Camino Photo of the Day: Hiraeth on the River Lot
After Estaing, the Camino route I took followed the River Lot for several kilometers before striking inland and uphill. Although I was roadwalking, it was pleasant enough in the cool, misty morning air. It’s funny how sometimes a piece of terrain can affect me emotionally. This valley and river were my companions off and on for a solid week and a half, and I came to love them.
This particular morning reminded me of the Welsh word hiraeth, which means something like a homesick longing for a place or time you’ve never been. This river valley was so deeply, achingly home, even though I’d never been here before. And seeing these photos again, over a year from the time I took them, brings me right back into that place and into that sweet longing.
Date: 26 August 2023
Place: between Estaing and Fonteilles, Aveyron Département, Region of Occitanie, France
Maps!
