Walking the Camino de Santiago
The Camino ran through the forest alongside a river on my right for a bit, and occasionally there would be impressive stone outcroppings on my left. It was only when I reached a clearing that I could see the full extent of the landscape. The river (and the Camino) ran through the middle of a wide valley, surrounded on both […]
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It’s been almost four months since I last posted my initial planning for the Via Lemovicensis. An update is probably in order. Let’s talk about transportation, route, and bookings. Along the way, we’ll touch on a new writing project coming out of this planning. Transportation The first thing about any Camino is, of course, getting to the starting point and […]
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I caught up with Anne at a little stone bridge over a creek. She was putting her shoes on, having sat on a convenient stone and soaking her feet for a bit in the water. This seemed like a capital idea, and I took her spot as she vacated it. The water was cold! But it was like a tonic […]
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Just after 10:30 that morning, I was walking down a dirt road through a forest that gave me serious Mirkwood vibes – all spindly trees wrapped in thick, gray-green moss – when I suddenly realized that I had left my Camino shell medal at the gîte this morning. I was so upset and angry at myself that I actually texted […]
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In the decade and a half that I’ve trained for Camino, I’ve never done it without Francine before. There are days when that hits me, and I’m overcome with melancholy as I hike. At the same time, sometimes I can feel her with me, off to my left, hiking in her usual place. It is the strangest thing. Today, after […]
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The little village church of Notre Dame des Noyeraies de Cras (Our Lady of the Walnut Groves in Cras) was unfortunately locked up tight. The heat outside was already fierce, and we certainly could have used a few moments of rest inside the cool air of the church. Instead, we had to settle for the shade of the porch and […]
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Bruno and I arrived in the village of Cras at about 9:45. No café, and even the church was locked up. It was a little early for lunch, but we stopped on the church steps for some cookies. Anne passed us as we sat, and I left Bruno sitting at the church as I went to find water. Cras isn’t […]
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The terrain today was gentle hills for the most part. There were few big ups or downs, mostly just an undulating path through pasture land and woods. And it was absolutely beautiful. Give me a dirt or gravel path through meadows and farms and woods, and I can walk all day. Date: 03 September 2023 Place: between Labastide-Murat and Vers, […]
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Sometimes it’s roadwalking, and sometimes it’s practically bushwhacking. The walking surfaces of the Via Podiensis in France are perhaps even more varied than those of the Camino Francés in Spain. On this particular day, there were still segments of roadwalking – I feel like it wouldn’t be the Camino in France without them – but they were much reduced compared to […]
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There were three of us in the gîte that night: myself, Bruno, and Anne. Anne runs a gîte in Moissac, but she’s taking some time off to walk. We never did actually see the gîte owner here, but she left pretty clear written instructions. I slept like a baby, and I woke up today feeling refreshed and energized. The three […]
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