Estiang

Espalion to Golinhac - 31k

Today the distance was going to be reduced to 27k. I still left early and took the variant to avoid a big hill to the church Saint Pierre de somethingorother, supposed to be the oldest church on route, 11c + 9c altar Unfortunately, like most of the churches raved about in the books it was locked.

Never mind I carried on with my variant… on the very quite road… to another church. I then rejoined the route which took us along a country farm track to Estiang. After 2k’s I realised I did not have my glasses. I knew I had them at the last church and retraced my steps. No luck…. I had put on another 4k to the day and I still did not have my glasses.

Estiang is quite dramatic as you come to it with a real ‘Hastle Castle’ (You have to be a certain age and a follower of Huckelbury Hound to understand this analogy)

In Estiang I collapsed at a café where a Norwegian couple I had met before were having a coffee, because the bar did not serve food they had permission to eat their lunch.

I dragged my Camembert out of my rucksack. There was a smell competition in my bag between my socks and the Camembert, at the moment it was a close run thing. It was the first of three cheeses, but for the sake of my room mates I changed to a bog standard non smelly cheese in my last days on the Chemin.

Leaving the town after a good lunch the Chemin followed the Lot for a few k’s before ascending a big hill to leave the river Lot behind. I was following someone with a donkey (I later learnt there were two Frenchmen with a Donk & two German girls with another)

… anyway the Donk immediately in front of me seemed to lighten its personal load at the start of every footpath that went steeply upwards. I don’t know if it was fear or just expressing a personal opinion on the situation.

The rest of the walk was a delight, sun shining, birds singing etc. and mostly downhill. Golinhac was a small village on a hill the key attractions, campsite, gite, restaurant and shop are all owned by the same person,  The evening meal was terrific.. Spinach soup, followed by a great beef stew followed by a Yogurt & jam (I think).
A good day… pity about the extra mileage.