, which included 50 cL wine, butternut squash soup with truffles, country pate, tomatoes and mozzarella salad, lamb roast with carrots and potatoes, duck breast with goat cheese and mashed potatoes, carrots, and squash. Dessert was two slices of walnut tarte with walnut ice cream (the best walnut cake and ice cream we’d each ever had).
By this time on our trek, the region was growing on us. What struck us on this portion of the hike was the warmth, friendliness, and authentic conversations with other diners nearby and with the hotel staff.
Distance: 23 km
Lodging, Dinner, Drinks, Breakfast: €263.80. Hotel Spa La Truite Dorée.
Abandoned rail shortcut near Bouziès, France.
Vers, France to Cahors, France
29 September 2023. After a savory breakfast, we left the hotel at 9:45 and walked by Eglise Notre-Dame de Velles, a church dating back to the 12th century.
After our two daring railroad bridge shortcuts, we were ready for the third and final railroad bridge shortcut adventure. As we approached the railroad, we met a Belgian hiker, Yanni, who was also checking out the ascent to the railroad for an excellent and bramble-free approach. We quickly crossed the Lot on this bridge (in Dave Whitson’s guidebook). We walked for over an hour next to community gardens and large vegetable farms - mostly asparagus, fennel farms, and other vegetable truck farms.
We were in Cahors by lunchtime and procured lunch (salads, water, plums) from a casino supermarket in downtown Cahors. Another Belgian hiker joined us. He had been walking for seven days and was leaving Cahors in an hour by train to return to Belgium and work.
The tourist office in Cahors was well-organized and helpful to hikers. Next door, we checked out the CahorSphere in the Interprofessional des Vins de Cahors and enjoyed a wine tasting of six regions' wines by an instructor from Bayonne.
Dinner was at L’o à La Bouche. We enjoyed a bottle of Domaine de Cedré Malbec wine, spicy fish amuse bouche, shrimp starter with tomatoes and smoked cheese, foie gras with corn polenta puree and popcorn(!), beef with white beans, scalloped potatoes with many onions. Dinner was a walnut cake with walnut ice cream and vanilla mousse.
Distance: 19 km
Lodging: €89.20. Troisième Droite
Meals: €120.28
Wine Tasting: €20.00 at CahorSphere
Other: €7.50 Wines of France map.
30 September 2023. Breakfast was included in our lodging and was homemade by the hosts, comprising orange juice, coffee, croissants, egg, and confiture.
We walked through the Saturday market in Cahors and picked up some vegetables for lunch. We picked up some items from the pharmacy and a new pair of socks from a hiking store and then headed to the Le Pont Valentré for drinks. We spent a lazy afternoon walking around the Cahors peninsula and the shade of the walled city as it was hot (84 F).
Dinner was at Le Bistro 1911 with fellow hikers Steve, Maria, Tommy, and Ariana. We had (a lot of) Cedré Malbec wine, then shared courses from the menu of the day: mushroom quiche, sausage with fries and salad, pork tenderloin with celery root, and walnut chocolate cake.
Distance: 16 km
Lodging: €89.20. Meals: €105.00. Other: €32.00 (pharmacy and wool socks)
Church dating from 1300 near Vers, France.
Cahors, France to Lascabanes, France
1 October 2023. After another generous and homemade breakfast, we left our cozy apartment at 8:45. We crossed the Valentré Bridge (dating from the 1300s, with a length of 172 meters and with eight towers). We began the challenging ascent up to the plateau from the bridge.
We met several wild boar hunters in blaze orange a few kilometers out of town. We had a 20-minute conversation about the differences in hunting in France and the USA. The hunt organizer got on his radio and informed his friends that some hikers were coming through.
By 10 am, it was warm; with our previous days’ indulgences, we had a couple of pieces of salami and some plums for lunch. While eating, a group of eight German hikers from Munich joined us at the picnic tables for their lunch.
We arrived in Lascabanes by 15:30, with just enough time to grab some beer and a package of rice before the neighboring bar closed, as there was no food in Lascabanes on a Sunday after 17:00. Our lodging was dated. Still, adequately provisioned and cozy - a great “dead-grandma” lodging find! We made a dinner of cooked vegetables from the Saturday Cahors market and the rice from the bar.
