Pilgrims on the Way

The village of L’Hôpital once contained a major medieval pilgrim hostel – you can see it in the name – but thanks to the Revolution, of this there is no remaining trace. Here, we took a diversion from the diversion to take a slight shortcut and follow the historic pilgrimage route. We were also hoping to spot some of the prehistoric […]

We finally managed to leave the village of Thémines at just after noon. I walked with Ávila and Bruno down a wide forest path for a bit before it turned into a rural road that passed through several hamlets and farmsteads. This particular hamlet is called Le Cossoul. It was just about a kilometer past this that the three of […]

The painted ceilings and walls of the church of Saint-Eutrope de Thémines are a wonder. This is the vault above one of the side altars, and the painting is exquisite. It’s definitely in need of restoration, and I hope that happens soon, before these are lost forever. Date: 31 August 2023 Place: Thémines, between Lacapelle-Marival and Gramat, Lot Département, Region of Occitanie, […]

Whatever we were expecting when we walked into the church of Saint-Eutrope de Thémines, this was not it. The whole place was filled with a sort of melancholy magnificence, run down but still retaining echoes of a former glory. It also showcases something odd I saw in several churches in France: the fact that the main altar is, for some reason, located […]

With bonus photo of the actual omelette! The woodland path let me into the village of Thémines at about 10:30, joining the road right at the entrance to the village. Here, I met up with the small group of pilgrims that I had been walking with on and off for several days, including Ávila, Bruno, and Paul. We spent entirely too […]

You don’t often see road signs on forest trails in France, but when you do, it’s to warn you that the two bridges coming up might be slippery. If you squint, you can just see the first bridge. Both bridges were decked with steel, and yes, they were slippery. Date: 31 August 2023 Place: between Lacapelle-Marival and Gramat, Lot Département, […]

These sorts of cairns may be found everywhere on the Camino. Usually, they’re a small pile of stones. Traditionally, hiking cairns are a navigation aid, a way of marking the correct way on a not-so-well-defined trail. On the Camino, which is typically well-marked, they usually serve a different purpose. There’s a small cairn, and pilgrims will leave a new stone to […]

The Camino path ducked in and out of woodlands that morning, and I kept making wrong turns. Fortunately, I never strayed too far. I want to say it was due to poor signage, but the truth is that I was usually just absorbed in my thoughts and prayers and not paying enough attention. I think this is a particular hazard […]

After leaving the little village of Rudelle, I found myself once again in the countryside. As in days past, the road surface alternated between asphalt, gravel, and dirt. Whenever possible, I introduced myself to the locals, which in this case were of the bovine persuasion. Date: 31 August 2023 Place: between Lacapelle-Marival and Gramat, Lot Département, Region of Occitanie, France […]