Le Puy Camino – via Podiensis: Golinhac to Conques

April 13, 2023

My room at the Hôtel La Bastide d’Olt was ready shortly after finishing up my beer in the bar. At around 54 euros each for the “demi-pension”, this place was a real bargain. Our room was actually on 2 levels – one main room with a double bed and bath and a loft that included two twin beds. I chose to occupy the loft area since the stairs were pretty steep. The loft was quite cozy!!

When Susan arrived and we had both had our showers and rested up, we walked the short distance to a small épicerie to purchase provisions for tomorrow’s walk. There was a light rain falling that continued for much of the night. We returned to the hotel and had time for a glass of wine in the bar before dinner was served.

I wrote that dinner was a choice of either a meat pie or chicken with side dishes followed by a tart for dessert. I had the chicken and it was an excellent meal. There were a few guests at the hotel that night and the atmosphere was festive. There was something about the tiny hamlet of Golinhac that really caught my fancy.

My window in the loft looked out onto the Eglise de Golinhac and the bell tower was lit up at night. It was a very pretty sight.

Tomorrow would be a 20 kilometer walk to reach the medieval town of Conques so a good night’s sleep was essential!

April 13, 2023

This morning we woke up to a damp day in which we would experience rain, sleet and sun all in one day!! But first, we headed down to breakfast to get fueled up! It was a typical French breakfast of fresh baked bread, croissants, jam, yogurt, juice and fresh fruit. 

Planning Tip: I usually consulted my Miam Miam Dodo guide while enjoying breakfast. I liked to look at the map and see what kind of terrain to expect as well as where the villages were and potential spots to get refills of water. I also like to know in advance if there are any interesting landmarks and churches that I want to be sure to see. 

It appears we will be passing through a couple of small towns before reaching our destination of Conques. Because of the rainy weather, we were warned that the steep descent into Conques could be treacherous and were advised to consider diverting onto the paved road at some point. I decided to see how things developed throughout the day before making a decision as to my route. Susan was pretty sure she would leave the GR65 and walk the road at some point. 

After we left the hotel, we stopped at the overlook directly across the street from the hotel. It was a misty, cloudy morning and the effect was dramatic on the view.

We stopped by the church on our way out of town. I liked the bell tower framed by a tree coming out in leaf. 

It was a hilly day’s hike starting with an uphill climb from Golinhac. The temperature’s were cooler and I needed my raingear on most of the day. It was still a beautifully dramatic walk through the French countryside with some sweet towns and interesting objects along the Way. 

The walk was a mixture of secondary roads and dirt pathways with some stream crossings. We passed by some agricultural pastures between Golinhac and Espeyrac as well.

I saw in the Miam Miam Dodo that there is an accommodation in the tiny settlement of Le Soulié that I passed by. I interpreted from the Miam Miam Dodo write-up that a stay is by donation and it is a dormitory-style accommodation run by a previous “pèlerin.” I had to laugh at the description of a separate room available for 1 person “pour ronfleur” – translated to mean for a person who snores!! :)

Before the final push into the village of Espeyrac, I crossed a stream. There was the most unusual “musical” instrument deposited here! There were instructions on the instrument with steps to make it “play music.”

As I was trying to understand the instructions, which involved turning the crank handle a number of times, I was joined by another pilgrim and his walking partner. Together, we tried to figure it out. He cranked the requisite number of times but nothing happened. :(

After several attempts, we shrugged our shoulders and decided it was broken. He, then, very kindly offered to take my picture by the contraption and I took him up on it. 

After crossing the stream, the path ascended slightly and I could see the village of Espeyrac nestled in the valley down below.

Espeyrac is a sweet little village with a lot of character and tons of architectural details that caught my eye. A sampling of what attracted me:

Leaving the village, I passed by an expansive walled cemetery on the hillside. 

At the top of the ascent from Espeyrac where there is a sharp turn in the trail, there was an abandoned, overgrown building that evoked a sense of sadness to me. At one time, it must have been a beautiful place with a commanding view of the town and landscape below.

Before coming to the next town of Sènergues, a mere 2.8 kilometers from Espeyrac, I passed through some open country and rolling hills. The damp day made the green hillsides really pop out.

The ascent to the outskirts of Sènergues brought me to another large, wall cemetery. I took the time to explore inside the gate and take a break.

After passing the cemetery, the road leads in the town of Sènergues. The square tower structure is part of the Château de Sènergues. According to the castle website, the building was contructed in 1385 by Aymeric de Senrgues during the Hundred Years War. It’s purpose was to serve as a refuge for the town inhabitants. It is said that the castle is still owned by descendants of the original Senrgues. 

The village has a similar charm as Espeyrac and many amenities such as an épicerie, post office, restaurant and lodging.

I left Sènergues behind and started the last leg of the journey to my destination of Conques. With still over 9 kilometers to go and the weather threatening, I stepped up the pace a bit. The walk between Sènergues and Conques was through mostly open countryside and the views were spectacular, even given the cloud cover.

The GR65 was “roughly” following a paved road on this section called the D42. I reached a point where the D42 took a left turn and the GR65 followed a dirt trail. This is where I needed to make a decision – take the road and avoid a potentially treacherous, rocky descent in Conques or take my chances on the trail. The road would add many more kilometers to a day that would already rack up 20 kilometers. It wasn’t raining much at this point and I decided to take my time and go the short route along the dirt trail. I’ve hiked many slippery trails back home and was confident I could negotiate the path. I would just be careful and pick my steps carefully! 

The GR65 continued along a more secondary paved road for quite a distance and I passed by an ancient church called St. Marcel. The church dates to 1561 and I read where there was a leprosarium located here in the 17th and 18th centuries. 

Once past Saint Marcel, I came to the dirt footpath that is the original GR 65 leading into Conques. I would soon find out whether my decision to take the path was a smart choice! It was a very steep descent and wet but I found that it was not as “treacherous” as people portrayed it to be. 

It was along this stretch of the trail that I encountered my first really scary moment. I was gingerly making my way down the trail being very careful about foot placement. Up ahead of me, I could see another foot path crossing the trail I was on. As I was approaching the intersection, a very large, fierce-looking dog rounded the corner from the other trail and – seeing me – charged in my direction with teeth baring. That got my adrenaline pumping. I started yelling – going between English and French – “call your dog” and, then, “appelle ton chien”! I also tried just yelling at the dog – Arrêt! The dog pulled up slightly and, after what seemed an eternity, a woman appeared and called the dog off. I was so happy to see her!! And, relieved!! She apologized over and over – I muttered “It’s okay” and, shakily, continued down the trail. 

It was the only time I experienced an aggressive dog along the Way – so given the kilometers we logged I guess I can say that’s pretty good!

I eventually came to the outskirts of Conques and came upon this sign that describes the plight of Saint Foy (Saint Faith) and how it impacted the settlement of the town of Conques. From here, I stayed on the path that led to the cobblestone streets of Conques. 

Lots more to come regarding our overnight stay in Conques – stay tuned!!