Via Podiensis: To the Land of Sainte-Foy

Today was a half day, and I got a late start, not leaving the grandma house gîte until a quarter after seven. It has been raining most of the night and into the morning. Although it wasn’t raining when I left, out of an abundance of caution I donned, for the first time on the Camino, my strawberry troll.

On the way out of town I passed a bar that the shopkeeper had conspicuously avoided telling me about when I asked her if there was anywhere to eat in town last night. Hmm. 

Beautiful walk out of the village, past the cemetery and into the rolling countryside. The air was cool and fresh, and the world was bursting with greenery. crossed a small concrete bridge over a wide stream, and Espeyrac was behind me.

The dirt path turned immediately into the woods and began to climb. As I continued up the hill, I passed several wide-open clearings and pastures with isolated houses, a mixture of older and new construction. There was even a broad hillside meadow, where I could look back over the graveyard and the village. 

Less than a kilometer in, and I was already back to roadwalking. This was, however, where I saw my first sheep in France. There were a pair of them, and they regarded me with deep suspicion as I walked by.

The way quickly turned back into the woods, on a dirt road. The cycle of roads and paths, woods and clearings, like yesterday, would continue throughout the morning. The streams were much wider than yesterday, though, and they had proper bridges.

I heard a Church bell ring out 8 AM somewhere ahead of me, and I soon came to the village of Sénergues, with its tall church steeple and castle tower. This was my only plausible stop of the morning. My visit turned out to be very brief indeed. At the church, they had posted the Mass schedule for Conques Abbey, and it was just possible that I could make the Sunday Mass there. I set out with alacrity.

Even my brief walk-through of the village convinced me that this would’ve been a much better place to stay last night than where I did. It would’ve been worth the extra hour’s walk yesterday.

The whole way, I just kept saying, “Lord, get me to the church on time!” but the first part of the walk was just hill after hill. There’s a metaphor there somewhere, I suppose.

During the middle part of today’s walk, the path flattened out and went a long time beside beautiful green meadows and fields. I made pretty decent time during this stretch.

Are at one point I just had to take a short break. I dug into my stash and ate an apple and some cookies before continuing.

I also took a moment further on in the little village church of Saint Marcel to pray. As I was leaving the church, I was serenaded by a donkey with a cry so loud and startling that I almost dropped my hiking poles.

A roadside sign announced that Sainte-Foy welcomed me to Conques. I was actually quite touched by it.

There followed a knee-jarringly steep dissent down asphalt road, rude side path, stairs, and finally dirt and stones. The stones were slick with last nights rain, so there was no choice but to move slowly and carefully.

Finally, I emerged from the woods onto the outskirts of the village. It was still downhill, but now on relatively smooth asphalt.

And then I spied the abbey church, clearly undergoing restoration, with scaffolding and plastic wrap. It didn’t make much of an impression until I went down the stairs and around the front of the church. And then, oh my!

I don’t know if I can adequately explain the impression the façade of this building made on me. I only had a moment to take it in before going inside where the people were already beginning together for Mass.

I attended Sunday Mass at the abbey church, and it was beautiful.

Between Espeyrac and Conques, I did not see a single pilgrim. And it never did rain.

After Mass, I spent just a little time exploring the place before heading into the town to find some lunch. Then I checked into the abbey gîte and did my very best to do some laundry. As I was on my way out to further explore the town, to my very great surprise I ran into Ávila.

Together we hit up a local bakery, and then went to the museum of the abbey treasures. The Friars sang Vespers, so I prayed along with him as best I could with the various intentions I carry.

Date: 27 August 2023

Place: Conques 

Today started: Espeyrac

Today’s Photos!