Distance: 27 km
Lodging: €60. La maison de Juliette en haut. Meals: €16.50
Le Pont in Cahors.
Lascabanes, France to Lauzerte, France
2 October 2023. After breakfasting coffee and muesli, we left at 7:30. Soon, we saw two deer grazing in a pasture. The pastures were dotted with oak trees. When we saw fields, most were of clay soil, 20 to 30 acres in size, and the main crops we saw were sunflowers and hay.
We stopped at Intermarche for salads, couscous, and sparkling water for lunch.
Our lodging included dinner: salad, couscous, carrots, pea soup, stew, and a chocolate cookie in the shape of a foot. We talked with fellow hikers during the evening meal, including Canadians Mark and Rose, American Bill, and three Israelis.
Distance: 24 km
Lodging: €113.00. Les Figuiers Gite & Chambres d’Hôtes. Meals: €9.84
Town square in Lauzerte, France.
Lauzerte, France to Moissac, France
3 October 2023. Lauzerte was a beautiful hilltop village, and we explored it for about an hour with fellow hiker Bill. We walked with Bill most of the day and met about a half-dozen other hikers.
Upon departing Lauzerte, we met our first and only “Camino Police.” No, not a police officer, but rather a person who believes that only a specific path is allowed for walking and that they make it known to anyone who deviates from the path outlined in a current guidebook.
Nevertheless, I listened for any French words regarding hunting, dogs, road works, trees, accidents, police, danger, etc, and did not hear any. She kept telling Darren that the path was “ici,” French for “here.” We could tell by her husband/partner's apologetic body language that the woman may have been suffering from some mental health issue or was politically involved in the recent rerouting that made the path pass by a shop that was not open today. The man confirmed that it was perfectly possible to take the alternative route we had selected, which was, in fact, the official route before 2019.
After that brief delay, it was a pleasant walk through gently rolling hills, pastures, and pleasant rural roads. As we approached Mossaic, we could see how much fruit production happened here and on a large scale. We arrived after most produce was harvested, and workers were busy cleaning up their trucks, organizing their pallets, and washing their tractors at the end of the season. We arrived in Moissac around 16:00 and procured some groceries from LIDL. The town felt a little gritty but busy and prosperous like it was taking a collective sigh from the recent harvest.
I was looking forward to the architecture and stone capitals in Saint-Pierre Abbey, a UNESCO heritage site. However, I forgot to check the closing time - the hours had just been shortened a few days before. While I was a little disappointed, the three Israeli hikers had mentioned that Moissac is an easy 1-hour train ride from Toulouse, so if we ever come back to the region, we can visit the Abbey on another trip.
Distance: 31 km
Lodging: €75.27. La maisonnette de la Concorde au coeur de Moissac. Meals: €29.07
Farmland outside Lauzerte, France.
Moissac, France to Saint-Antoine, France
4 October 2023. After a breakfast of muesli, coffee, and boiled eggs, we left our cozy apartment at 7:30 for another 30+ km day.
We walked all morning near the canal lateral â la Garonne, which runs 15 km between Garonne and Tarn. We passed numerous houseboats and ducks, with occasional views of a large nuclear plant.
We had a pleasant lunch at a picnic table near the canal where the Garonne and Tarn rivers connect.
Soon, we made a long, gradual climb and arrived in Auvillar, which is noted as one of the prettiest towns in France. The most exciting structure was a grain hall from the 16th century.
As we approached Saint-Antoine, we saw that the farms were getting more prominent, with more turnups and irrigated fields. Soon, we were surrounded by alfalfa fields, but not a cow in sight.
We enjoyed beers with local road workers in the alley outside our lodging before dinner at La Coquille with French hiker Morgan. We enjoyed a bottle of wine, and a “pilgrim meal,” which included black pork with local black garlic, salad with fries, and dessert, a play on tiramisu with local walnuts and raisins soaked in Armagnac. La Coquille is run by one woman who also runs the adjacent post office and the excellent wine shop in the post office.
Distance: 31 km
Lodging: €92.29. Maison du Bois. Meals: € 77.60
Canal near Malause, France.
