This is the second of a two part trip report on our one week pilgrimage in France along the Chemin de St. Jacques. The first part of this trip report can be found at: https://paintthemap.blogspot.com/2018/09/one-week-pilgrims-part-one.html
Day 4 - St. Alban sur Limagnole.
Day 5 – St. Alban sur Limagnole to Aumont-Aubrac
Today’s route was the remotest of the trip so far. Much of the walk was on the high Aubrac plateau with grand vistas interspersed with forested areas that were being heavily logged for their timber. There were no sizable pass thru towns of note. Thankfully, we had a good amount of food and other supplies in our pack to sustain us for the day.
Ironically, despite the remoteness, we saw the largest number of fellow pilgrims on this one day than any of the other days so far.
A common topic of interest among fellow hikers was the condition of MK’s boots. The other day, the soles were becoming detached. We converted a rock wall into a MASH unit and applied a field dressing of good old reliable duct tape, something I always carry when hiking. It came to the rescue as a hoped for fix until the end of our trek in a few more days. Unfortunately, the tape is very visible and drew the attention, and hence a discussion, from our fellow pilgrims.
One such person was Tom from Cologne, Germany. He has been hiking and on pilgrimage since early September when he left from Geneva, Switzerland back in early September. He prefers to camp and make do, eschewing the towns and villages other than for their food and supplies. Instead, near nightfall, he finds some trees or semi-sheltered areas and sets up his tent and camp gear. He said he’s been very cold the past few nights as temperatures have fallen to near freezing. Tonight, though, he’s staying in the same hotel that we are staying in. He needs a phone and internet connection to discuss some urgent matters back home that have arisen.
He has been one of a few people we’ve been able to speak English with. He says he has to constantly remind himself to switch from German, French, or English depending on the situation and/or the people he has met.
Being the typical American, we are not well versed in other languages. For us, the Google Translate app on my iPhone has become an indispensable piece of travel gear. MK had leftovers from dinner last night and wanted to save some for lunch today. Without the app, it would have been impossible to describe to the owner that we wanted a plastic container to hold the leftovers and would need them refrigerated overnight. The owner happily obliged after reading my translation on the phone.
The app has been useful in other instances as well. In the part one trip report, I mentioned how I had a nice, albeit, basic conversation with a French pilgrim at a snack bar using the translation feature. It also comes in very handy in grocery stores. It lets you know with confidence what you are buying. The other day, we needed to by some coffee packets for a coffee maker we had in our room. Until using the app, we weren’t sure if we were buying little pods of coffee or a feminine hygiene product.
Day 7 - Nasbinals to St. Chely d’Aubrac
A sunrise start was required for us to trek the 10.5 miles to St. Chely so as to arrive in time for an early afternoon shuttle pick up and our ride back north to Le Puy.
For a fair distance on the way out of town, the trail was lined with enlarged photos taken by various artist from the area. The images are of the architecture, natural areas, and animal life in this portion of France.
The nights have dropped down to just below freezing. Frost lingers on the grasses of the pasturelands still hidden from the rising sun. The colors of the tall trees and shrubs adjacent to our trail are starting to turn. The greens of the past late summer days are now turning to the golds of today’s early autumn.
The nearly full moon hangs in the western sky. Throughout the morning, it’s seems it and the earth have not moved for it stays in front of us well into the morning without any apparent movement.
Cows and bulls sometimes block the way if they’re not otherwise contained by simple barbed wire fences. Gated fields require care to make sure they are closed after our passing.
The land rolls and undulates. Distances are vast. It is a lonely place. But it is rich in its heritage for it is designated as such by UNESCO. We are lost in our thoughts about our final day of this pilgrimage as we traverse these wide open spaces.
We reach heights nearly one mile in elevation, the high point and summit of our weeklong trek. Nearby is the medieval village of Aubrac, now a resort town of sorts. A former insane asylum is now a swanky lodge. An ancient church holds valuable treasures from centuries ago. We part with a higher number of euros than we normally do for two cups of coffee at a centrally located cafe.
A long, steep descent brought us down to the even smaller village of St. Chely d’Aubrac.
Before arriving, MK was thinking of a noble way to relieve herself of her now no longer functioning hiking boots. They have served her well for nearly a decade on trails and paths all over the world.
But it was now time to say goodbye. She left them next to a pot of pretty flowers on the steps of the village church. She wanted to look back at them as she walked away but chose not to.
“I shan’t look back,” she said sadly, adding a soap opera-like flair to the proceedings.
“You mustn’t,” I agreed with my equally archaic sounding reply.
While waiting for our shuttle, we conducted our ritual of soft fist bumps without any accompanying spoken word. It is never anything more elaborate than that. It is just something we do and have now done again at the finish of our one week pilgrimage.
