Puy de Dôme

Wir haben gut geschlafen und noch besser gefrühstückt. Voller Vorfreude fahren wir los und werden von einer lächelnden Sonne begleitet. 🌞
Womit wir aber überhaupt nicht gerechnet hatten, undRead more
Wir haben gut geschlafen und noch besser gefrühstückt. Voller Vorfreude fahren wir los und werden von einer lächelnden Sonne begleitet. 🌞
Womit wir aber überhaupt nicht gerechnet hatten, und auch keine Wetter-App hatte das vorausgesagt, war ein heftiger Wintereinbruch. Wir konnten es kaum glauben, dass wir plötzlich bei nur geringer Sichtweise bei -6 Grad durch Schnee und über vereiste Straßen fuhren.☃️🌨️
Unser Ziel ist der berühmte, auch aus dem Radsport (Tour de France) bekannte Puy de Dôme. Dieser ist ein 1465 m hoher Vulkan im gleichnamigen Département und gehört zum Zentralmassiv in der Auvergne im Zentrum Frankreichs. Er ist der höchste Berg der Kette der Puys. Als “Grand Site de France" klassifiziert und in der Nähe von Clermont-Ferrand gelegen, ist der Puy de Dôme das Wahrzeichen des gesamten Departements. Unter den 80 Vulkanen, die von der UNESCO zum Weltkulturerbe erklärt wurden, ist nur der Puy de Dôme für jedermann zugänglich, dank der elektrischen Zahnradbahn Panoramique des Dômes.
Wir hatten eine Fahrt mit dieser Zahnradbahn eingeplant. Aber bei diesem Wetter und dieser schlechten Sicht? Wir haben uns diese 30 Euro gespart. 🤔
Auf dem Rückweg entdeckten wir einen schönen Aussichtspunkt oberhalb der Stadt Clermont-Ferrand.
Wir buchten ein Zimmer mit Küche und Parkplatz in einem Home & Break Hotel. Das Zimmer ist zwar kleiner als unsere gewohnten Apartments, sind aber sauber und komplett ausgestattet. 65 € / Tag
Von hier aus können wir in den nächsten Tagen die Stadt fußläufig erkunden🚶🚶♂️Read more
Heute wars ne richtig tolle Herbstwanderung - so ziemlich perfekt☺️
Am Morgen wars zwar noch ziemlich neblig, aber irgendwann kam die Sonne raus und es wurde richtig warm!
Thomas hab ich auch noch angetroffen und wir waren dann mal wieder gemeinsam unterwegs. Und da die Strecke heute recht kurz war (etwa 21 km), konnten wir es auch richtig gemütlich nehmen.
Die Städtchen hier sind einfach nur wunderschön, wie im Märchen😍
Wollte morgen mal Pause einlegen und einen Tag hier bleiben, aber es soll die Tage richtig übel regnen. Schau dann mal nach nem Kaffee - aber falls es wirklich so schlecht sein sollte, werde ich wohl mit dem Bus (den gibt es hier!😅) in die nächste Stadt fahren, wo gerade ein Festival stattfindet.
Mal schauen🙂Read more
Heute war endlich mal ein richtig einfacher Tag - ich hatte eine Unterkunft in der nächsten Stadt gebucht. Das waren heute noch nicht mal 15 km🙂
Ich bin dann erst gegen 9:30 los, da ich ansonsten viel zu früh am Ziel angekommen wäre. Und da Lee und Cédric schon weg waren, genoss ich etwa 1.5 Stunden alleine in dem kleinen Häuschen.
Der Weg war einfach und es ging immer abwärts. Nun bin ich hier nur noch auf knapp 400 M ü.M.
Das Wetter wurde auch immer besser und als ich am Ziel ankam, war es sogar richtig schön und sonnig🙂
Das Städtchen hier ist sehr hübsch und wurde sogar als eine der schönsten Städte Frankreichs gekürt!
Die Gite hier ist wieder mal recht gross und wir teilen uns grad zu sechst das Zimmer.
Der Vorteil ist jedoch dabei, dass man immer recht tolle und interessante Menschen kennenlernt!
Aber bin dann auch mal wieder froh, wenn ich alleine bin😉Read more
Eigentlich war heute mit ca. 22 km ein eher kurzer Wandertag. Trotzdem kam ich erst um halb 7 in meiner Unterkunft an.
Gerade als ich am Morgen die Gite (Unterkunft) verliess, lief Thomas vorbei, der in der Nähe campiert hatte. Voll der Zufall!