Grain hall in Auvillar.
Saint-Antoine, France to Lectoure, France
5 October 2023. We had a generous breakfast of chocolate croissants, brioche, homemade yogurt, kiwi, orange juice, pineapple juice and coffee.
We started walking at 9:00 and heard several gunshots in the hillsides as wild boar season was in full swing. We saw a farmer who looked like early 1970s Elvis pass us in a combine. We passed two roe deer in a pasture, then met up with two French hikers we’d met two weeks earlier.
Lunch was two sandwiches and sparkling water next to an old chateau. After lunch, we observed a lot of field activity, including sunflower harvesting, plowing, and spraying. There was a lot of storm cleanup happening as there was a big storm in June, with many old trees down. As the day ended, we met hiker Bjorn from Germany, whom we’d met previously and who was catching up to us after recovering from some knee pain.
Dinner was at Restaurant Racine in Lectoure and included wine, beef tartare, mutton ragu with eggplant, fish with lentils, fois gras with brioche, and an apple tart.
While waiting for one of our dishes, I discovered that I’d made our lodging booking for the next two nights in Condom for October 2024 and not 2023. Oops! When we returned to our room, I quickly booked one night in Condom and another in Montreal. We’d originally planned a rest day in Condom; however, with the hot weather, we decided to keep walking and just make some shorter days.
Distance: 28 km
Lodging: €86.20 A2 PAS. Meals: €112.50
Flamerens Chateau, Flamerens.
Lectoure, France to Condom, France
6 October 2023. Our host knew that today’s walk would be long and hot, so she provided our breakfast and a cold lunch sandwich in our room’s small refrigerator so that we could start walking before sunrise.
We left Lectoure at dawn and passed more June storm cleanup efforts. Farmers switched from harvesting to removing down and damaged trees when the harvest was finished.
We passed the first of many geese farms. We also saw more wildlife, including four deer and three pheasants. We walked by a lake with people fishing from the shade, as it was 85 degrees F.
As we approached Condom, we kept our eyes open for a famous Condom Road sign. However, we did not see one. We did chuckle, though, as we passed the Condom Hospital.
Both Lectoure and Condom were lovely towns we might return to someday. Once we arrived at Condom, we had some ice cream, a beer, and a glass of wine at the hotel.
Dinner was at a new Italian restaurant near the cathedral. We had spicy pasta, a caprese salad with goat cheese, truffle linguine, and two glasses of wine.
Distance: 30 km
Lodging: €90.49. Le Trois Lys. Meals: €69.40
D’Artagnan and its Musketeers, Condom, France
Condom, France to Montreal, France
7 October 2023. After a generous breakfast at the hotel (giant croissants, coffee, orange juice, jambon, three cheeses, and our choice of fruit for the road), we left Condom at 9:00.
Our first stop within 30 minutes was the Cave Cooperative de Condom for an Armagnac tasting. We met a host who was a former and future Camino pilgrim who answered our Armagnac questions there. The host also let us taste Hors d’Age (12 months old) and 1973 Armagnac (50 years old). The grape harvest had just finished, so all the juice was fermenting, and we got to take a peek into the cellar. In this particular cooperative, over 120 producers bring their grapes for fermentation and bottling. Some Armagnac producers they service are famous rugby players. We had a wonderful time; they understood we couldn’t carry bottles.
After our morning Armagnac tasting, we walked toward Larressignle, a pretty hilltop village and the smallest fortified city in France. It was a great visit as only a few people were present, many French day-hikers. Descending the large hill, we passed Pont d’Artigues, a rebuilt medieval bridge and UNESCO World Heritage site, which made a great place to enjoy a fruit snack and watch some black pheasants foraging in the pasture. We saw a sign at the bridge indicating we were now 1000 km from Santiago de Compostella.
Between the bridge and the town of Montreal, we saw more grapes and the harvesting of green soybeans. As we arrived in Montreal, it appeared as if the city was closed. Nothing was open on a Saturday except for the tourist office, closing in 20 minutes. When we checked in to our hotel, we were the only guests. The hotel owner, who also owns one of the restaurants in town, indicated that, yes, the city was closed as there was a significant event happening in a village about 20 km away; however, the grocery store would be open at 15:00 for an hour, and that the gourmet shop L’Alamboutic on the outskirts of town was open.
