SpanjeNavarrete42°25’44” N 2°33’43” W
16 juni, Spanje ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F
Total walked today: 21 kms
Total walked: 108 kms
Kms left until Navarrete: 0 kms!!
We left Viana on a cool but sunny morning, the last day of our Camino walk. There were no towns between Viana and Logroño, our day's halfway point, so the morning was a soft blur of rolling hills, vineyards, and music from our Spotify playlist. Around 10am we crossed out of the Navarre region, and into Rioja wine country. Next stop: Logroño, the capital of Rioja country, and a place we'd visited and loved in 2023.
An hour later, we emerged into Old Town Logroño from the Camino. With the exception of Santiago, I've never felt so welcomed as a pilgrim. The path into town was lined with "Camino de Santiago" roses, bred here in Logroño, the town has its own Camino logo (and it's everywhere), and the tourist office even gave us candy. The entry into town led us through RuaVieja, a street that has been making wine for centuries. There was a cool (and free!) "Camino de Vino" exhibition center, and despite our sweaty selves, we were cheerfully welcomed.
The path led us past the Iglesia de Santiago, and into Old Town...which is renowned for its incredible pinxtos bars. There wasn't much open at 11am, but one bar let us in early, and we devoured several croquettes and glasses of Rioja wine. We visited two more pintxo bars, and after several hours of decadence, we headed out for the remaining 11 kms to Navarrete.
As we crossed the street to exit Logroño, we were surprised to see the Pilgrim's Oasis food truck owners standing on the opposite corner! It was a bizarre coincidence- we've now encountered them three days in a row- but we happily chatted for 20 minutes before exchanging hugs and goodbyes.
For six kilometers, the path out of Logroño was through city parks or nature reserves. As the temps were back up to 85°F/26°C, we were grateful for both the shady trees and the many water fountains.
We walked along the municipal reservoir in Parque La Grajera, followed by a steep climb that led us into vineyards. An hour or so later, we saw Navarrete in the distance- though I am convinced that SEEING your destination is morale killer, because it seems to take forever to reach it. Especially when it's hell-hot, your water is lukewarm, and you really, really just want an Otter Pop.
Approaching Navarrete, we passed a winery offering tastings for "tired pilgrims" that was CLOSED on Mondays (UNFAIR), and had to climb a staircase (double unfair) to finally reach the medieval Old Town. It was deserted for siesta time, so we checked into our posada, and showered and napped until the heat cooled and people returned to the town square.
We had a roast chicken dinner on a terrace overlooking the hills we'd crossed, and toasted the completion of our Camino with Rioja wine. Tomorrow we bus it back to Logroño for one more pintxo lunch before heading home.Meer informatie
SpanjeViana42°30’54” N 2°22’22” W
15 juni, Spanje ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F
Total walked today: 19 kms
Total walked: 87 kms
Kms left until Navarrete: 21 kms
Last night a strong wind blew into Los Arcos, and today the temperature plummeted from 90°F/30°C down to 70°F/20°C. We had planned a shortened walk today- 19kms instead of 30kms- based on the expected heat. But! With now-cloudy skies and cooler temps, the 19kms felt almost effortless. It was literally no sweat.
After leaving Los Arcos, our morning walk was an easy, flat 7 kilometers to the first town of Sansol (which I noted sounded more like a detergent or a vegetable oil brand than a town, but you do you, Sansol). Sansol is a VERY tiny town, and it's Sunday in Spain, so nothing was open except single shop near the town square. I felt pity for the elderly proprietor who was in nonstop motion serving espressos and baguettes to all the hungry pilgrims.
We were sipping our coffees when a man started yelling in Spanish and threatening another pilgrim- and we realized the pilgrim was our French friend Alan. Apparently this crazy dude was accusing Alan of stealing his euros last night in the town's pilgrim dormitory- and Alan speaks no Spanish and little English, so he was a bit terrified. The police arrived, and we vouched for Alan and attempted to translate the weird situation. It took so long to resolve that there was no longer enough time for Alan to walk to his planned stopping point; he was forced to cut his day's walk short to the town of Viana...which coincidentally was also our final destination for the day.
Our day's walk was gorgeous. There are no other adjectives. We spent much of it walking along a high ridge overlooking lush green valleys; the descent into Viana was via a lovely flagstone-paved path, bordered by wildflowers and olive groves. As we walked into Viana, we passed by the Pilgrim's Oasis Café...owned by the very same people as yesterday's Pilgrim's Oasis food truck. We walked in and were immediately recognized and welcomed by the owners, who gave us free coffee and cookies while we chatted and exchanged contact info. We expect to see them in Barcelona soon!
