Author: Thom

During my Camino through France, I passed many farmsteads built of stone. How old is this building? A century? Four? I had no way to tell, as the local rural architecture styles were seemingly eternal, dependent on the local building material and the original purpose of the building. I particularly liked this one because of the morning shadows cast by […]

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Just a few steps past la Croix des Trois Évêques, this sign welcomed me to the Lot Département. The map on the sign is worth looking at since it shows all of the hiking routes in the département. This includes the rather lengthy diversion that I will take to the Marian shrine at Rocamadour. Rather than taking the main Camino route (in red on […]

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This roadside cross is modern, dating only to 2013, but it replaces an earlier cross that was torn down, most probably during the Revolution. The name means “Cross of the Three Bishops”, as it was originally erected at the junction of three ecclesiastical provinces (Quercy, Rouergue, and Auvergne). These days, it still marks a three-way junction, that of the three […]

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Even in places where the farmhouses are obviously inhabited – and in this case, part of a sprawling suburban neighbourhood – you will find traces of the past. While you often see abandoned farm equipment and carts throughout rural France and Spain, there was something about this particular cart that drew me. Perhaps it was the fact that it was […]

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The Camino wound its way steeply uphill before leveling out in farm country. What is it about the Camino and morning climbs? I followed a narrow little path through harvested fields, plowed earth, and stubble. Along the way, I passed these old farmhouses, their windows empty and roofs caved in, memories of a way of life slowly fading into history. […]

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The path out of town was clearly marked, and soon it was back to roadwalking by open fields. Less than ten minutes after leaving the gîte, I was already leaving town. Today’s route took me away from the River Lot, to which I would not return for several days. Date: 29 August 2023 Place: leaving Livinhac-le-Haut, Aveyron Département, Region of Occitanie, […]

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Finally, I forced myself to leave the gîte at about eight. As you can see, I was not the only one who dawdled. The weather was clear and cool, and my goal today was the town of Figeac, about 26km down the Way. Date: 29 August 2023 Place: Livinhac-le-Haut, Aveyron Département, Region of Occitanie, France Maps!

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The next morning during breakfast, we were treated to the energetic piano playing of Andrea, our host. He regaled us with some ragtime numbers from the early 20th century. Truth be told, I was so enjoying breakfast and the company of my fellow pilgrims that I didn’t really want to leave Bio Gîte La Vita è Bella. I ended up not […]

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This was my dinner at Bio Gîte La Vita è Bella. Andrea, our host, was responsible for this delicious vegetarian meal. This, I think, demonstrates why it’s almost always a good idea to get the demi-pension option if the gîte offers it. This is where, for an extra charge, the gîte provides dinner and breakfast and you eat with your fellow […]

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I left the church, crossed the square, and walked into the first gîte I saw. I almost immediately ran into Nina the Bavarian, who I thought was a day ahead of me. It turns out she spent an extra day in Conques. In fact, there are lots of familiar faces here, including Ávila. Despite the bunks – very rare in gîtes […]

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