A video of this trek as well as a trek in the Provence region is at the follwowing link:
Day 4 - St. Alban sur Limagnole.
At our hotel’s breakfast table, we were joined
by five Americans who were walking the trail for a distance much further than
us. We traded tips, hints, and ideas for other treks and pilgrimages throughout
the world. It was an enjoyable conversation, the first in full English we’ve
had in a while.
After we wished them a “Bon Chemin”, we had the
restaurant to ourselves. We chose today to be an off day with no mileage
gained. Instead, we rested and relaxed while reading and writing all while the
owners cleaned the tables and swept the floors under our feet.
In time, locals would come and go, stopping for
a cup a coffee or a glass of beer. An occasional pilgrim came in as well but
stayed only long enough for a hot drink and a croissant.
One local in particular would arrive, leave,
and arrive again. Each time she would play her harmonica as she entered,
announcing her arrival. After setting down her wooden walking stick, she would
help herself to the coffee and other snacks and take a seat. Between bites and
sips, she would continue to softly play her harmonica and sing to
herself.
Later, we ventured out to explore this little
village. In the square, we met a couple from Switzerland who were on a
pilgrimage. In my earlier trip reports, I mentioned how this Chemin de St. Jacques, or Le Puy Camino, is a
path that precedes the more famous Camino de Santiago path in Spain. Well,
there are also paths that precede this Le Puy Camino. One of those starts in
Switzerland which is where this couple began their own, very long pilgrimage.
“Who knows?” they said, when we asked them when they plan on reaching the end
in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
 |
| This map shows the main Caminos in France (in red) as well as the lesser Caminos leading up to them (in blue) |
After we shared a piece of cold lasagna we had
purchased at a nearby charcuterie, MK went to the local church for reflection
and quiet time and to make up for several Sunday’s missed. I went off to
explore further. I found a castle from the 15th century that now housed the
tourism center. Outside, several people were playing a competitive game
of pétanque.
Nearby was a fancy hotel that at one point in
my pre-trip planning, I considered reserving for our stay while here in town.
It was indeed nice, but way too fancy and pricey for our budget. For the price
of one night there, we could have spent three nights elsewhere.
 |
| Fancy, shmancy... |
 |
| Photo of St. Alban's town square taken sometime during WWI |
 |
| 100 years later and not a whole lot has changed |
We joined up again in the late afternoon. MK became creative and took our her drawing materials. Me? I took pictures of beer signs.
Day 5 – St. Alban sur Limagnole to Aumont-Aubrac
Today’s route was the remotest of the trip so far. Much of the walk was on the high Aubrac plateau with grand vistas interspersed with forested areas that were being heavily logged for their timber. There were no sizable pass thru towns of note. Thankfully, we had a good amount of food and other supplies in our pack to sustain us for the day.
Ironically, despite the remoteness, we saw the largest number of fellow pilgrims on this one day than any of the other days so far.
A common topic of interest among fellow hikers was the condition of MK’s boots. The other day, the soles were becoming detached. We converted a rock wall into a MASH unit and applied a field dressing of good old reliable duct tape, something I always carry when hiking. It came to the rescue as a hoped for fix until the end of our trek in a few more days. Unfortunately, the tape is very visible and drew the attention, and hence a discussion, from our fellow pilgrims.
One such person was Tom from Cologne, Germany. He has been hiking and on pilgrimage since early September when he left from Geneva, Switzerland back in early September. He prefers to camp and make do, eschewing the towns and villages other than for their food and supplies. Instead, near nightfall, he finds some trees or semi-sheltered areas and sets up his tent and camp gear. He said he’s been very cold the past few nights as temperatures have fallen to near freezing. Tonight, though, he’s staying in the same hotel that we are staying in. He needs a phone and internet connection to discuss some urgent matters back home that have arisen.
 |
| Tom, from Germany |
He has been one of a few people we’ve been able to speak English with. He says he has to constantly remind himself to switch from German, French, or English depending on the situation and/or the people he has met.
Being the typical American, we are not well versed in other languages. For us, the Google Translate app on my iPhone has become an indispensable piece of travel gear. MK had leftovers from dinner last night and wanted to save some for lunch today. Without the app, it would have been impossible to describe to the owner that we wanted a plastic container to hold the leftovers and would need them refrigerated overnight. The owner happily obliged after reading my translation on the phone.