We checked into our Viana hotel- tonight we're splashing out for a room in a former medieval palace, with a balcony overlooking the astonishing ruins of Iglesia San Pedro. And an hour later, as I was sitting on the balcony of our plush digs, I saw Alan down on the street below. The three of us went out for drinks, and in another weird coincidence, in that bar were two other French pilgrims who had been at the Sansol shop that morning. The five of us ended up closing the bar, after many bottles of Rioja, pintxos, and Google-translated conversations. It was a perfect Camino evening.
I always quote the idiom "the Camino provides." For me, this time around the Camino has provided unexpected moments of friendship with incredibly kind people. The Camino is awesome.
Tomorrow we cross into Rioja country for our final day of walking!Meer informatie
SpanjeLos Arcos42°34’11” N 2°11’32” W
14 juni, Spanje ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F
Total walked today: 22 kms
Total walked: 68 kms
Kms left until Navarrete: 40 kms
I think today might be my favorite day of walking the Camino, ever.
We departed Estella at 7:45am, surrounded by many other pilgrims. This is notable because we're usually the last ones out- most pilgrims leave before 6am. But there was a reason for the early birds' late start: Less than an hour's walk from Estella is the famous Wine Fountain of Irache...which opens at 8am. The Wine Fountain is legendary on the Camino Francés- the Bodega Irache Winery sits right on the Camino, and wanted to pay tribute to the many pilgrims passing by. So in the 1990s, they installed a tap into their external wall, and every day it's stocked with 100 liters of free wine. Pilgrims are invited to have a small cup for "strength and vitality" on the day's walk. It's amazing...the wine itself is a bit rough, but it's free and fun so I'll forgive that.
Nearby the Irache Winery is the La Forja de Ayegui (The Forge of Ayegui), a heritage blacksmith's shop. The blacksmith works the hot, live forge while you wander his outdoor shop- I've never seen anything like it. Matt was so impressed that he purchased a small iron Camino shell.
A bit farther on past the forge and the wine fountain, we stopped for coffee at a café owned by a former pilgrim. She had set up the garden with easy chairs overlooking the valley, and it was kind of perfect.
Today's walk was 22 kilometers; however, once we passed this café's town, at kilometer 10, there was absolutely nothing but Camino path for the remaining 12 kilometers. We had to pack enough food and water, plus hats and plenty of sunblock because not only was there no civilization for 12 kilometers, but also NO SHADE, and today's temp was about 88°F/30°C. But while that may sound painful, it was actually glorious. The landscape was stunning: Rolling hills, green valleys, fields of flowers, and an endless blue sky, with nothing but the sounds of the birds and our feet crunching on the gravel. I loved it.
We had heard rumors that halfway into this 12 kilometer stretch was a food truck. This mythical food truck appears regularly in the summertime for just a few hours, selling drinks and snacks, and we had our fingers crossed that today was a lucky day. Imagine our glee when, a bit before the halfway point, we saw a whiteboard propped up by the road saying that the Pilgrim's Oasis Food Truck was just 1 kilometer away. We nearly ran that last kilometer.
The Pilgrim's Oasis food truck is a Camino highlight. It's run by a Canadian couple, who also own a café in Viana, an upcoming Camino town. They're welcoming and kind, and let all the pilgrims set up picnics at their tables under some shady trees. We bought ice creams to go with our picnic, ate lunch with 20 other hot, tired pilgrims, and it was amazing.
The final 6 kilometers to Los Arcos, our stopping point for the night, was fairly easy, despite being in the direct, hot sun. We arrived in Los Arcos before 4pm, and I was excited to have a bit more time to explore the town- I feel like we missed a lot of Estella with our later arrival. But imagine my surprise to note that despite it having history and architecture from Roman times, and being a major stop on the Camino...Los Arcos does not give a fuck about the Camino or pilgrims. Nothing was open at 3:30pm; no bar offered pilgrim's menus (special discounted menus for walkers); there is zero Camino iconography anywhere; there isn't even a grocery store walkable from the Camino. Huh. Looks like a very quiet evening tonight.
