Several of my most recent posts have discussed my intent to walk a segment of the Via Podiensis. The Via Podiensis (or le Chemin du Puy) refers to a network of trails that lead from central France toward the starting point for the Camino de Santiago.
I’ve been very busy since that post, with work and what’s required to prepare for a 3‑week walk in France. A trek like this requires a lot of physical and mental preparation, as well as logistics…
Separately and together, Jane and I have gotten a lot done in the past 6 weeks.
Progress Made
We’ve booked our flights, which in my case, required deciding where my jumping-off point would be, Seattle or Boston. Decision: Boston. It shortens the travel time, and cuts 33% of the time zone difference between our homes on the West Coast and central France. Making that decision required negotiating family vacation plans…
We’ve booked rooms in Toulouse, to recover from jet lag before taking the train to Figeac, and prepare for our homeward flights 21 days later.
We’ve planned the route, selected the chambres d’hôtes (tiny inns), chosen rooms (when possible), and wired deposits to hold our reservations. If you want to stay in somewhat more upscale lodgings than the dormitories preferred by many pilgrims, there are often very few choices within easy walking distance of the chemin.
Now we’re crossing our fingers that handshake agreements with the hoteliers will be remembered when we arrive on their doorstep each night, hot, sweaty and exhausted…
Planning the route was a labor of love on Jane’s part. Exploring options required a lot of conversation, online and library research, and outreach to former pilgrims who’ve traveled this Way before. Fortunately, we now belong to several Facebook groups devoted to pilgrims focused on specific treks along the Way. That makes it easier to get our questions answered, with multiple viewpoints in some cases…
Because we both relish la belle cuisine française, optimizing where we’d be and when was an important factor for us.
To devise the optimal route Jane juggled with multiple factors: average daily distance, difficulty of the terrain, access to moderately priced lodgings, availability of dinners (at local restaurants or provided by the innkeepers), etc. Optimizing venues and weekdays is an important consideration for rural France.
Arriving (or not) on specific weekdays is a practical consideration when visiting rural areas or villages with limited options or sites to visit. Plus, to avoid going hungry, pilgrims should avoid arriving in a village on a day when all the bistros or restaurants are closed! Unless they’re staying in a place that offers a table d’hôte.
Nuanced travel planning like this is one of Jane’s joys in life, second only to the joy she experiences when making one of those journeys. I’m lucky she’s planning this for both our sakes.
Next Post: updates on hiking boots and travel gear…