[Gocamino] Pilgrimages and Chemins

[Kathy Gower]

Greetings,

I have just returned from waking a portion of the Chemin de Compostelle from 
Figeac to Moissac and it occured to me that I also promised a report about 
my Pilgrimage to Wales.  That one will follow in another e-mail.

As much as I would have loved to walk the entire distance from LePuy to 
Santiago, after my 1999 Camino, I have been walking from LePuy westward in 
stages.  Last year I walked from Conques to Moissac and added on a few 
detours to Vezalay and St. Maximus, both Mary Magdalen sites, as well as a 
visit to Chartres.  (you might say I'm hooked on pilgrimage....)

This year, given circumstances, rather than walk from Moissac to St. Jean, I 
only had time, the end of October, for a profound segment of the Chemin, 
walking from Figeac to Moissac along the variant of the Valle du Cele.

I started on October 25th, which is quite late, but the weather was looking 
pretty wonderful and the plane tickets incredibly cheap.  I should hve known 
something was up when I walked from Figeac to La Cassagnole, a favored gite 
and was the only guest!  The doors were open, but no other pilgrims arrived 
and after dark a hospitalera came in as a favor to the hosts, coming all the 
way from Carcasonne!  Imagine, all the hot water one could imagine, privacy, 
and a well stocked kitchen.

It seemed prophetic that the host was unable to locate another open gite on 
the Valle du Cele, except for a lovely chambre d' hote in Brengues, about 22 
km away.  No matter, it was 70 degrees, sunny and beautiful---lots of 
walnuts for the picking and cracking, and figs & apples on the trees..but 
not a single pilgrim, even at the ruins of a 13th century Augustine abbay at 
S. Espanac.

The Valle du Cele is spectacular...a river valley bordered by high limestone 
cliffs into which are built houses from the Hundred Year's War.  There is a 
tourist industry there from canoes launched along the placid river, and at 
the end of the Valley where it meets the Lot, there is Pech Merle, 30,000 
year old cave paintings of bison and antelope and handprints.  However, due 
to the time of year (end of October) and Tousssant, the French celebration 
of All Saint's Day, everything was closed.  I did manage a room in a gite 
and to ask for a meal or two from the loacls who happily served simple good 
fare (magrets of duck, Cahors wine) but as there was no room at the inn so 
to speak, I did hitchhike to catch a twice weekly bus to Cahors.

The French Confraternity has a list of gites that belong to their 
association and it was most helpful.  All meals were chambre d'hote with 
other guests (no pilgrims, though) and wonderful.  I did find another 
pilgrim finally at La Souliellou, another favored pilgrim spot at Moncuq, a 
young Frenchman who had spent time in the USA and was trying to figure out 
his next steps.

The gites were closed at Lauzerte (although I did enjoy the Royal Game of 
Goose there, Michel) but there was a wonderful stone pilgrim house just 
outside town, at a lavendar farm!

For those walking in winter, it certainly is a lonely time (weather 
fantastic) with so much closed.  As usual, I felt entirely safe and welcomed 
by the few who were around.  Please note the importance of Toussant and that 
everything was shut for the most part. My pidgin French was okay, but I have 
made a firm resolve to learn the language more thoroughly, a must for 
walking late in the season.

I returned to Paris from Moissac, just in time to get off the Paris train to 
the airport when it was shut down and find my way to CDG with only minutes 
to spare.  It is a complex situation with the rioters there.

A Bonne Chemin and a Buen Camino to those starting out in 
November....American Pilgrims has issued about a half a dozen credentials 
for that time!