Tomorrow we walk to Viana!Meer informatie
SpanjeEstella-Lizarra42°40’21” N 2°1’54” W
13–17 jun., Spanje ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F
Total walked today: 22 kms
Total walked: 46 kms
Kms left until Navarrete: 62 kms
Happy Friday the 13th! It was another bright, hot day when we left Puente de la Reina over its namesake bridge. The terrain was textbook Camino: Golden wheat fields, dirt paths, and rolling hills.
For reasons I can't explain, we both thought today's terrain would be flat. It was not. The path up to Mañeru, the first town after Puente de la Reina, was a nearly wall-like incline straight up. It was a brutal way to start my morning, but Mañeru made amends by featuring the cleverest "Pilgrim's welcome" at its town entrance. Not only did the little park offer seating and a water fountain, but the fountain was a repurposed 16th century sculpture that was plumbed for fresh water. I do luvs me some engineering ingenuity.
We walked through picturesque Camino scenery for the next few hours, en route to the medieval hilltop town of Cirauqui. This section of the Camino, with the rolling path and Cirauqui in the distance, is apparently one of the most-photographed scenes of the entire Camino. I of course took the required photo.
We stopped at the entrance to Cirauqui for coffee, and despite being told it was a movie-set-worthy beautiful village, it seemed a bit ordinary. So after our break, we continued on...and the Camino led us INTO Cirauqui, a stunning medieval town situated on stone staircases. Had we just walked five minutes past the café, we would have seen this. Oops. But the exit from Cirauqui was equally as impressive- the staircase out of town was built in Roman times, with views over the valley.
Around noon, we were both out of water and getting a bit hangry, and poof, the Camino provided. We walked past an unstaffed table offering free water, bread and cheese, nuts, and crackers to pilgrims. We were joined by a lone French pilgrim, and marveled on the generosity of the Camino community while I scarfed free peanuts. And at 1pm, we finally arrived at the tiny town of Lorca. But instead of eating lunch at their lone (and iffy) bar, we bought ice creams and bananas from a shop, and had a picnic in the town square. We were soon joined by our French pilgrim (whose name is Alán) who shared his apricots with us, and together with our shared Heineken beers, it was a perfect lunch.
Later in the afternoon, we reached Villatuerta, where we escaped the heat with an aperitivo in the park, before continuing on to Estella, our stopping point for the night.
I was a bit surprised by Estella. It was built in 1090 just for pilgrims, by order of the King. But I was not expecting the magnitude of medieval architecture- it is known as the "Toledo of the North" (Toledo, SPAIN!) because of its huge array of historical, medieval, and gorgeous churches. Saint Pedro de la Rúa, situated up a picturesque staircase, is the most famous. But we spent the early evening visiting the stunning 12th-century Saint Miguel, with vistas over the city; the Palace of the Kings of Navarre, now a museum; the Temple of the Holy Sepulchre, an odd, square fortress on the river; and the Iglesia de Santa Maria Jus del Castillo, a church built literally over a Jewish synagogue. I was not expecting a town so steeped in Camino history, but also so beautiful.
We had a late dinner at a pilgrim's restaurant in the Old City, then our exhausted selves had a very early bedtime.Meer informatie
SpanjePuente la Reina/Gares42°40’20” N 1°48’50” W
12 juni, Spanje ⋅ 🌙 70 °F
Total walked today: 24 kms
Total walked: 24 kms
Kms left until Navarrete: 84 kms
It was a damn good decision to go to bed early last night, because at 10pm, a storm of biblical proportions hit Pamplona, with lightning and sheeting rain that lasted until 4am. But when we were up at 7am this morning, the day was clear and sunny...and a far more temperate 85°F/27°C than the previous days of 100°F/35°C.
We started our walk at 8am from Pamplona's Plaza de Santiago (also known as a "parking lot"). We spent an hour walking out of the city and its suburbs; and Pamplona will forever be remembered as the city that installed its embedded Camino shells in the pavement BACKWARDS. The shells are pointing pilgrims in the exact OPPOSITE direction, which caused a bit of panic until we realized this. I can only imagine the conversation between the city planners and the contractors who so fully fucked this up. Fun times.
After a few hours of walking through suburban towns outside of Pamplona, we arrived at the tiny town of Zariquiegui (it's Basque, I can't pronounce it either). It was the first town that looked historically Spanish instead of a modern exurb, so we stopped to view their medieval church and take a break at the lone café. We made sure to drink a lot of water and prepare ourselves, because we'd been warned that the upcoming part of the Camino was steep and brutal (especially in the heat).
