2017-09-19 Golinhac - Decazeville (46/244 km)

Someone just got to here and no further

Certainly one of the longest days. It started from Golinhac after breakfast in the early morning mist. Not very much to be seen around you. A little rain to and fro. Not until I had passed a number of villages with ups and downs did the weather ease. But of course I had my morning coffee. This time in Sénergues, a nice little village.

And I passed this cross at the wayside. It usually means that a pilgrim has taken his or her last step there.

Conques

Finally down the slippery trails to Conques. Sadomasochistic, SSM trails for pilgrims - Slippery, Stony and Muddy. And claiming that you do this because you like it.

Conques (sorry about the quality of the photo)

So Conques, a village-city from another world and time. A feeling of Grimm brothers when entering it. Would Snow-white or Cinderella peep out of the next house. Or maybe Hansel and Gretel. I have nerver seen a place so directly coming from a fairy-tale. It felt unreal. But it was real with a fantactic cathedral in the middle. And so many stories from Charlemagne to all other important historic persons leaving their imprint on this place. An a very special 12 year old female saint "Sainte-Foy" from Agen, a full golden mask face and upper body, with stones. Was killed 303, the first female martyr in France. The mask brought to Conques 866., trough the involvement of Charlemagne. Since 1012 venerated according to the book "Livre de miracles de Sante-Foy". Some non-believers says that it from the beginning was a death mask of a roman emperor. How many pilgrims have not passed here and asked her to heal blind young persons. Also the tympan (stone relief) over the main entry to the cathedral requires several pages to interpret. If you have a chans, visit Conques.

Tympan of cathedral in Conques

I had lunch in Conques but decided that it was too early to stay. Only 2 o'clock. So my visit was short but I promised myself to come back if possible.

Leaving the city I saw this text in mixed Danish, English and Spanish. I really felt hit by it. I, a snail with my house in a backpack, and the remaining is not less interesting. Try to translate it yourself. (Click the photo to enlarge)

More views of Conques

Down the extremely steep streets (not possible with a car) - I almost fell twice - I reached the river and the old roman bridge across. A car tried to cross it but did not really dare since it had about 10 cm free space at both sides. Proved to be an Englishman with passengers. I tried to discourage them, but I'm not certain that I was successful. There were no good alternatives nearby.

Then for me another very steep SSM trail upward some 300 - 400 m. I had determined to walk to Noailhac and stay there. Found the gite and yes there were free places, but I needed to go to the restaurant to report first.

Am I a snail with my house in a back-pack?

Then a car stopped immediately outside the entrance door to the gite and a young lady went in and left some prepackaged food in the fridge. Relying to my question she said that the restaurant was closed tonight and that there was no food in the village. So I determined to continue to find something on the way. I passed a chapel of Saint-Roch once a pilgrim to Santiago. On the way there (or back) he was hit by the pest and hid in the forest not to infect others and a dog brought him food. It was like me when I met a dog that tried to adopt me in southern Spain at the "Vía Mozárabe" from Granada. But that's another story.

Saint Roch with his faithful dog. 

It proved to be nothing in terms of gite and food until Decazeville after 46 km. I was rather tired so in spite of the gite, that I was very near according to the map, but did not find the entry to, I went into the city and finally after a lot of searching found a hotell where I around 7 pm got a cheap room. I needed that! Decazeville seems to be a city in some decay. I understood that it some years ago had been an important coal mining center. But now all the mines have been closed. You could see that in the city. Closed shops, closed hotel etc.

Unos de los días más remarcable. ¿La causa de eso? ¡Conques! Como una ciudad de fantasía de los hermanos Grimm, con Blancanieves y Cenicienta habitando las casas. Deseaba quedarme allí, pero no tenía tiempo. Cuando deseé pasar la muy estrecho ponte romano un inglés probó la misma, pero con coche. Aconsejé a el que no haga. No sé el resultado de esto. 

Había concentrarme de pernoctar en Noialhac. Pero este resultar ser imposible. ¡Ninguna comida posible! Por esto continué hasta Decazeville. Un día de 46 km.