The tourist office had an excellent display showcasing the Armagnac wines and the winemaking process. We had an excellent experience at L’Alamboutic gourmet shop, where we were the only patrons. The host gave us a generous wine tasting and recommendations on wines and the local beer.
The hotel owner made dinner (Caesar salad, chicken breast, creme brulee) for us at home and brought it to the hotel later in the evening.
Distance: 17 km
Lodging: €101.97. Victorian Lodge. Meals: €40.12. Other: €20.50 for two bottles of wine and a beer from L’Alamboutic wine and delicacy shop.
Larressingle, the smallest walled village in France.
Montreal, France to Eauze, France
8 October 2023. Our generous breakfast was self-serve, with bread, jam, yogurt, cheese, coffee, orange juice, and a delicious rosette pastry with an apple center.
As with almost every other Sunday in France on our hike, we planned to have lunch from the provisions we’d accumulated in the past few days, as finding a lunch place open and with availability can be difficult.
We’re glad we divided the hike between Condom and Eauze into two days. The 20 km hike was pretty unremarkable, flat and shady. Much of it was a greenway, which was previously a railroad track turned into a bicycle path. A composting toilet in Lamothe, positioned near an outdoor table with a Pilgrim Goose game, was fascinating.
We met several other hikers at Place d’Armagnac beer bar. We had beers and enjoyed the medieval half-timber buildings surrounding the main square.
Our host spoke little English. However, her Alsatian French was easy for me to understand. We showed her a list of the villages in Alsace we’d been to earlier this spring, including her hometown of Geubweiller. The topic put her in a great mood, and she made an Alsatian-themed dinner for us to share with four fellow French hikers that evening. The meal included vegetable soup, spatzele, chicken and mushrooms, peas and carrots, and a delicious apple tart with vanilla ice cream.
Due to recent rains, we found an abundance of mosquitoes in Eauze. So, if you are hiking through this area before a killing frost, we highly recommend insect spray.
Distance: 20 km
Lodging: €104.00. Gite en Chemin. Meals: €15.00
Eauze church, Gothic Meridional architecture typical to southern France.
Eauze, France to Nogaro, France
9 October 2023. After a spartan breakfast of bread, jam, and coffee, we left Eauze, promptly reconnected with Canadian hikers Mark and Rose, and walked with them all day.
At midday, we stopped in Manciet for coffee and a snack and saw a bullfighting ring. We took a shortcut along the highway from Manciet to Nogoro on the Avenue du Midour. The highway was a little busy on a Monday morning but never dangerous, and we got several friendly waves and only one middle-finger gesture.
Lunch was at Brasserie Cordelier, which might have been the only restaurant open for lunch that day. It was bustling, and we arrived 10 minutes before they stopped serving lunch, however the hostess informed us that we would be fed well and that it would just take time. Lunch was Brooklyn Brewery IPAs, gizzard & foie gras salad, a raw egg swimming in cheese and bacon (oeuf cocotte), veal steak, and a citrus tart.
At our hotel, we were the only guests. The host washed and dried two days of clothing for us. We shopped at a local grocery for Tuesday’s provisions and quickly stopped at the pharmacy.
Dinner at the hotel was a giant fresh salad with lettuce, tomatoes, radishes, red onion, olives, peppers, pine nuts, and yellow mustard dressing. The main course was duck confit, potatoes, zucchini, carrots, and herbs. Dessert was a chestnut pie with cream fraiche. I got the mustard dressing recipe from the host and have made it at home several times.
Distance: 23 km
Lodging: €184.50. Maison d’Hôtes - BnB. Meals and drinks: €93.20. Other: €15.00 Laundry & Pharmacy
Bull ring in Arènes de Manciet.
Duck confit in Nogaro, France.
Nogaro, France to Aire-sur-l’Adore, France
10 October 2023. Breakfast was impressive, with several hams, cheeses, homemade yogurt, granola, coffee, fruit, croissants, and bread. Since we were the only guests, our host was happy to supply us with a picnic lunch from the breakfast leftovers.