After our break, we continued on to walk a hot, 350 meter/1050 foot ascent over three kilometers to the famous Mirador de Alto del Perdón (The High Outlook of Forgiveness). It was not easy, and I would not call that walk "fun," either. But the Mirador, with its famous 1996 sculpture of Camino pilgrims throughout the milennia, is breathtaking.
The descent down from the peak, however, is a rock- and scree-covered death trap that took us longer to walk DOWN than UP. By the time we reached the teeny town of Uterga at 2pm, we were starving. Luckily this one-street town had a fabulous tavern, where I ate a roasted chicken platter so fast that I think I scared the server.
After our lunch break, the Camino flattened out, and wound through some small towns; but it was siesta time and hell-hot, so we didn't stop. At 4pm we finally arrived at our stopping point: Puente de la Reina (The Queen's Bridge), so named because in the 11th century, Queen Muniadona declared that a bridge be built for Camino pilgrims. The entire village is essentially a medieval truck stop for pilgrims- it's gorgeous, and looks like a scene from Don Quixote. The town is also the point at which many of the Camino routes through France and Spain converge, and join with the Camino Francés en route to Santiago de Compostela.
We ate a light dinner near the town square, and headed to bed early. Tomorrow's walk is both shorter AND flatter, so my feet are happy.Meer informatie
SpanjePamplona42°48’44” N 1°38’33” W
11 juni, Spanje ⋅ 🌩️ 66 °F
In previous Caminos, we would begin our walk the first morning after arriving. But this time, we spent our first day sightseeing and exploring Pamplona.
We started on Pamplona's pedestrian shopping street, which eventually led us to where the bulls are run. There's a very cool life-sized sculpture of the bull running on the promenade, and the street terminates at the bull ring on Plaza de Toros. Right outside the bull ring is a statue of Papa Hemingway, thanking him for bringing this animal cruelty to the masses. Thanks Ernie.
To be clear, I get that the San Fermín bull running festival is hugely significant, both historically and in literature, but it's barbaric and should not exist in 2025. Also, the San Fermín festival occurs every year ON MY BIRTHDAY, so I feel like my opinion matters. I am just saying.
We visited Pamplona's stunning Town Hall, a Baroque fever dream that almost looks Germanic. It's where the Pamplona mayor opens the San Fermín festival every July 6, but most people don't notice that if you go around to the back of the building, there's a parking lot also known as Plaza Santiago. It's the medieval site of the beginning of the Camino from Pamplona, but the plaque is pretty much used as a parking space. I am not pleased with Pamplona's choice to focus on the bull run instead of its ancient Camino history! The white lady in me wants to speak to the manager.
We had lunch at two different pintxo bars: Iruñazarra and Escalerica. At Iruñazarra, I tried "pisto," a local dish that is like Middle Eastern shakshouka, but with the poached egg over French ratatouille. We also shared the milhojas de foie, kind of like a Spanish tortilla but layered with foie gras and apple jam. Surprisingly this was not fantastic, which is a foie tragedy. Matt ordered the mini slider and morcilla (Spanish blood pudding), which we did NOT share, because yuck. We then moved on to Escalerica, where I had a chicken bao bun that was so good I devoured it before I remembered to photograph it. Oops.
Before everything shut for the midday siesta, we visited the Rincón del Caballo Blanco and the Baluarte de Redin. We had two reasons to visit: One, it's the former bastion of the ancient city, with views over the town, and the pilgrim's welcome into the city; and two, it was the filming location for the classic scene in the film "The Way" when Martin Sheen asks the waiter to "bring me some tapas." (If you've not seen this 2010 movie, go see it right now. It is the only Camino film that actually captures what it's like to walk.)
After siesta, we visited the Pamplona Cathedral which actually has the cojones to CHARGE PILGRIMS FOR ENTRY, so by "visited" I mean "we stared in disbelief at the entry fee, took a photo, and bailed."
We had more pintxos for dinner, starting at El Rio, which is by far my favorite bar in Pamplona. We tried their famous huevo frito (a hard-boiled egg in bechamel, then fried), tempura shrimp, and my new favorite cocktail: A mix of vermut, Campari, and cava. Yes please.
The final pintxos bar of our Pamplona adventure was El Gaucho, which is my SECOND favorite bar (apparently I prefer old-school classics, none of this Michelin nonsense). We shared a poached egg over truffle cream and french fries, which is possibly one of the best things I've eaten all year. We also had duck rillette in a phyllo sack, which was very good, but I only had eyes for that egg. Mmm.
