Category: Via Podiensis

Just about Noon, I arrived at this lovely picnic spot, complete with informational posters, a fountain, and an outhouse. What more could you ask for? I was just past the turnoff to Fonteilles and about 13 km into the day, slightly more than halfway to my destination. I wolfed down that sandwich I picked up in Noailhac. I was soon […]

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At the top of the hill, we reach the end of the Way of the Cross at this little chapel dedicated to Saint Roch. This is probably not the best angle to photograph the chapel, but it might give you an idea of the slope of the hill I was climbing. Date: 28 August 2023 Place: between Noailhac and Decazeville, […]

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Leaving Noailhac, the Camino proceeds uphill on a dirt and gravel path overshadowed by concrete crosses. Here, the locals have created a Way of the Cross. What these crosses lack in embellishment or decoration, they more than make up for in size. As the path wound its way uphill, I saw that the Way culminates in a little chapel. Date: […]

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In Noailhac, I stopped in the little village church of Saint Jean-Baptiste. Although the plaster walls were crumbling in the side chapels, the rest of the church was in good repair and obviously loved. The main sanctuary had a warm glow about it as the light from the stained glass windows illuminated the wooden altar and furnishings. I was hoping […]

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I don’t know what the main road into Noailhac looks like, but the Camino certainly doesn’t take it. Instead, it sidles into town down an alley behind the church and eventually deposits you in the parking lot. It is, however, a gorgeous view, as you can clearly see. Date: 28 August 2023 Place: entering Noailhac, Aveyron Département, Region of Occitanie, […]

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Roadwalking is not my favourite, and there was a lot of it today. Fortunately, as you can see in the photos, at least some of it was on a gravel path next to the road rather than on the road surface itself. Much of the day was also on open, exposed terrain with a strong, cool wind. Not quite cool […]

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This is a follow-up to yesterday’s post. Although my phone camera is pretty good, particularly in comparison to what I was working with ten years ago, there are definitely moments when I wished for a better camera. It was impossible to get close enough to the llamas to take a decent photo – they would trundle away whenever I got […]

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The Camino path ran through the highlands overlooking the river valleys below. Along the Way, I passed fields with cows, these horses, and even some llamas. At some point, unbeknownst to me, I passed a fork that would have led me to a slightly less hilly route. Date: 28 August 2023 Place: between Conques and Noailhac, Aveyron Département, Region of […]

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Although the morning was cool, I was already bathed in sweat. Up and up through the forest I went, sometimes on dirt with loose rock, and sometimes just over solid rock – walking the dragon’s spine. When I finally broke out of the trees at the top, I found myself in a meadow full of wildflowers and heather with a […]

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