We started walking at 8:10 and saw a beautiful sunrise. We took another shortcut that our host told us about. We took the road outside town instead of the trail, which cut off 2 km. Farmers and forestry workers were clearing more downed trees from the summer storm and did not want hikers on the trail.
By midday, we caught up with hikers Bjorn and Kevin and enjoyed our picnic lunches near a seed corn field. We passed many farm fields, including grapes, seed corn, and goose and duck farms. We got to see how ducks were fed for foie gras.
The terrain was relatively flat, and we passed a couple of 500-year-old churches.
Upon arrival in town, Bjorn treated us to several beers while washing our laundry.
We had zucchini soup, lentils with carrots, onion and sausage, goat and cow cheeses, chocolate mousse, and red and rose wine of the region. The lodging was very nice, and the owners had a lot of Camino spirit and decor.
Distance: 29 km
Lodging: €84.00. La Maison des Pelerins. Meals: €0.00. Other: €7.00 Laundry
Romanesque church in Nogaro, France.
Romanesque church Eglise Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul in Neuwiller-lès-Saverne, France. Part of the “Romanesque Road”.
Building in Lelin-Lapujolle.
Aire-sur-l’Adore, France to Pimbo, France
11 October 2023. The room was very nice at La Maison de Pelerins; however, our small room near the street was a little warm, so we didn’t sleep well. After a simple breakfast of yogurt, cereal, and coffee, we were off.
We approached a boulangerie with a queue (a great sign). Boulangerie Patisserie du Mas looks non-descript. However, the food quality and the staff's friendliness were amazing. They made ham and cheese sandwiches for us with hot, fresh bread. The chocolate croissants were large and flaky, so a few made it into our packs.
It was another warm day, above 85 degrees F. Darren found a shortcut, saving us 3 km by walking on farm roads instead of the trail. A young French hiker, William from Nice, was having knee pain and joined us on the shortcut. After several hours of walking, we helped him find a farmer to hitchhike to Pimbo with.
We met Rose and Mark at Miramont-Sensacq at lunch, an attractive town with nice bathrooms and picnic tables. Bjorn caught up with us and joined us for lunch at one of the tables. Everyone was hot and exhausted at 15:00, except for two men in a chariot driven by two horses, who passed our tables twice searching for water for their horses.
I wasn’t expecting much in Pimbo, population 203. However, it had everything a hiker needed for an overnight stay. It had a 12th-century church, part of which was in ruins and the other part restored. Retirees and expats were renovating various medieval houses. The (only) bar (Pimbo Gourmand) was large and prosperous - we enjoyed some beers while two stone masons were rebuilding a stone wall by hand. They had fun with us, flexing and pointing to their muscles while finishing the wall before grabbing their beers.
Dinner was salad, fries, duck confit, apple pie, and more beverages with Bjorn and five other hikers at Pimbo Gourmand. The bar and our lodging had terrific views of the Pyrenees from Pimbo’s hilltop location.
Distance: 27 km. Lodging: €60.00. Le Patio Tursan. Meals: €68.50
Young lady milking cows near Aire-sur-l’Adour, France.
Church in Pimbo, population 203.
Pimbo, France to Pomps, France
12 October 2023. After a terrific night’s sleep at Le Patio Tursan, we enjoyed a homemade breakfast of coffee, bread, oranges, jams, and yogurt.
We left at 8:30 and enjoyed clear views of the Pyrenees as we descended the village of Pimbo to the valley below.
At Arzacq-Arraziguet, we stopped at the grocery store for salads, saucisson, plums, and cashews.
With impending rains, the corn harvest was in full swing. We passed several small villages bustling with corn harvest. We learned from one of the farmers that most of the corn in the region goes to ducks.
We periodically passed duck and goose farms and even saw a large pen of white Frizzle Cochin chickens.
After a water break and resting for 30 minutes in a cemetery with other hikers, we arrived late afternoon in Pomps.
Dinner was spaghetti, pork curry, beet salad, vegetables, bread, and a creamy caramel dessert.