Wir liefen dann wieder mal ne Weile zusammen.
Das Wetter war heute eigentlich gut gemeldet - doch es war ziemlich eklig! Viel Nieselregen, "normaler" Regen, Wind und Kälte! Hier in den Bergen ist es sehr wahrscheinlich noch viel extremer und kälter als weiter unten - schliesslich sind, bzw. waren, wir auf 1400 M.ü.M.
Die Temepraturen hier sind tagsüber gegen 10 Grad, gefühlt waren es heute aber nur knapp über null🥶
Ich war jedenfalls froh, war die Strecke heute nicht so lang. Aber ich denke, da das Wetter so schlecht war, waren wir auch eher langsam unterwegs.
Ausserdem hatte ich am Schluss Mühe, die Unterkunft zu finden, da ich weder Name noch Adresse hatte. Cédric, der schon die Tage vorher in der gleichen Unterkunft war wie ich, hatte diese Nacht gleich für mich mitgebucht. Aber irgendwie habe ich mir nicht so genau aufgeschrieben, wo das ist und so bin ich zuerst noch dran vorbeigelaufen. War dann froh, als ich endlich ankam!
Hier sind wir nur zu dritt - wieder Lee aus Korea, Cédric und ich.
Thomas habe ich wieder verloren, da er kalt hatte und viel zu schnell (davon-) gelaufen ist😉
Die Unterkunft hier ist echt irgendwo im Nirgendwo. Und man hört dauernd einen Hirsch brüllen! Da ich das Geräusch nicht kannte, dachte ich zuerst, es sei eine gebärende Kuh! Man klärte mich hier dann aber auf und ich bin froh, ist es nur ein Hirsch😅Read more
Traveler Mir scheint, dass diese Strecke sehr viel abwechslungsreicher ist, als die Via Gebenensis… Geniess den Weg ein wenig für mich mit!
Today started off with a panic as Simon had lost his new hat!! We had to return to last night’s restaurant where we spotted it under the table. Mary had to then employ her French phone technique again to alert the owner of our dilemma and create a rescue scene! We had success 🙌 and now Simon has pinned it to his head!!
Our walk today was shorter than of late and started with a 4 km stretch alongside the River Lot. Then it revealed its teeth and the next 6km at least were the walk up the endless, very steep hill.
We then went through wooded glades and gullies on our route to Golihac.
We also passed the drone of thousands of bees on several occasions which caused us to quicken our step.
As we approached the village the ominous sounds of thunder - followed by darkening, brooding skies and yes 15 mins before our arrival the rain once again tumbled from the sky.
We went walk about looking for campsite, arrived - reception was closed so started to set up camp under an awning when reception kindly opened early and got us into our chalet 👏
Laundry done, now drying, we tried to find an earlier supper but no 🙄 we have to wait til 7 to eat. Then as early as possible to bed as we are feeling jaded!!Read more
We walked into Aubrac and spotted a swankey Brasserie so booked a meal for later. We then checked into our accommodation ‘La Dômerie’ a Chambre de hotes of very high quality. Wonderful to have sheets provided and not to have to use our sleeping pods. The hotel was a wonderful old building that had been kept in a traditional manner.
We went for our meal which again was in a room of fantastic character with all kinds of quirky furniture, ornaments and art. It had a wood burning stove in the middle which was delightful as we arrived but soon made us very warm indeed.
After a good sleep went down for a lovely breakfast in the charming dining room - a great selection including fruit salad, fresh croissants, cheese and ham. We left feeling buoyant and ready for a day on the road. A good job too as we had 24 km to get through.
It was a tough slog as at least 15 of the km were a steep descent over gullies filled with rocks that really hammer your feet.
We went through the medieval village of Chely d’Aubrac and stopped for coffee. Our lunch stop was in the hamlet of Lestrades where the locals had put hot drinks in a barn in a help yourself basis.
The rain, thunder and lightning started as we approached our accommodation for the night - the Convent de Malet - where we were welcomed by 2 of the sisters. The convent is a big, old roomy building with a great wooden staircase and well oiled policies and philosophies. It can accommodate up to 60 pilgrims a night.
After putting bags into room and freshening up we hobbled into town while we had the energy. Sadly most places were shut til 7 except the bakery and local snack bar. We dined on paninis and offered to buy one for another pilgrim travelling with his dog. This turned out to be Roman, a 29 year old Czech Republic guy who said he sometimes walks up to 40 km a day😳 and lives outdoors relying on the kindness of The Way.