The app has been useful in other instances as well. In the part one trip report, I mentioned how I had a nice, albeit, basic conversation with a French pilgrim at a snack bar using the translation feature. It also comes in very handy in grocery stores. It lets you know with confidence what you are buying. The other day, we needed to by some coffee packets for a coffee maker we had in our room. Until using the app, we weren’t sure if we were buying little pods of coffee or a feminine hygiene product.
 |
| Wood carving of the Last Supper on the altar inside the Aumont-Aubrac church |
 |
| This has to be one of the flattest flat iron buildings I've ever seen. |
Day
6 - Les Quatre Chemins to Nasbinals
 |
| Waiting for the shuttle to take us to today's start point of our walk |
Our route followed dirt paths and narrow gravel
lanes high up on the brown, desert-like, and rocky plateau. Only stone
walls, a two-strand barbed wire fence, a tree or two, and an occasional
small hamlet broke up what was otherwise a remote and barren land.
 |
| Occasionally, a closed fence blocks the way |
 |
| Always make sure to close it back up before proceeding |
We were deep in rural France. Cattle outnumbered
people, houses, and an occasional car that could be seen on a far off tarmac
road.
There was a simple, unassuming beauty in the
quiet desolation in which we found ourselves. But, it was also a reminder that
if you lost it out here, you’d be in a world of hurt.
And it is this environment that sums up the
major difference between this first 100 kilometers of the Le Puy Camino, and
the last 200 kilometers of the Camino de Santiago in Spain that we walked
several years ago.
In Spain, the Camino is relatively crowded, the
paths well worn, and the tourist infrastructure well established. Here in
France, the route follows trail and backpacker paths more than it does tarmac
roads and their gravel shoulders and the villages are less developed.
Please don’t misunderstand me - the Spain
Camino is a wonderful route and a great experience. I would recommend it to
anyone. However, if you’re looking for a more authentic, more real, and more of
a “deep travel” experience, then I’d recommend trekking this pilgrimage path in
France.
At mid-day, we stopped at a small village to
break out our supplies and have some lunch. Cute, but likely feral, cats came
out from various nooks and crannies looking for a handout. Other pilgrims had begun to gather here as
well. One man, from New Zealand, has been on a solo pilgrimage since leaving
Rome some months ago. He plans on finishing in Santiago by Christmas.
 |
| At every town's entrance, there is either an iron or stone cross |
Another man from Boston was out for just
another month and plans on finishing in the Pyrenees.
“Nice to get away from the madness back home, huh?” He told
me as he cooled off his feet in the cold waters of the village’s central
fountain.
“Now there’s an understatement!” I replied as we
shouldered our packs and headed out.
We only had a few more kilometers before we
would reach Nasbinal, our last overnight town in our one-week pilgrimage. It’s
too bad it went by so fast. We were feeling fit and trim and just beginning to
hit our stride.
We found a sunny spot in town beneath the central
church’s bell tower to relax and read. I made sure the sun shined on the
right side of my face. All day, the sun beat down on the left side which has a
disproportionately greater number of age spots. I needed things to balance out
a little.
 |
| Oh. great. More cheese at dinner... |
Day 7 - Nasbinals to St. Chely d’Aubrac
A sunrise start was required for us to trek the 10.5 miles to St. Chely so as to arrive in time for an early afternoon shuttle pick up and our ride back north to Le Puy.
The nights have dropped down to just below freezing. Frost lingers on the grasses of the pasturelands still hidden from the rising sun. The colors of the tall trees and shrubs adjacent to our trail are starting to turn. The greens of the past late summer days are now turning to the golds of today’s early autumn.
The nearly full moon hangs in the western sky. Throughout the morning, it’s seems it and the earth have not moved for it stays in front of us well into the morning without any apparent movement.
Cows and bulls sometimes block the way if they’re not otherwise contained by simple barbed wire fences. Gated fields require care to make sure they are closed after our passing.
The land rolls and undulates. Distances are vast. It is a lonely place. But it is rich in its heritage for it is designated as such by UNESCO. We are lost in our thoughts about our final day of this pilgrimage as we traverse these wide open spaces.
 |
| At the summit |
 |
| OK, on three. One, two, three....Awww! |
A long, steep descent brought us down to the even smaller village of St. Chely d’Aubrac.
Before arriving, MK was thinking of a noble way to relieve herself of her now no longer functioning hiking boots. They have served her well for nearly a decade on trails and paths all over the world.
But it was now time to say goodbye. She left them next to a pot of pretty flowers on the steps of the village church. She wanted to look back at them as she walked away but chose not to.
“I shan’t look back,” she said sadly, adding a soap opera-like flair to the proceedings.
“You mustn’t,” I agreed with my equally archaic sounding reply.
While waiting for our shuttle, we conducted our ritual of soft fist bumps without any accompanying spoken word. It is never anything more elaborate than that. It is just something we do and have now done again at the finish of our one week pilgrimage.
A video of this trek as well as a trek in the Provence region is at the follwowing link:
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