Walking the Camino de Santiago
Somewhere along the Way, this little shrine sits in memory of a man who used to sit here. I sat here myself, though only for a moment, and prayed and snacked. I also stowed my poncho, as the rain had stopped – though I did put on my rain jacket, just in case. In English, the sign erected by the […]
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Today is the first anniversary of my arrival in Santiago following my thousand-mile walking pilgrimage on the Via Podiensis and Camino Francés. From August 18 through October 23, 2023, I walked from Le Puy-en-Velay in France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain on pilgrimage to the tomb of the Apostle Saint James the Greater. I received my pilgrim blessing from […]
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Switchback after switchback, up and up I went, sometimes on paths, and sometimes on roads. I was sweating in a way that I hadn’t since climbing to the Chapel of the Magdalene almost a week ago. A brief bit of flat ground brought me to Montégut, a little dot on my map that I hoped might have a spot to […]
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The Camino headed inland and uphill through forest and field, switchback after switchback. And some of this was silly steep. Just before 8:30 AM, I passed these ruins. They were in the forest, though, as you can see, the forest was also in them. The only inhabitant was a feral cat. This was a romantic (if melancholy) reminder that people […]
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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 […]
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After the bridge, the Camino takes two different routes from Estaing. Both end in tonight’s destination, the village of Espeyrac, and both head through various highlands south of the Lot River valley. I chose the route that heads through the village of Golinhac on the theory that there was a marginally better chance of getting some lunch. The signage, as […]
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Following breakfast in the only open café, I left the beautiful village of Estaing at about 7:15 AM. The early morning rain had stopped, but I wore my poncho just in case. I headed back across the river into the cool, fresh morning. The air smelled of petrichor, one of my favorite scents in the world. It was a perfect […]
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I probably took a hundred photos in the beautiful village of Estaing. Here’s a final one: this is my view from my table in a charming little restaurant called Chez Mon Père, which means something like “at my Dad’s” or perhaps more literally, “at my Father’s house”. Across the street, you can see Auberge St. Fleuret, which is a fairly […]
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As I walked around the village, I came upon more and more of these whimsical little people. I don’t know if they’re the work of a single artist or many, but this sort of art can be found throughout Estaing. This musician was one of my favourites. Date: 25 August 2023 Place: Estaing, Aveyron Département, Region of Occitanie, France Maps!
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After visiting Château d’Estaing, I explored the village, wandering down its narrow medieval lanes, before somehow ending up directly in front of the church I’d visited earlier, Saint-Fleuret d’Estaing. There was just something about this view from a narrow lane and the tired pilgrim sitting on the steps that struck me as a proper encapsulation of this utterly charming village. […]
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