Time Departed: 8.00am
Time Arrived: 1.00pm
Distance: 17
Cumulative Distance: 134kms
Percentage Completed: 17% (215,200 steps)
Weather: Cool, low cloud and sunny at times
Accommodation: Hotel Les Coudercous
Feelings: Neil - Happy , Henk - Positive, Di - Refreshed
We had a fantastic walk. The seventeen kilometre section we walked today is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it is recognised as one of the most beautiful stages of the route that we are undertaking, the GR65. The route continued across the Aubrac Plateau at a height of 1324 metres which has been our highest point. As we left Nasbinals we weren’t sure what the weather was going to do.
We were soon in a beautiful, covered wood with new lime-green growth.
The path underneath was wet from overnight rain.
From the wood we emerged to lush green farmland, more drystone walls and the walk across the plateau was a gentle one. We passed a number of very isolated farmhouses and heard many different birds including cuckoos in the distant forests and cowbells.
On 25 May there is an annual, ancient festival known as the “La Transhumance” where cattle are groomed and decorated with flowers and ribbons and are walked from the valleys to the higher pastures on the plateau. This centres around the isolated small village of Aubrac where we arrived for morning tea at ten thirty.
The place we had coffee, L’Annexe d’Aubrac, looked quite regular on the outside but when we entered we felt we were in the late 19th century with stuffed animals including a swan and foxes and many deer antlers and other paraphernalia. We sat in their front lounge area having a break for about half an hour. We had our credential stamped and it was of deer antlers.
After Aubrac the path descended for seven kilometres over mostly stony ground to our destination of the small village of Saint-Chely-d’Aubrac. We had dropped from 1324 metres to 810 metres over that distance. The clouds were low over the high fields for the remainder of our walk and it was quite atmospheric. Near Saint-Chely-d’Aubrac we walked through very pretty woods with quick-flowing mountain streams.
We met a fellow Australian walker, John, and we walked with him into Aubrac. He is staying at the same hotel as us. I took a photo of the guys as we entered Saint-Chely-d’Aubrac.
Also staying are the Aussies Linda and John who we met on the train to e Puy and have encountered a number of times on the walk. They were having a rest day and caught up with Anne last night and this morning.
When we arrived at our destination our bags hadn’t been delivered so we decided to have lunch on the small terrace at the front of the hotel. Knowing that we will be having at least another three course dinner tonight we opted for an omelette with ham and a salad. It was very tasty.
After hot showers and a rest we ventured out and walked the narrow and steep lanes of Saint-Chevy-d’Aubrac. The church is a rustic, awkward looking structure with a bell tower that has a clock face off-centre. We were eventually driven back indoors as it started to rain and hail.
Dinner was at the hotel and John joined us. It was a good night.
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