With our bellies full of pintxo deliciousness, we headed to bed for an early start on the Camino tomorrow!Meer informatie
SpanjePamplona42°49’6” N 1°38’38” W
10 juni, Spanje ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F
It's June! This must mean it's time for our annual Camino. For 2025, we're going old-school, on the Camino Francés- the famous route that is assumed to be "The Camino." We last walked the Camino Francés in 2021, from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela. That section of the Camino Francés is the final 120 kilometers of the full 800 kilometer path, and the one that's most commonly walked by tourists and noobs. I know...how basic of us.
The section of the Camino Francés that we're walking this week is 107 kilometers, from Pamplona to Navarrete. We've never been to Pamplona before, a city made famous by Ernest Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises" (which described the annual running of the bulls), and the pintxos are supposed to be amazing in this region...so this should be a fantastic week.
In the late morning, we took a high-speed train ninety minutes from Barcelona to Zaragoza, then transferred to a bus for the two-hour ride to Pamplona. We arrived at 6pm and immediately noticed... it's a bit toasty here. Normal June temperatures in Pamplona are in the 70s/20°C, but today it is, holy shit, 100°F/36°C. I'm melting.
We spent the very warm evening crawling Pamplona's famous pintxo bars, starting with Café Iruña. In the 1920s, this was Hemingway's favorite hangout, and where his characters would gather in "The Sun Also Rises." And if you walk to the back of this stunning art nouveau café and notice a door near the toilets...and open that door...you will enter into a teeny bar area (closed to the general public) that has a life-sized statue of Hemingway at the bar. It is incredibly cool.
We hit three other pintxo bars, starting with Café Roch, in business since 1898. This bar is famous for its "fritos pamploneses" (like croquettes but with a tempura coating), and we sampled the mushroom and the jamón options. My verdict: Croquettes are better. So there.
We visited Baserriberri, formerly Michelin-listed, for possibly the weirdest pintxos I've ever had: Duck molé rolled in a tiny waffle, and covered with Cocoa Krispies; and a chorizo croquette with... chocolate sauce. Weird, but in a good way. I think.
Our final stop was Bar Fitero, where we abandoned the super creative pintxos and went old-school, ordering grilled foie gras and poached egg pintxos. At 11pm, our evening was over; unlike most of Spain, Pamplona closes up early. But we have all day tomorrow ro explore Pamplona before beginning our Camino on Thursday!Meer informatie
FrankrijkBéziers43°20’18” N 3°12’33” E
24 mei, Frankrijk ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F
Ooh, how exciting, that title rhymes.
After a long day of a long walk, I happily slept in a bit this morning. I had the entire Béziers spring day to do whatever I pleased, until my 4:45pm Flixbus departed back to Barcelona.
I began the day with what I WOULD have done yesterday, had my stupid battery not been dying. I took a victory walk down Bézier's famous Allées Paul-Riquet promenade. The last time we were here (NOT counting yesterday's panic-run), the entire Allées was cordoned off for construction with very ugly chain-link fencing. But today, as I walked up the slope of the Plateau Des Poètes park, its entry gates framed the gorgeous promenade. A flea market was in progress on the Allées, and I spent a happy thirty minutes browsing Frenchie treasures.
Also, fun fact! Allées Paul-Riquet is named for Pierre-Paul Riquet, a Béziers native, who just happens to be the engineer and creator of the Canal du Midi. I love it when it all comes full circle, don't you?
While walking along the pavement, I looked down and saw a Camino de Santiago shell (called "Chemin de Saint-Jacques" in France) embedded in the road. I had forgotten- Béziers is on one of the French Camino routes! Charlemagne built one of the first temples to Saint James here, in 967 AD (FYI, Béziers is one of the oldest cities in France- people have lived here since NEOLITHIC times. It's mind-boggling). On our first visit here in 2022, we didn't visit the church- so I decided it was a good time to pay a visit to the ol' Apostle.
The 10th century Church of Saint James is on a gorgeous outlook over the River Orb. The church is so old that people aren't allowed inside anymore- but the city provides viewing access through plexiglass, behind the church's iron gates (the iron gates feature shells, of course).
My stomach was rumbling by then, so I set off in search of The Perfect Last Meal in France. I ended up back at Les Halles at Le Johane, one of a small group of bistros ringing the market terrace. Its menu was so intriguing that I didn't even mind being the only lunch customer at the uncivilized hour of 11:45am. And color me gloriously happy to report that lunch was possibly even better than my dinner at Mare Nostrum in Agde.
