Pilgrims on the Way

Sometimes people ask me what the biggest differences are between walking a pilgrimage in France versus walking a pilgrimage in Spain. This is certainly one of the biggest differences. Along the Le Puy route – at least for the first few weeks – you will often find public rest rooms. This is most certainly not the case in Spain, where […]

About an hour into my pilgrimage walk, I found this little lady. She was face down in the gravel road. There were no human habitations nearby, and I had no idea who might have dropped her or when. I picked her up, and she stayed in my fanny pack (that’s bum bag to the rest of the world) for the […]

The road from Le Puy was mostly gravel, and – though you can’t see it in this photo – there were quite a few pilgrims walking the Way. It was quite steep coming out of town, but it did eventually flatten out. The terrain to each side featured scrubby farms and pasture land. Although I didn’t see any cows at […]

The signage on the Via Podiensis is clear and easy to follow, though that didn’t stop me in subsequent days from getting lost with alarming frequency. The Camino wound its way through the city before heading out into the countryside. The distances on the sign are, as always, lies. Date: 18 August 2023 Place: leaving Le Puy-en-Velay, Haute-Loire Département, Region […]

I saw this little fellow shortly after leaving the cathedral. He seemed a cheery sort of bunny, and I imagine he was there to wish the pilgrims bon chemin as they set out upon their long pilgrimage route. I’m not quite sure what happened to his nose, though. Date: 18 August 2023 Place: Le Puy-en-Velay, Haute-Loire Département, Region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, […]

The Cathedral of Le Puy has the most amazing and moving entrance onto the Camino of any place I’ve ever been. Following the Pilgrims’ Mass and the blessing, the floor of the cathedral’s nave opens up. The pilgrims walk down the stairs to the cathedral’s main entrance and directly onto the Camino route. It is an unforgettable beginning. Date: 18 […]

The next day, the 18th of August, 2023, I attended the morning Pilgrims’ Mass at the Cathedral. From here, I set out upon this great adventure. Here is my first step towards the opening gate of the Camino – the single step that begins the journey of a thousand miles. Tomorrow I’ll try to post the video of the opening […]

The original Black Virgin of Le Puy, carved of ebony and thought variously to date back to anywhere between the third and sixth centuries, was looted and then burned by the revolutionaries in 1794. As it was burning, a hidden drawer popped open and a slip of parchment fell out into the fire. Nobody bothered to see what it said. […]

Downtown Le Puy is full of little shops. I drifted from the book shop to the hat shop, stopping at various other little places along the way. While I didn’t actually buy anything but some postcards and a fridge magnet, I also made a point of not stopping in the shop on the left here. And I was only saved […]

After leaving Saint Michel d’Aiguilhe I headed out to explore the town. Of course, the first place I spotted was a bookstore. Le Puy is very much a tourist hotspot, and the streets of the old town are packed with charming little shops and cafés. Date: 17 August 2023 Place: Le Puy-en-Velay, Haute-Loire Département, Region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France Maps!