Le Chemin de Saint Jacques

In 2011 we began walking le Chemin de Saint Jacques, an approximately 500 mile route which starts in Le Puy en Velay and meets the Camino de Santiago in Spain at Roncesvalles.  That year, we walked from Le Puy in Velay to Figeac, and in 2012 we walked from Figeac to Condom, France.  In April we will go back to France to start in Condom, where we left off.  This journey will take us from France to Spain, over the Pyrenees to Roncesvalles, where we began the Camino de Santiago several years ago, and complete our "journey of 1000 miles".  This blog has photos and memories of the first parts of our journey in France.
.

Le Chemin de Saint Jacques begins in Le Puy en Velay at the Romanesque Cathedral of Notre Dame. We picked up our pilgrim passports at the cathedral sacristy.  Every morning there is a mass at 7 AM followed by a pilgrim blessing.  The cathedral houses the most famous of the black madonnas in this region.  The black madonnas were carved in dark walnut or cedar and have blackened with age.  We spent a couple days in this beautiful town before starting.

The town of Le Puy en Velay is located in a volcanic area.  The chapel of Saint Michel is built atop a lava cone.  You have to climb 267 steps to visit it.

We often saw this sign telling us how many kilometers it is to Santiago de Compostela.  The route mostly follows the GR65 (Grande Randonne, a French footpath).  In Spain, the waymark to watch for is a yellow arrow, but in France the waymark is a white and red stripe, which could be a sticker, or just painted on a tree, or rock, or wall. 


The chapel of Saint Roch near Montbonnet.  Saint Roch is the French patron saint of pilgrims.

The day started out sunny but by afternoon as we walked thru a forest path, it began to rain.

A few of the many crossed we saw each day along le Chemin.

The Pont de Marchastel over the river Bes, en-route to Nasbanals.

Arriving at the village of Domerie d'Aubrac. The gate leads to the monastery church.  Aubrac was founded in 1120 by a Flemish knight who was attacked by bandits on his way to Santiago and almost died there.  On his return journey, in gratitude, he founded Aubrac as a place of refuge for pilgrims.

Walking from Domerie Aubrac to Saint-Chely-d'Aubrac.  Such a peaceful path that seemed to be endless.







The church in Saint-Come d'Olt has an unusual, twisted spire.  Olt is the old name for the River Lot.  From Saint-Come d'Olt we crossed a gothic bridge and walked along the Lot River (le Lot) to the next town of Espalion. 









The small medieval town of Estaing has a gothic bridge over the Lot, and a 15th century church with a stone cross depicting a tiny pilgrim

Estaing's 15th century chruch

Stone cross in Estaing

After a ruggedly steep decent, we arrived in Conques, a most beautiful medieval village.  Conques is built around the Abbey of Sainte-Foy.  Sainte Foy (Faith) was a young girl who was an early Christian martyr.  A monk brought her relics from Agen to Conques to attract pilgrims.  Conques was a remote spot, but because of the relics, it became a well-known halt on the route.  This town was amazing.  We wandered up and down the cobbled streets in awe.

Cobbled street in Conques

The Abbey Church of Sainte Foy.  This was the magnificent view from our B&B window when we opened the shutters in the morning.  The fog gradually rolled away.

The tympanum of the Abbey Church is an early 12th century  sculpture of the Last Judgement.








Figeac was our last stop in 2011.  We returned to Figeac in 2012 to continue part 2 of le Chemin, from Figeac to Condom.  Figeac is known as the home of Champollion, who interpreted hieroglyphics.  The Musee Champollion has a cast of the Rosetta stone in its courtyard.

Perched high above the Lot River is  St-Cirq-Lapopie, one of France's prettiest villages.  It has a 15th century church and timber-framed houses built along its cobble-stoned and hilly streets.

Cobbled street of Saint Cirq

Cobbled path to St. Cirq's church

Leaving St-Cirq-Lapopie the path immediately descends steeply to the riverbank and this amazing path cut into the rock at the river's edge.

On May day, May 1, 2012, lunch was at a picnic ground along the Lot River in Vers.  We ended the day at Arcambal by a river bank filled with nettles. 

We passed beautiful villages which reflected in the water of the Lot River, along the route from Arcambal to Cahors.

Cahors' cathedral is most well known for its renaissance style cloisters with some intricate carvings.

The historic Pont Valentre in Cahors, the finest fortified bridge in Europe, and a highlight of this leg of our journey.  Its been used by so many pilgrims overs the centuries.

Lauzerte, a Bastide hill town dating from the 12th century.  It was a medieval market village with a large main square.  An unuswal feature is the cabblestone lifted up like a carpet on the corner facing the church.  You may be able to see it in the photo.

le Chemin marker on a tree

Krishna meets an old woman who is glowing with happiness as she walks

Moissac's Abbey Church, part Romanesque (the stone) and part Gothic (the brick) has a very unusually carved portal.

The Abbey of St. Pierre in Moissac is a masterpiece of French Romanesque.  Each carved capital has a story.

Walking the hill overlooking Moissac

A well-deserved rest!

So many crosses to pause at along the way.

The town of Le Romieu was founded by two Benedictine monks on their return from Rome.  This is part of the Collegiate church built there in the 14th century.  The church is an UNESCO World Heritage site.

Ready for our last day of the 2012 journey, from Romieu to Condom.

Popular among tourists who visit Condom is a monument honoring the 4 Musketeers who lived in nearby Auch.






Our 2012 journey ends in Condom.