Distance: 31 km
Lodging: €80.00. Maison La Pradère - maison d’hôte Béarnaise. Meals: €21.50
Views of Pyrenees mountains from Pimbo. Note the dust from corn harvest.
Looking back at Pimbo.
White Frizzle Cochin!
Vignes, France welcome committee.
Pomps, France to Maslacq, France
13 October 2023. We awoke to more clear views of the Pyranees. After a light breakfast, we went to the bakery in the next town and procured some sandwiches and an onion quiche.
By mid-morning, we were walking on top of a big ridge, where we could see farmland on both sides, then the remains of a former military installation.
We enjoyed our sandwiches in the shade of a church - Chappelle de Caubin - a restored Romanesque chapel with some other French hikers.
We arrived in Maslacq by 14:00 and checked into our gite by 15:00. We were greeted with two pieces of great news, that today was the last hot day and that cooler weather and rain were coming. Second, we were in the Bearn wine region, and there would be plenty of wine with dinner.
Dinner was with 10 other hikers. It included red Kuri squash soup, pork or veal in cognac and apricots, and a potato and leek soup. The dessert was an apple tart with vanilla ice cream.
Distance: 21 km
Lodging: €100.00. La Ferme De Bicatou. Meals: €26.50
Typical views of the day - cattle pasture in the Canton d’Arthez-de-Béarn.
Stone capitals on old church in Arzeth-de-Béarn.
Corn harvest near Argagon, France.
Maslacq, France to Navarrenx, France
14 October 2023. After a light breakfast, bread with no fewer than 13 homemade jellies and jams, we were off by 8:30.
Most of today’s walk was along a paved road. Instead of corn, we saw more cows with calves and the occasional bull. We walked with Therese, a French hiker and yoga instructor planning to make it to Santiago-de-Compostella by mid-November.
While the sky was dark and ominous, we did not get rained on. We stopped by a grocery store for salads and fruit. We checked into our hotel in Navarrenx just as it began to downpour. We ran into Bjorn and some other hikers we’d met in the previous weeks. He coordinated a dinner at L’Petite Bistrot, where we had calamari, duck confit, fries, salad, ice cream, and wine with eight other hikers.
Distance: 22 km
Lodging: €103.60. Logis Hôtel le Commerce. Meals: €131.50
Foggy morning outside Maslacq, France.
Industry in Maslacq, including fruit processing.
12th century Romanesque church in Sauvelade, France. Looks like a funny face with mustache up top :)
Navarrenx, France to Aroue, France
15 October 2023. After a basic Logis breakfast, we enjoyed the coffee, ramparts, and bastions of Navarrenx while the rain was lifting.
Today’s terrain was mostly rolling hills with cattle. Occasionally, we saw some pig and duck farms. Thankfully, the rain was over, and we saw clearer views of the Pyrenees mountains.
We arrived early at the Bohoteguia farmhouse, a large and welcoming venue next to a dairy farm. It could easily accommodate 30 people in private rooms and dormitories. The place was full of people we’d met in the previous weeks and some new faces of hikers who’d joined the trail in Condom.
We had a hearty vegetable soup with chorizo, salad with cheese and ham, and a caramel and chocolate dessert. Everyone ate quickly as France was playing South Africa in the Rugby World Cup, and this event was being televised at a bar a short drive away. Since France lost, we were not awakened by the late arrival of saddened fans returning later that evening.
Distance: 19 km
Lodging: €88.00. Bohoteguia Farmhouse. Meals: €10.00
Typical architecture near Castetnau-Camblong, France.
Hillside near Charre, France.
Aroue, France to Harambeltz, France
16 October 2023. Our breakfast featured generous portions of yogurt made across the road at the diary. By 8:45, we were back on the trail.
Today, the hills got a little steeper, and the abundance of cows gave way to many different breeds of sheep unfamiliar to us. The house design also changed significantly - we saw many red and white half-timbered Basque houses called baserri.
We joined a French hiker for lunch at the Estela de Gibraltar stone, a stone marking where six-foot paths cross. We enjoyed a longer-than-usual rest as we could see the climb to a landmark called Chapel de Soyarze. Over a dozen hikers were lying in the grass at the historic landmark, enjoying the cool breezes and panoramic views of the mountains and pastures. Several people were drawing and painting in watercolor, and another small group was quietly playing guitar and drums.
