Author: Thom

Among the scattered houses and fields of the village of Pratclaux I saw more cats than villagers, though I did meet several pilgrims. Here a passing pilgrim says hello to one of the locals. Date: 19 August 2023 Place: Pratclaux, Haute-Loire Département, Region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France Maps!

The view from Rochegude into the valley of the L’Allier river below is truly stunning. Here I’m standing next to the little Chapelle Saint-Jacques de Rochegude. You can see why this was such a strategic spot in the medieval era. The ruins of the watchtower are being me. Date: 19 August 2023 Place: Rochegude, Haute-Loire Département, Region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France […]

This is the sanctuary of the little Chapelle Saint-Jacques de Rochegude. I found it surprisingly well-appointed, considering its size and the difficulty in climbing up to the chapel. The nave – if you can call it that – is of a similar size to the sanctuary. Date: 19 August 2023 Place: Rochegude, Haute-Loire Département, Region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France Maps!

The tiny hamlet of Rochegude overlooks the valley of the L’Allier river below. There has been a guard tower up on the ridge here since the early medieval period at least. Also up on the hillside above the houses is this little chapel, perched precariously over the steepest part of the hillside, just beyond. Date: 19 August 2023 Place: Rochegude, […]

Once I got closer to the top of the hill, the view opened out. It absolutely took my breath away. They say that the walk from Le Puy to Conques is the most beautiful in France, and I for one am inclined to agree. And this wan’t even the nicest view of the day. Date: 19 August 2023 Place: between […]

While most of the Camino paths I’ve walked have been relatively broad, from time to time you do get something like this path from Saint-Privat. Normally, I like to burst out of the starting blocks with my best speed of the day before I slow down to the usual saunter. This path, however, was narrow, rocky, and uneven. It was […]

This was my view just after 7am, looking back as I left the village of Saint-Privat-d’Allier. It was a beautiful and cool morning, perfect for walking. I was hoping to get some serious kilometers under my belt before the day’s heat set in. You can see in this photo that the terrain in the region is a trifle hilly. This […]

The next day we were treated to a fantastic (and typically French) breakfast by Olivier, our gracious host. It consisted of an assortment of juices, coffee (or tea) in a bowl, and toasted fresh bread with a slew of jam options. As you can see from the map below, today was going to involve a lot of altitude changes as I […]

The interior of Saint Privat was restored in 1965 by the villagers. Compared to medieval churches I visited later, this one is comparatively stark, with modern furnishings and new stained glass that reflect the tastes of that time rather than respecting the fabric of the building and its architecture. It’s likely that originally the interior would have been covered in […]