Le Puy Camino: Cahors to Labastide

April 22, 2023

Our walk from Cahors to Labastide would take us along the GR65 for 14 kilometers. One of the highlights of the day was at the beginning of the walk when we crossed the medieval pedestrian bridge – Pont Valentré. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Built in the 1300’s, the bridge has 3 towers and is 172 meters in length. I read that the bridge is illuminated on various days throughout the year in certain colors – pink for Valentine’s Day; blue, white and red for Armistice Day – and blue for World Earth Day (April 22nd). Had we arrived in Cahors a day later and spent the night on this day, we would have seen the bridge illuminated in blue!

After leaving the bridge, it’s a fairly steep climb up a hill on the opposite side of the river. Taking a break along the way looking back at Cahors – the view is spectacular.

As you can see from the photograph, it was a cloudy, rather dismal day with intermittent rain. Our walk took us along dirt and gravel roads and minor paved roads.

At one point, we passed by some houses and I was interested in one under construction. I just had to take a few pictures. The terra cotta colored blocks were something I’d never seen. I could not really figure out what the material is.

We reached the town of Labastide-Marnhac amid raindrops. Most of my photographs today were with my cell phone. It was so wet and rainy that I did not pull out my other camera much at all!

Our accommodation for the night was a short walk outside of town and since we were a little too early for check-in we found a local eatery to hang out in and dry off! We were pretty wet from the rainy weather! Les Halles de Labastide was just what we needed – a warm place and hot cup!!

The second highlight of the day was the sheer luxury of our accommodation for the night. We paid dearly for this but it was the only place close that had room. The Chambre d’hôtes Le Clos de la Fontaine was not your typical pilgrim lodging. In fact, it really does not cater to pilgrims although we were certainly welcome. It is a destination for those seeking a respite from their daily grind and offers a spa-like atmosphere complete with a jacuzzi and sauna. We were the only pilgrims staying here and the other guests were enjoying a weekend vacation away from their kids.

The “house” was renovated into a bed and breakfast type atmosphere and our room was very nicely appointed! There was a common room downstairs where guests could interact and a dining/kitchen area.

We had a nice conversation with a young couple who were on vacation without their kids. They were teachers and explained to us the unusual way the school year works in France. The French schools have 5 holidays throughout the year with most lasting 2 weeks and a longer summer vacation. The dates are set nationally with various regions somewhat staggered to alleviate overcrowding at popular tourist spots. The spring vacation period starts the second week in April and goes until the first week in May. This is the time frame in which we are now walking the Camino and part of the reason why lodging is harder to acquire! We have encountered several groups of families who are walking a section of the GR 65.

Our host was very entertaining offering up some local history and engaging us in conversation. Since we were the only pilgrims, he understood that we might want to eat earlier than the other guests as we would be getting an early start in the morning. He kindly served us dinner at a “normal” time – 7:00 to 7:30 – as opposed to the 8-8:30 for the other guests. Dinner was one of our more unique experiences as well. It started off with a dish of white asparagus followed by a breast of duck.

Before serving the duck, he explained his cooking method for the duck and warned us that it would be a bit rare. (I think he suspected that we Americans do not usually eat our meat on the rare side!) He asked that we keep an open mind and try it first – and if we wanted it cooked more then he would accommodate us. We agreed and I can honestly say I have never eaten meat cooked this rare – it was surprisingly delicious and I ate every bite!

The evening passed quietly and it was a good night’s sleep in this fancy abode!