April 10, 2023

Springtime! That was the first word I recorded when writing in my journal about today’s walk to Saint-Côme d’Olt! Trees were starting to show signs of breaking out in leaf, the day was sunny and warm and the most impressive sight along the Way was the fields of dandelions blooming!

We had a long 19 kilometer walk today so we did not linger too long leaving town. We crossed the square in the center of town and headed towards the river to pick up the GR65.

The GR65 ascends very steeply out of town on the other side of the river. The views back toward the village are stunning! Look closely and you can spot Susan on the road down below.

As I ascended the switchback leading out of the village, the road passed by a walled, hillside cemetery.

Much of the walk today traversed dirt footpaths through agricultural land. Soon after leaving the village, I was in the country with no one to keep me company except the cattle! 🙂

The first part of the trek today ventured through a wooded area before opening up to some extensive views.

Every now and then, I would pass by some outbuildings or isolated small farms adjacent to the GR65. The rustic stone architecture with the old slate roofs is so appealing and photogenic!

After traveling through the woods, the trail eventually opened up and I was rewarded with some magnificent views of the valley below!

One of the few villages that I passed through today was the tiny hamlet of L’Estrade. There was a nice covered rest area for pilgrims here with a fountain for filling up water bottles.

After leaving L’Estrade, I was very quickly back in the country and walked through an area known for its chestnut trees. Apparently, the chestnuts were harvested here for many years.

It was an extra bonus to be walking during part of the shoulder season. Our walk started in Le Puy with bare trees and cool temperatures. To see the progression from winter to spring along our walk was restorative to the soul – very fitting as this is, for many, the reason to embark on the pilgrimage in the first place.

For most of the walk this day, post and barbed wire fence lined the trails. It was a challenge to find a spot to get off trail for a rest and to take care of necessary bodily functions (due to paying attention to adequate hydration)!

I believe I’m looking down on the tiny village of La Rozière in the above photograph. From this point, I started a steady descent down to a stream that eventually flows into the Boralde River which flows from Saint-Chély d’Aubrac. There was a nice picnic area by the stream but it was already taken by other pilgrims so I kept walking until I came to another junction and found a nice spot to grab a snack from my pack and relax!

After descending this hillside, I came to the small village of La Rozière where there were just a few buildings and a place to fill up with water and take a break.

From La Rozière, the terrain opens up and continues to descend towards Saint-Côme d’Olt passing through more agricultural land.

Descending the trail into Saint-Côme d’Olt is where I felt the full force of springtime with the expansive fields of dandelions. As a side note, I read where “Olt” is the Celtic name for the Lot River which runs through the town.

Saint-Côme d’Olt is considered to be one of the most beautiful villages in France and features a very well-kept center that has maintained its medieval flair with ancient fortified entranceways and narrow curving streets. Scenes around town…

I decided to spend some time exploring the church while I was in town because I came to realize that my accommodation for the night was a couple of kilometers out of the town. I knew that tomorrow would be a long day of hiking and so there would be no time to explore in the morning. This was one time when I was sad that we could not secure a place right in the old part of the village.

The 16th-century Eglise Saint-Côme et Saint Damien is known for its unusual twisted bell tower – a masterpiece of framework and slate construction.

The ancient carved oak wooden doors to the church are said to include hand-forged nails dating to the 1500’s.

The inside of the church is remarkable for the simplicity of the design. The lighting was impacted by the enormous stained glass windows behind the altar.

Saint Côme and Saint Damien hailed from Syria around the third century when Rome dominated the area. They were Arab twins, trained as doctors, who came to embrace Christianity and offered their services free of charge. They suffered torture at the hands of Emperor Diocletian but refused to give up their faith. Eventually, they were beheaded. Seemed to be a familiar story back then!

After visiting the church, I decided it was time to find my accommodations. I relied on signage and google maps to locate the Gîte l’Antidote – a family-run home on the outskirts of town. The lodgings were much more simplistic and consisted of an 8-bed “dormitory-style” room on the top floor of the house. It was accessed via some steep stairs with the shared bathroom on the floor below. It was adequate for the night but the beds were not as comfortable as other accommodations and the evening meal was just okay. I did not write about the menu for the meal – that is how unremarkable it was. All 8 beds were filled for the night!

Our hosts were super nice, however, and helped me with finding accommodations for the next two nights. She called and secured the lodgings I had researched as the language barrier can be quite cumbersome when trying to make reservations via the phone. I much preferred emailing for reservations as I could use my Google translate and compose a decent text in the email! Plus, I liked having something “in writing” that confirmed my spot!

Tomorrow would be a long 21.5 kilometer walk – so after washing clothes, showering and our evening meal – it was off to bed for a good night’s sleep.