Author: Thom

The Camino wound its way through farm and field. Just after 11:30 I came upon a small wooden shelter and a nearby picnic table with a view of the pasture, so I figured this was a good time to pull out my packed lunch. There were numerous days on the Via Podiensis where I had to carry food, as the […]

As we all know, French sheep tend to say “beh” rather than “baa”. This little fellow wandered right up to say… something to me. He seemed very earnest about it, anyway. Perhaps he was complaining about the stifling humidity. Date: 02 September 2023 Place: between Rocamadour and Labastide-Murat, Lot Département, Region of Occitanie, France Maps! The site I’ve been using […]

This is interior of the village church of Couzou. It’s this weird amalgam of styles from the early Gothic architecture through the Baroque furnishings right up to the 20th-century altar. You name it, it’s in there. Somehow, though, it all seems to work together. I am puzzled, though, why anybody thought that putting the altar outside of the sanctuary was […]

When I left Rocamadour on this morning, I had forgotten to top off my water bottles. This is a rookie mistake. A violation of rule seven of my “practical rules for the Camino”. To be clear, it’s not as though I had no water. One bottle was half full, and the other had a little bit in it as well. […]

After getting myself un-lost, I wandered into the little village of Couzou. I was looking for somewhere to refill my nearly empty water bottles. I decided not to stop here. Call me crazy, but the flag dissuaded me. Fortunately, there was a village water pump in the little yard outside the church. More on that tomorrow, perhaps. Date: 02 September […]

This was the exact moment I suspected I was lost. I was walking a gentle forest path, and I had been lost in contemplation. When I came upon this structure, I briefly paused as I didn’t remember it being mentioned in my guidebook. Just a dozen meters or so beyond, I came to a fork in the road and could […]

As I climbed up out of the Alzou river valley, I didn’t see any bees or wasps. To be fair, it was about 7 AM, and they’re not known for being up and about at that time. I absolutely love the sign, though. Date: 02 September 2023 Place: Leaving Rocamadour, Lot Département, Region of Occitanie, France Maps! The site I’ve […]

As I crossed the stone bridge over the Alzou with its old watchtower, I looked longingly back at the cliffs of Rocamadour. I had an actual paper map, which made finding the GR 46, my new road of choice, much easier than it otherwise might’ve been. I was out of town by 7 AM, once again in an effort to […]

The next morning, I began my Camino day with the descent from Rocamadour. The stone steps were a little slippery following a nocturnal thunderstorm, so I took my time, gingerly exploring each step and hanging on to the stone wall at the left as best I could. After the great crush of tourists yesterday, it was eerie to see the […]