Stage 13 from Varaire to Cahors was the final stage of my Chemin but it might have been my favorite.
It’s a long stage, over 30 kilometers, but easy walking mostly on level ground except for the last few clicks. And it was perfect weather for a long hike, morning temps in the high 40’s that never rose above 60 degrees and a lovely overcast sky with cloud cover that broke to blue sky in the last hours as I approached Cahors.
And so quiet and peaceful, other than a guy with his dog and a pair of French women from Dunkirk, I saw nary a soul from the time I had morning coffee at the cafe restaurant in Varaire until I walked into Cahors.
And the first thing of note I saw in the morning was a truly lovely site, a farmer and his wife and dog hitching a plow to a horse to til a small parcel. I loved seeing that so much!
But I’m sure glad I had bought and brought along my “sandwhich à emporter” because other than a woman who had set up a make shift table giving away snacks for donation (that I passed early on) there wasn’t a single place for refreshments along the entire stage.
And the stage ends with a gorgeous view of Cahors, at 20,000 people, the largest town on my Chemin, for the day I had walked 22.2 miles, over 52,000 steps.
And Cahors may have been my favorite town on my Chemin. It has a lot to offer, including the Pont Valentre constructed in the 1300’s, it’s a stunning architectural marvel so much so that it would make a great Lego set!
And I had the best meal of my Chemin in Cahors, for my starter I had Coquilles Saint-Jacques, the most appropriate of all dishes for the Chemin Saint Jacques, my main was medallions with local truffles and Cahors’ renowned Malbec wine and then a fine dessert.
So who, you ask, is the favorite character that I encountered along my Chemin? It’s the guy and his dog. I first saw him early one morning outside Espalion where he was tenting with his puppy and a couple of times thereafter. At one point, I tried to engage him in conversation but he didn’t have much to say.
On this stage, we were pretty much lone souls and our paths crossed several times so the last time I saw him I sought to try again and asked him in French if he was headed to Cahors which is where I was headed, “Est-ce que vous allez à Cahors?”
To which he responded, “Je n’ai aucune idée, je m’arrête où je veux” (“I have no idea, I stop where I please”) which is why he’s my favorite.
And just like him, I stop where I please too, but unlike him, I know my next destination, I’m on the train headed to Paris “pour fêter mon anniversaire avec la meilleure petite amie de la planète Terre, la mienne!”
À tout à l’heure, mes amies!
Jusqu’à ce que nous nous retrouvions, bon Chemin!
PS: for my Chemin, in 10 days of walking, I walked 10 and a half of the first 13 of the Chemin du Puy’s 28 stages, more or less 270 kilometers, about 165 miles and I had a great time!◦
be the way”
