FrenchKate

May 27: ...onward and upwards to Espalion

So,  the via Podensis/GR65 continues...the next stage encompasses:

--Espalion (4 miles from Saint-Côme-d'Olt) (nights 16 & 17?)

--Saint-Pierre-de-Bessejouls (2 miles from Espalion)

--Estaing (5 miles from Saint-Pierre-de-Bessuejouls) (nights 18 & 19)

--Gounhac (10 miles from Estaing) (night 20)

--Espeyrac (6 miles from Gounhac)

--Senergues (2 miles from Espeyrac)

--Conques (4 miles from Senergues)

Melinda Lusmore ("I love walking in France") warns that the GR65 becomes hillier after Saint-Côme-D'Olt; she suggests an alternate, unmarked but mostly level path that follows the river to Espalion.

Another hiker, the author of the fredrando,com blog, chose the high road with its fine views, and, after describing the details, admits that he and his travelling companion regretted not taking the low road. Me, I would prefer to take the high road, but...shortly after leaving the river, one begins to climb. and the climb is sobering--over roughly half a mile, climbers ascend through an oak, beech and chestnut forest from 1200 feet to 1660 feet, up 477 feet, That works out to maintaining a 10% incline for 1,150 steps. But the views at the top are beautiful; there's even a Virgin statue from 1865 surveying the Aubrac plateau, Afterwards the path descends steeply to Espalion.

It is only four miles for us. Both the author of fredrando and Melinda Lusmore had hiked from St-Chely-d'Aubrac to Espalion--14 miles--in one day, and I imagine that climb would be formidable after walking 12 miles.

The topoguide for the GR 65 grande randonnée from Le Puy to Figeac lays out the path in red (as well as the alternate path along the river.) This would be a decision to make once we have reached Saint-Côme-d'Olt.

May 26: ...and where we might stay in Saint-Côme-d'Oit

A place we might choose to stay in Saint-Côme-d'Olt is the Hôtellerie de Malet, a two-star hotel a mile or so out of town. This former monastery is, well, cool. Founded in the 12th century when the local seigneur gave land to support the young community of the Monks Hospitaliers d'Aubrac, it became a school after the Revolution, and then, later in the 19th century, a convent of Ursaline nuns. The nuns converted the building into a hostellerie for travellers about twenty years ago. It remains a convent as well, but today is primarily a hotel with a functional restaurant (and serves, no doubt,as a source of revenue for the Ursaline nuns.) 

One source describes Hotellerie de Malet as "Pared-back lodgings at a 12th-century former monastery with a functional dining room & free Wi-Fi," and, indeed, the rooms are spare, pared-back, but other monastic remnants--the stairs, the ancient chapter house, the church--would make this a wonderful, rather quirky, place to spend a night.

When you stay in a place, you can explore it.

 

May 25: More on the church in Saint-Côme-d'Olt

Before leaving Saint-Côme-d'Olt, I want to look more closely at the church with the flame spire.

The first photo is another aerial view of key elements of the village: the chateau and church in the lower left, the circular street lined with houses against the old curtain wall. 

The second photo is from Google maps: It's not as good as it would be if we were there in person, but we aren't there, so this will have to do. As you can infer from the aerial view, the château/mayor's office is just to the left of the trees. The church --sometimes identified as St Cosmas, sometimes as St Côme (like the town)--was built from 1522 - 1532 was designed by Antoine Salvanh, the architect of Rodez Cathedral,  in the late flamboyant Gothic style.

Note the double doors of the church. Also designed by Antoine Salvanh, these carved oak doors are also listed as historical monuments. Fifteen panels have been carved with the heads of figures, fantastic animals, the coat of arms of the noble house of Estaing and so on. The whole thing is decorated with 365 wrought iron nails. In troubled times past, the bell tower--roughly 135 feet high,--served as a watchtower; a guard service sat there day and night.

Somewhere I read that llamas were carved into a panel, but I haven't been able to trace that reference down.

 

 

May 24: St-Côme-d'Olt

Saint-Côme-d"Olt is ten miles--up one hundred and down six hundred meters from Saint-Chely d'Aubrac, so a good day's march, and I figure we will stop there for our next night. This is the first of the charming villages through which we will be walking during this stretch of our pilgrimage, one of the "plus beaux villages de France"--one of the most beautiful villages in France

The private association of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France was founded in 1982 to promote rural economies (aka, tourism) and preserve France's cultural heritage. The 159 villages that have been certified have met the stringent criteria of 1) fewer than 2000 inhabitants, 2) at least two historic monuments, and 3) a local commitment to preserving the local heritage (which includes providing support for tourism--restaurants, accommodations, sights.)

It can be a mixed blessing, this designation as a plus beau village. Some villages have been overwhelmed by tourists. The wife of a former mayor of one of these villages observed that "we live in a beautiful place, but we can no longer see the beauty." A few villages have withdrawn from the association as a result. In a place like the Aveyron, however, far, far from major tourist destinations, the threat of being overwhelmed by tourists is much less than the certainty of dying for lack of local economic opportunities. Tourism brings dollars to a local economy and certain kinds of amenities--places to stay, restaurants, entertainments.