We met a Basque truffle hunter on the climb down, hoping the recent rains had initiated truffle season. She showed us her truffle knife and empty truffle bag.
Arriving in Harambeltz, we met a city official asking hikers if we were interested in seeing their chapel. Our lodging was not open yet, so we joined several other hikers to see the inside of Chapelle Saint-Nicolas. We got a 30-minute tour in slow French. It was a unique stone church with a wooden painted interior dating back to the 12th century. One of the French hikers sang two folk songs to try out the acoustics in the wooden interior.
We arrived at our guesthouse, a large home dating from 1812. The floors were original, large wooden slats. We had a private room with a large bathroom and bedroom. A young lady in her 20s has lovingly restored the home.
Dinner was an apple cider aperitif, pumpkin soup, red wine, hamburgers, baby potatoes, salad, and homemade cheesecake.
Distance: 23 km
Lodging: €94.00. Gîte d’étape Etchetoa. Meals: €1.00
Sheep near Ithorots-Olhaïby, France.
Basque farmstead near Lohitzun-Oyhercq, France
Road near Uhart-Mixe.
Relaxing after the climb, Uhart-Mixe, France.
Hiker singing in 12th century church in Ostabat-Asme-Haranbeltz, France.
Typical lodging of the region. Ostabat-Asme-Haranbeltz.
Harembeltz, France to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France
17 October 2023. We had a delicious breakfast of local yogurt, granola, apple juice, coffee and bread.
After departing at 9:00, we stopped in Ostabat for two ham and cheese sandwiches for lunch. We passed a few duck farms, including one where the farmer was herding ducks to their water station.
Ducks farms gave way to sheep farms as we passed through increasingly forested terrain and a few small villages. By late afternoon, we saw several jambon and cheese producers with retail outlets.
An hour before Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, we were welcomed by the sound of gunfire in the hills. The past few days of cooler weather must have made the wild boar more active. We entered Saint-Jean at 15:30.
We stopped by the Pilgrim Office for the final stamp in our credential book and then checked into our apartment. We then walked to a shoe store, and I got some new shoes, as I had almost no tread left on my Altra Lone Peak 7 shoes. We then provisioned groceries for our hike to Irún, starting the next day.
For dinner, we joined over 14 fellow hikers for a celebratory dinner at Hurrup eta Klik. Dinner included several bottles of red wine (Iroulerguy Harri Gorri), champagne, gizzard salads, Pied de Porc (pork feet), Ris d’agneau (sheep thymus), potatoes, and basque cake.
Distance: 30 km
Lodging: €121.00. Plan B. Meals: €102.60. Other: €152.89. New shoes and pain cream at Maya Sports.
Lodging lovingly restored by young lady in her 20s.
Duck herder in Ostabat-Asme.
Sheep relaxing in Garmarthe, France.
After a shower in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.
Sheep thymus.
Pork trotters (pig’s feet) in garlic.
Plan B apartment in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.
In Conclusion
We thoroughly enjoyed the Via Podiensis. During this adventure, we enjoyed fantastic food and wine, met great people, connected with nature, enjoyed the beautiful scenery, unplugged from our home renovation, and improved our fitness on the challenging terrain. We learned much about southern France's history, architecture, and culture and made new friends.
If the final stage of your walk is Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (SJPdP), be aware that the town is mostly set up for new hikers walking the Camino Frances from SJPdP to Santiago de Compostella. Therefore, you may want to select lodging that does not cater to people starting the Camino Frances in SJPdP since your host will likely expect you to join an evening meal with people who will be beginning their hike the following day. Also, people walking from SJPdP will likely get up early (like 4:30) to make their way over the Pyrenees to Roncesvalles in one day. Consider renting an apartment in SJPdP and joining your fellow hikers for a post-hike celebration in one of the many restaurants in town, sleep the next day, and enjoy sleepy SJPdP in the morning hours before the tour buses appear (about 10:00).
We look forward to taking another long hike in France in 2025.
After Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, we continued our trek by connecting to the Voie Nive Bidassoa from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Irún, Spain.
Our arrival in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.
