Day 11: Montredon to Faycelles 24K

We woke in our cute farmhouse, had bread and coffee and were on our way. The morning was cool and the sky blue. We saw three churches on the way to Figeac, Chapelle de Guirande with 12th century frescos, Saint Felix and Saint-Jean Mirabel. Then on to Figeac, where we resupplied and did a walking tour of the town and had a picnic lunch and were on our way (Side Note: the last two days we have encountered these public toilettes that we have dubbed "Spaceships" as they are automated and fully stainless steel on the inside which automatically lower the toilet seat upon entering and completely pressure wash and disinfect upon leaving).  We are now in our amazing accommodations. An old shepherd's sheep barn "La Casselle", renovated for sleeping. Although we had run into a little trouble trying to book ahead several days ago, we have had no problems the last several days and the places we have gotten have been superb and the people have been very helpful and hospitable.

Yesterday we stumbled upon some of that "Camino Magic" or simply crazy coincidence.  When we were in Conques we saw a woman who looked very familiar.  We both thought she could be someone we saw as we walked last year in Spain.  We passed her yesterday morning on the climb out of the city and we asked her about seeing her last year.  She is Italian and her English is not great but she at first said she didn't walk the way last year.  We ended up in the same Gite last night and when we talked she told us she had indeed walked last year but on the Camino Madrid.  Doing that she also spent several days on the route we took on the Roman road out of Sahagun and our paths indeed did overlap.  

Gite:  Chambre d'hôtes La Caselle.  Amazing little place as we are sleeping in a separate space for two with bathroom. Clean. Short half kilometer to town for dinner..nice walk in good weather. Beautiful views. 

Day 10: Conques to Montredon 30 Kilometers

We did not get an early start as we waited for our croissants and bread to arrive which we needed as it would be 20K before we passed a store. So at 8:15 we started our steep ascent out of Conques. We were thankful for a cool morning. Our first break was at the Chapelle Saint-Roch and we hadn't seen any other walkers in over an hour and it would be over 3 hours before we saw any. We did meet one older French woman along the way that said we could not pass until we paid but she was just kidding. It just took us a few extra minutes to put it all together with the language difference. Next we stopped to let the guy herding his cattle go by. After noon we made it to a town and were lucky to find a store open on Sunday, so we purchased some cheese to put on our bread and some fruit and yogurt. We had a nice picnic and break and were off to finish our walk and found our sweet country home.  Our dinner this night featured a regional specialty of a casserole with Stockfish (salt cod), potatoes, and creme fraiche. Tres magnifique!

Gite Chambre d'hôtes La Mariotte very nice, clean, no bunk beds, great dinner. Very friendly and nice owners.

Day 9: Senergues to Conques 10 Kilometers

We had a pretty decent night's sleep.  Got to sleep in, so to speak, as we had a short walking day planned.  Even starting later than usual, we got to Conques long before noon.  This city is a medieval walled city built on a mountainside.  We decided to use this as a rest day but managed to stay on our feet quite a bit as we took in the many historical sites.  We also perused some great artisan shops and ate a variety of local fare.  The local patisserie had a caramel tarte that was "the bomb"! We closed our day by attending the pelerin blessing at the gothic cathedral.  Our accommodations were interesting as we got a room via booking.com over a small store next to and overlooking the cathedral square.  Location!

Chambre d'hôtes Le Chrismo...great location. Nice place , priced for location. 

Day 8: Estaing to Senergues 28 Kilometers

We quickly left at 7:15 before breakfast at our gite and were fortunate to find an open cafe for some coffee and then we were on our way. The morning was quite foggy and we climbed for the next 14 kilometers on some forest paths and some country roads and then the fog lifted and we were fascinated by the views. We stopped at a store in a small village and purchased local cheese, a bagguette, some fruit and then sat on the porch and ate and enjoyed the views.

Soon some friends came by so we moved to the cafe for coffee and then had a quiet walk for the afternoon. We arrived at a lovey gite in Senergues. We have our own room and bathroom. After our shower and wash, we walked around the small village and then rested until our group dinner which was very nice.

Gite d'etape Domaine de Senos. Very nice, clean. Good dinner.

Day 7: L'Estrade to Estaing 26 Kilometers

Awoke a little tired as our roommates were pro snorers. Bit of a cloudy morning walk but soon landed us in Saint-Come D'Olt, a medieval walled city built around a grand cathedral with an twisted spire.  Coffee with our friends Ken and Retha before crossing the river Lot and heading towards the next village.  This trek found us in the bustling city of Espalion.  We took a walking tour of the town, and had a nice lunch in a cafe run by an older couple.  This fueled us for a hard, long walk to the village of Estaing.  This old town is built along the river lot that runs through a mountain pass.  Quite remarkable.  Crossing the gothic bridge you get unbelievable views of the town that has an impressive castle.  Our accommodations were meager, but acceptable.

Gite....Hospitalite Saint-Jacques. This was an adequate place. Bunk beds. She said we had to have communal dinner, and prayer time at 9pm. This was not clear in the Miam Miam Dodo guide. Dinner was okay and we all shared in clean up. Bathroom was not in good shape. 

Day 6: Nasbinals to L'Estrade 24 Kilometers

Awoke to find a bit of fog and a bit cooler.  Started our day differently than most.  No bowl of coffee but rather a "proper" coffee at a petite cafe.  After we got walking, it didn't take long for us to come out of our cool weather clothing when the sun broke through as we ascended in elevation.  Today's walk took us through many gated pastures with rustic farms, amazing views and many cows.  Several commented that this was one of the most picturesque walks. Hard to argue. Had two well timed stops where we partook of some tasty goodies and more coffee.  Arrived at our gite a bit early to check in but were received by our hostess who gave us some comfy lawn chairs and tasty, sweet beverages to enjoy while we waited.  After showers and washing clothes we relaxed until our community meal of potato soup , pasta with roasted veal, wonderful cheeses, finishing with fresh fruit and a slice of cake. Sleep was scarce due to snorers, but we will move on this morning after our breakfast of coffee and bread.

Day 5: Aumont-Aubrac to Nasbinals 26.5 kilometers

We had a tremendous thunder storm during the night and woke to cloudy skies with a chance of rain all day. We quickened our pace and after 20K a light rain began to fall so we took shelter in an old communal oven. It is a stone structure about 15 ft by 20 ft. and they are often in the center of small villages. This one had benches inside which was nice to sit and eat lunch. We finished our walk with just a few sprinkles. 

Gite Centre d'Accueil Nada. Very basic and old. In need of some help, but we are fine here and had plenty of hot water and quiet. No bunk beds.