Had a good hour or so with him listening to his tales and philosophies, he had very gentle, spiritual eyes - probably a psycho 😆 - only joking. We sent him on his way with some provisions from the bakery and €10 - he was very happy and we had hugs all around before heading back to our convent for showers and chilling before bed in prep for 20 km tomorrow.Read more
La Rose d’Aubrac was a lovely gite but Simon struggling more and more with the communal meals 😳
We were treated to a bland veg soup, truffelade ( kind of bubble and squeak with cream, garlic and cheese) and apple confit. Then Simon allowed to thankfully escape.
We were only English speakers so was a challenge- but we were made to feel welcome.
Up early for bread, jam and coffee. Then once more onto the Aubrac plateau. A place of solitude, bird song, flowers and lots of streams to breach. Really reminding us of Yorkshire moorlands and in places the Isle of Man 🇮🇲
We came through sunshine, wind, hail and rain - thank goodness for my new poncho 😆
Stopped in the quaint town of Nasbinals for a lovely sandwich and got an extra stamp on our credentials (pilgrims passports). 19 km later we have now arrived in Aubrac and are sitting viewing beautiful scenery waiting to check in at tonight’s digs.
Simon tried the local drink pastis on our wet rest day - it’s rather like Greek ouzo!!
He’s going for it again today!!Read more
Today was a short walk - 7km from one scenic village to the next. It was even shorter after we read Rosie's advice on alternative routes, and Anne's Vespers partner suggested going via the secondary road since it was cloudy and raining.
We left the convent around 8:45 and were in Espalion around 10am. It was a flat walk beside a river that seemed twice as big as yesterday. Some rain, perhaps, or a release from one of the upstream hydro-electric dams?
There were cars and people, but it is Monday and most shops are shut. That includes clothes shops, so our plans to buy waterproof pants were foiled. Espalion is much larger than the last two villages, but the centre is as old and as pretty. There are some old 20 houses built side-by-side along the river that used to be tanneries, and they still have the stone steps down to the water.
We expected the hotel to be closed until 3pm, but we came in with our dripping ponchos after walking around the town. Reception was empty, so we sat for a while, then Anne found a notice saying reception was closed from 12-5pm, but if you arrived during that time you should look up your room number in the hotel's room register and take your own key...so we did. We were in our room around 1pm. Our one solitary bag had been in reception, waiting.
Dinner at the hotel. Very cheerful staff, and no choices: a bacon, egg, pork and mustard salad, great bread, aligot and a local sausage, and then a pear tart. The first two courses were fantastic. There was heavier rain as we sat in the restaurant looking out at the street, but we are hoping for a long break in the drizzle tomorrow.
17,565 steps, 13.9 km and 1 flightRead more
As we went up the hill leaving St Chely I took a photo back down over the village, thinking "Yep. Great shot. That should be first on the blog." Now we are in Saint-Come-d'Olt and I am not so sure. This is Brigadoon in France - the village time forgot. The Lot River valley has (I am told) some of France's prettiest villages, and this one tops the pops. Street names are in French and Occitan.
We had packed our one bag to the gunnels again, left it for collection and went to breakfast, which was different: two coffee machines, pots for tea, muesli and granola, but no cheese (but otherwise as usual). We left around 8:30, over an apparently famous pilgrim's bridge, up a long, steep hill with amazing views back over the village, and off through farmland. It was lime green, since trees already had new leaves, and it was noisier with birds. We wore ponchos as we assumed that, being overcast, it would rain, but it didn't , and we were sweaty, so off they came. There were a few steep ups and downs, and often rocky paths, but nothing very hard. We went through one hamlet, but alongside numerous old farmhouses and barns, often with enormous piles of straw and cow dung ready to be spread back over the paddocks.
We arrived at St-Come-d'Olt around 1:15, and as we stopped to look around a young woman asked if we needed anything, then told us about the shops being closed and the few bars etc that were open. She had an apron from a cafe (Cafe La Pause), so we went there later. The village has a few 11th C features, a church with a twisted spire (design or bad builder? no-one knows) and looks untouched. It might need a section to itself, particularly as the hotel tonight is a convent.
Overall, it is so far, so good physically. Weary feet, but nothing worse than aches and end-of-day tiredness.