The historic monuments in Saint-Come d'Olt include a 14th century château right in the heart of the village, around which the village grew up. Home of the noble Castelnau family for at least 700 years, today it serves as the hotel de ville, the town hall. The interiors of the towers and chapel contain rare and interesting decorative vestiges, and, as you can see from the photo of the great hall, some of it has been also modernized with that wonderful French flair. It was a home for elderly priests during the 19th century, and some of the modifications made at that time are irreparable.

A second historic monument in Saint-Côme-d'Olt is the church of Saint Cosmas which faces the château across a tree-shaded parking lot. Built in the 15th and 16th centuries, the church has a remarkable twisted steeple on its bell-tower--a flame, if you will--as well as other ecclesiastical treasures. 

A third historic monument is a church located on the route of Saint-Jacques de Compostelle near Saint-Côme-d'Olt. Constructed as an infirmary in the 11th and 12th centuries, it served as the parish church of Saint-Côme-d'Olt until the 16th century when St-Cosmas was built. Then, in the 18th century, the dilapidated building was given to a religious lay order, the confraternity of penitents blanc, who restored it. The obligations of the members of the penitents blancs include caring for the sick, burying the dead, providing medical service for those unable to afford it, and giving dowries to poor girls--so in many ways consistent with the work done by the monks of Aubrac. Today it serves as a community hall, but discussion are under way to make it a museum. 

A fourth listed monument in Saint-Côme-d'Olt--actually in the neighboring hamlet of Levignac--is the ~12th century portal de Levignac, the door and tympanum of a now-vanished church. The portal is on private property, so I am not sure we can see it, but whether we see it or not, it has an interesting history. Levignac was a Gallo-Roman town, and the birthplace of St Hilarion, a martyr born in 760 AD (and the patron saint of Espalion, the town we will reach next.) The original church may have had a connection to him. 

From the 12th century to an unknown date--probably the Revolution when so many churches were quarried--the church was a priory run by the monks of Aubrac. It was another infirmary for pilgrims;  excavations done in the crypt after the church was destroyed found skeletons buried with Saint Jacques shells. The church was dismantled in the 19th century, the portal alone saved through the efforts of local preservationists.

Saint-Côme-d'Olt has other treasures, too--an unusual ring of houses-a circulade--formed as houses were constructed against the old chateau fortifications, the footings of a 16th century bridge, two or three ancient city gates, and an Ouradou, a kind of oratory, that was constructed in 1586 after a plague killed 75% of St-Côme's population.

I love these little towns in France in which one can "see" the layers of history--in Saint-Côme-d'Olt, hints of Gallo-Roman settlement (Levignac), early church history & pilgrimage, the history of feudal lords (the Castelnau family) who built their fortress here, the reminder of the plagues that devastated medieval and renaissance France, andeven the Revolution (in the absent church, no doubt sold off to raise money for Napoleon's wars), and the efforts of early preservationists to salvage France's heritage.

 

 

May 20: We walk 5 miles, from Aubrac to St-Chely d'Aubrac

	Sunset in Aubrac. A pretty picture that I found after I posted my last post about Aubrac. .
	After Aubrac, our journey continues.
	This next section of the trip goes through some of my favorite terroir in France, Aveyron. It covers some of the prettiest country and villages of France. The terrain becomes hillier, the towns better established. I imagine that we will want to take our time....there is much to appreciate here.
	--Saint-Chely d'Aubrac is just 5 miles from Aubrac, but that is where I propose to spend night 14?. Wikipedia's enthusiasm for its setting is implied: "Saint Chély d'Aubrac is the next town after Aubrac. Going down a wild, wooded valley, the walker discovers this little town in a large clearing and comes into the town by the old bridge with its pilgrim's cross, like the pilgrims of the past."

