Day 13 - Conque - Livinhac-Le-Haut - 14 May

Time Departed: 8.15am

Time Arrived: 4.00pm

Distance: 25

Cumulative Distance: 220 kms

Percentage Completed: 28% (373,600 steps)

Weather: Cold, Windy and Rain most of the day. 

Accommodation: At Martine’s loft at Livinhac-Le-Haut

Feelings: Neil - Happy, Henk - Apprehensive,  Di - Apprehensive 

This was a day we weren’t looking forward to with 1000m of ascents and the dire weather forecast. When Neil said he was happy I jokingly slapped him! But he was happy to be walking again and so were we. It’s good to have a rest day but it feels good to get the boots on again. 

Last night after dinner we ventured over to the church just before nine o’clock for the Pilgrims’ Mass. It was a short service and the priests sang beautifully. We were each given a small card with the Pilgrims’ song in French. Then the old priest took us all outside and talked to us in the cold and increasing drizzle for fifteen minutes (in French) about the archway. 

We then followed him back inside and he played the organ for over half an hour. We sat with himwhilst he played high above the nave. He stopped immediately short of ten o’clock put his fingers to his lips and then we heard the church bells toll ten. It was a good evening.

When we left the hotel this morning we didn’t think the weather was too bad. It was very cold but not raining but this didn’t last too long and the rain came and went all day long with some cold winds. We walked down Conques’ very steep cobble lanes to get to the Pont Romain (Romanesque Bridge). This bridge allowed the pilgrims at Conques to cross the Dourdou River. It was useful today as it was quick flowing and very high after all the rains. The bridge was originally built in the 14th century and rebuilt in the 16th and 17th centuries. 

From the bridge we had to climb very steeply for about thirty minutes through a heavily wooded forest to reach the little Chapel of St Foy. This overlooks Conques. The views today weren’t great due to the rain. At the Chapel we put on all our wet gear and warm clothes and these stayed on for the rest of the day.

When we got to the summit Henk’s GPS was programmed for an alternate route but the GR65 Camino route signs were pointing in another direction. Our guide book also had Henk’s direction. Other walkers were following the GR65 signs so we did also. 

The further we walked the further it took us away from where we had planned to walk. It was concerning because we had a long way to go in cold, wet weather and we did not want to make add any distance. We decided we had to stick with the signed GR65 and hope for the best. It worked out really well as we only had to do 800 metres of ascents instead of the anticipated 1000 metres and in addition at ten thirty we came upon a modern, small coffee shop at the small village of Noailhac. 

When we entered the cafe the warm air enveloped us and there were many walkers. We had hot chocolate drinks and coffee and ate our pastries from yesterday. When we returned to the path after half an hour the rain was settling in. Across the ridge the winds were quite strong. Henk’s GPS said it was six degrees but it felt colder with the winds.

The route mostly took us beside small tarmac roads and through woods with slushy paths. About three kilometres from large town of Decazeville we decided to keep walking and have lunch at the first cafe we saw on arrival. The last three kilometres were a very steep descent mostly on tarmac. The path took us directly to a cafe which was crowded with walkers. It was smoky, grungy, dirty. Neil described it as a painters and dockers cafe. We were in need of a break as it was nearly one forty-five. We had walked constantly from eleven o’clock when we left the cafe at Noailhac. There seemed to be no opportunity to stop and take a break prior to this due to the weather. We spent three quarters of an hour in the smoky environment and our clothes still smell like smoke.

When we emerged from the cafe there was steady rain for last five kilometres from Decazeville to our accommodation. There was a steep climb out of Decazeville and then a steep, slushy descent through woods to Livinhac-Le-Haut. We crossed the wide Lot River which was flowing fast and very high. We were keen to get to a chemist to buy more strapping for the feet and after we crossed the bridge there was a chemist positioned just for us. It had a vast array of feet bandages, corn protectors, bandaids for the feet. Even the 24 hour vending machine outside the shop had bandages. 

On arrival at Livinhac-Le-Haut‘s church in the small, main square Henk rang our host and she quickly came to greet us. Henk and I are staying in a loft in town behind the village’s church and Neil is staying at the home of the host about a kilometre from town.

We were driven to our host’s house for dinner at 7.00pm. We caught up with Neil and we were joined by an eccentric French couple about our age who are also undertaking the walk. For the dinner of duck and sausage casserole with homemade vinegar we sat on high-stools around the high stainless steel kitchen table. It was good to experience home cooking and it was delicious. Martine, our host and the French couple spoke rapidly in French with lots of gestures and passion. I said to Neil that I felt like I was in a Woody Allen movie and he said yes he felt the same with the subtitles coming too late! It was a very enjoyable evening.

Martine drove us back to our loft and we left Neil at the house. We were in bed early tonight after a long day.