27,785 steps, 22.0km and 51 flights. Tomorrow is a short day - only 7km to a large townRead more
Traveler R and A, a word of warning! We were routed from St Chély to Espalion, and therefore had to walk on through St Come d’Olt, without time to fully enjoy one of les plus beaux villages de France…but we got to St C at about 12.30, and Espalion at 3.30 (and it was a fine day) because we faithfully followed the red and white, which took us up into the hills and wilderness above for ages, till we finally saw Espalion way down below…others took the road and swanned in …if it’s awful weather may be worth taking the easy way, but then, it’s only a short sector, and pilgrims have to suffer…
Traveler Pilgrims must follow their consciences, and in bad weather that will certainly mean “ road”.
Very upmarket buffet, and then David, the joint-manager (with his brother- the family has run the hotel since 1928) took it upon himself to solve the luggage issue. He rang the same people on the same number, but was not taking no for an answer, and decided the solution was for the case to go to the Post office ( if it wasn't there) and for La Malle Postale to pick it up (likely tomorrow) and take it to our hotel for tomorrow. Lots of animated phone calls later he assured us it would be done, and sent us off. We were hoping but not convinced.
Today was a long day - 27km officially, but 30km or so as both hotels were away from the town centres. We also crossed the Aubrac Plateau, which has rave reviews as a beautiful heath land, and in summer they are probably deserved...
It was drizzling as we left in the new ponchos (which worked well) and Saint Craig of Kiama (he of umbrella yesterday) had lent me a pair of waterproof over-trousers which he said were too big for him. They probably were too big, as they were big for me, but in the cold and the rain they were a godsend.
The country was grey because of the clouds, but everywhere were long, low stone walls, green fields, or paddocks with daffodils, and small woods. Most of the track was a walkway between paddocks, but we were on rural roads now and then. That was better than the boggy sections: they were horrendous after just a little rain, so I can only imagine WWI.
Unfortunately the sleet and rain began in earnest around 1015, and kept on until around 2pm, along with a gale. I doubt my chinos would have survived the mud, or have dried out by dinner. We were warm enough under the ponchos, but fingers number quickly, and stayed numb until the wind stopped, or the rare burst of sun. Having said that, it wasn’t too bad with the ponchos and waterproof boots: we could walk along quickly without getting hot.
We went through a few hamlets, but no villages or towns, but made good time because it was too windy , wet and cold to stop except inside, and the few little cafes we saw were crowded, or in the open. We saw a man with a Phileas Fogg type contraption harvesting daffodils in the driving sleet... unsuccessfully, though, as he seemed to spend as much time under the machine as on it. Maybe he was sheltering?
After passing through a few small hamlets and past occasional churches, we finally made it to Nasbinals. It is a lovely old village with grey/fawn coloured stone houses, all with rooves made of flat rocks.
One family has a monopoly on hotels in the town, and guests are apparently allocated on the day. We reached the first hotel on the outskirts of the village and were pleased we could have a break, but our names weren't on the list for rooms there. We walked into town to the central place (with restaurant and bar) but we weren't there, either. We had to walk 500m to another side of the town, but it was flat and not raining.
Dinner was in the town rather than the hotel, and the same local specialties that Rosie and Amr had nearly 10 yrs ago - very good. Aligot (mashed potato plus cheese and garlic - consistency of play-dough) was a sight to behold, and very tasty, along with a local sausage.
Just before we went we had an email from David, the Aumont-Aubrac manager, with a small glitch: the bag was delivered to the Le Puy post so late that it could not be collected today, and the Post is closed all weekend (plus perhaps Monday as a public holiday) so it will not be collected by la Malle Postale until Tuesday, and hopefully early enough then for it to be delivered to us where we will be that night - a town called Golinac. Four more days of only one pair of pants and shoes instead of one day more...but a timeline that ought to be achievable.
Our hotel is a branch of a family hotel business. 1. Opened at 4... but if you knew your room number you could take your key and go in anyway. 2. Wifi and soap, but no tea or coffee. 3 Great view over open fields 4. Bed seems okay. 5. Quiet. 6. the ogress who did not want to let anyone in to breakfast...
41,520 steps, 32.6km and 44 flights.Read more
Wolfgang und Heidi
Sieht aber super aus. So ein bisschen Winter zaubert manchmal super schöne Fotos ! 👍😊
Reisezeiten
Wie kommt denn der Kölner Dom dahin? 😜
Traveler ...🤔genau das habe ich mich auch gefragt 🤪