May 18: Aubrac

	Okay, so let's say we figure out where to spend the night (Les Quatre-Chemins? Montclos? Nasbinals?), and the next day we hike to Aubrac. If I have counted correctly, we have spent 12 nights and are starting our 13th day.
	Aubrac (the village) has an interesting history.  In the 11th century, the Aubrac region was thickly forested, sheltering brigands who would prey on pilgrims who were making the St James pilgrimage. One of these, a Flemish viscount, Adelard, was attacked, and having survived, he gave thanks by building a hospital (La Dômerie) at Aubrac, and establishing a military order of monks and knights to clear out the brigands and feed, shelter and protect pilgrims. During blizzards, fog or rain, monks would ring a Bell for the Lost" to guide pilgrims to safety. (The bell was melted down in 1772.)  The Order of Aubrac may be a unique example of a military order in the style of the later Knights Templar and the Knights Hospitaller. Chartered in 1120 or 1122, the order adopted the Augustinian rule, and included, in addition to priests and knights, lay brothers, noblewomen and lay sisters. The Knights Hospitaller tried and failed several times to annex the Order of Aubrac, and it remained independent and operational until the French Revolution.
	Local lords gave large tracts of land to support the Order, and by the 13th century, the forests had been cleared, and these lands were used as summer pastures for sheep and cattle. According to wikipedia, "the current landscape of Aubrac is...to a large extent the result of their action." The monks were remarkably productive. They developed the Aubrac cattle breed, encouraged the development of Laguiole cheese, and are given credit for developing aligot to feed the pilgrims.
	However, in 1791, monasteries were outlawed in France. The monks were kicked out, the archives, books and silverware were transferred to Saint-Geniez-d'Olt, and the buildings were sold as national property (though takers were few.) The church was assigned to the neighboring municipality of St-Chély-d'Aubrac. The Aveyron department bought the tour Anglais and several hospital buildings for administrative offices. But most of the buildings were abandoned and fell into ruin. By 1840, when it was listed as an historic monument, most of the buildings were gone. Today, only three remain, all dating to the middle ages: The 12th century church (Our Lady of the Poor) and its 15th century bell tower. The 30 metre high tour "des Anglais" is now a gîte d'étape. Built in 1353 during the Hundred Years War, the fortress was named after brigands who terrorized the neighborhood during and after that conflict. A house dating to the 15th century remains of the hospital.
	Between 1840 and 1860, as restorations were done on surviving buildings, the village grew up around the remains of the former hospital. Many of the houses got their stone from the ruined monastery.
	Though tiny, Aubrac has several agreeable hotels and restaurants (serving aligot, of course.) Or we could bunk down in the gîtes d'étape in the tour anglais....
	Here, even in this tiny, tiny village, one finds a monument aux morts.  We also have a decision to make...walk on to our next stop tomorrow or take a day's break and a taxi to Laguiole (which is roughly 20 minutes away.)

May 17: Nasbinals has an interesting church

	Let's say we spend the night in Montgros. En route to Aubrac the next day, we will pass through Nasbinals after two miles. The land is flat and treeless through this stretch (photo from google). In fact, the map in the topoguide (second photo) has no green markings for trees or forests, which is striking. Other maps are mostly green.
	Nasbinals (population 512) is described as " a most charming small town" on TripAdvisor.
	...and it has a church worthy of attention. L'église Sainte-Marie of Nasbinais was built during the 11th and 12th centuries. Alterations in the 14th century didn't modify its Romansque Auvergnant style. An octagonal bell tower rises over the transept crossing, and the  exterior wall of the south chapel has a 15th century sundial--the earliest in the departement.

May 16: Aumont-Aubrac to Aubrac...

	So somehow we get to Aubrac. As I mentioned previously, I'm fuzzy on the details of the 18-mile stretch between Aumont-Aubrac and Aubrac. The towns between Aumont-Aubrac and Aubrac are small--hamlets, really--and provide limited accommodations.
	But the countryside is splendid.
	--The first hamlet is Les Quatre-Chemins (6.5 miles from Aumont-Aubrac) which has both a chambre d'hôtes (2 rooms plus 8 places in a dormitory) and a gite d'étape (15 places). I've posted a photo taken from the tourist bureau to give you an idea of the accommodations in the gite d'étape.
	--The next is Les Gentianes (2 miles from les Quatre-Chemins) which also has both a chambre d'hôtes (19 rooms) and gite d'étape (19 spaces). We might have to share a room here, but the website promises to serve Aligot which would be worth it.
	--Montgros (2 miles from Les Gentianes) has a 2-star hotel, auberge de maison de Rosalie which also offers both chambre d'hôtes and gite d'étape (20 places). The hotel was built at the end of the 19th century by Rosalie, a country woman who raised her 15 younger brothers and sisters, and then began welcoming pilgrims on the chemin de St Jacques. The legend has it that the house is graced with happiness.
	The bedrooms are functional.
	But the dining room looks very appealing.They also serve aligot and other specialities of the region: beef, trout, cheeses, fresh bread, local beers and homemade jams.
	--Nasbinals (2 miles from Montgros) has a hotel, a chambre d'hôtes and gite d'étape, and the most accommodations. Gite communal (20 places), two gite d'étape (15 places and 20 places), Centre d'Accueil (38 places), a church that offers 100 places (probably shared space?), a hotel with 19 places, and what appears to be a barn that will accommodate 20 horses and riders.
	I suppose we could spend a night at Les Gentianes (so an 8 mile day) and push to Aubrac (10 miles) the following day. Or we could push on to Montgros (ten miles) and walk to Aubrac (8miles)
	--Aubrac (6 miles from Nasbinals) has a hotel, a chambre d'hôtes and gite d'étape. A gite communal in an ancient tower, a hotel and a chambres d'hôtes--how many can be accommodated is not clear. More on this tomorrow.