My first course was incredibly simple, yet one of the best things I've eaten all year: A salad made from fresh market strawberries, red bell peppers, and basil. I cannot explain why the angels sang as I ate this simple salad. Second course was a duck tournedo with roasted potatoes. Also, I learned what a "tournedo" is (a cut of meat formed into a round steak). It's also insanely delicious.
For dessert I had a simple chocolate mousse with chantilly créme, and like all French food, the most simple is often the most amazing.
After lunch, I had a bit over three hours before my FlixBus departed, so I walked out of Bézier's Old Town onto the Canal du Midi path, which has been recently refurbished and pedestrianized. The viewpoints provided from the path are simply spectacular. I captured a postcard-perfect photo of the Béziers Cathedral and Le Pont Vieux (The Old Bridge, from the 12th century) over the River Orb, without using any camera filters or trick angles. It really is that beautiful.
About 2km outside of Béziers Old Town, along the Canal, is the crown jewel of the Canal du Midi: Les Écluses de Fonseranes, or the Fonseranes Locks. This is an intricate staircase of eight locks, that rise up a slope to allow boats to reach a height of 22 meters/71 feet. No joke, these locks are the third MOST-VISITED tourist site in the Languedoc-Roussillon region, after the Pont du Gard Aqueduct in Nîmes and the town of Carcassonne. And Béziers is all-in with this tourism- they've rebuilt a wide Canal path with shady trees, a bar and café at the top of the locks, and a gift shop with a 3D "immersive" theater experience. I was absolutely amazed with how the 18th-century technology has been updated and advanced for modern boat travel (the Canal and its locks are very much in use), and with the government investment in the beauty, history, and functionality of the site. I could have stood on the banks and watched the boats travel through those locks all day.
The Canal du Midi forks at the Fonseranes Locks; I came from one direction, and the other fork leads to Béziers's OTHER marvel of hydroengineering- the Orb Aqueduct. Now, I will admit that I have yet to find anyone who feels the same level of glee as I do regarding this aqueduct. But I do luvs me some cleverness and ingenuity, and here's the problem that faced the 18th century engineers: When passengers and goods arrived by the Canal, they were forced to cross the Orb via a ferry shuttling between the banks. However, the ferries ran cross-current, and the river often flooded, which backed up ferry traffic. A better way to cross the River Orb was needed.
The brilliant solution: Don't make PEOPLE cross the river. Make the CANAL cross the river. And voilá, the Orb Aqueduct was built, measuring 240 meters/787 feet long, 28 meters/92 feet wide, and 12 meters/39 feet high, with seven arches. And it's crazy to look at: Boats on the River Orb pass under the arched aqueduct, but up on top, there's a canal with walking paths. It's like a rooftop swimming pool.
I was in engineering geek heaven.
The Béziers train station sits nearby the River Orb and the Aqueduct, so at 4pm, I bade good-bye to my canal, and walked over to catch my FlixBus for the four-hour ride back to Barcelona. It has been a spectacular few days, actually exceeding my expectations. I can't wait to return and continue the walk to NarbonneMeer informatie
FrankrijkBéziers43°20’36” N 3°12’57” E
23 mei, Frankrijk ⋅ 🌬 72 °F
My walk began the this morning at 8am, from L’Ecluse Ronde d’Agde (the Round Locks of Agde), just outside the town. I calculated the walk to be about eight or nine hours, including stops for lunch, drinks, and rest.
8am: 0km– Écluse Ronde d’Agde
I began my morning at the Écluse Ronde d'Agde, with blue skies, sunshine, and a feeling as if I were the only human left on earth. If it was solitude I wanted, I definitely got it.
9:30am: 1.5 hours, 6.2km– Vias and the Ouvrages du Libron
The first ninety minutes were quiet, uneventful, and peaceful. As I got closer to Vias, more people- mainly cyclists- joined me on the path. I walked by something I've never seen on a walk before: A deserted amusement park. Apparently Vias is a beachy resort town for families, complete with camping sites and funfairs.
I had mentioned yesterday that the Canal du Midi is probably the simplest walking path I've ever been on- if you can see a canal, you're going the right way! Well, that being said, I managed to nearly get lost anyway. In my defense, I blame the Vias, France canal path planners.
As I approached Vias, my tranquil canal path routed over to a busy road filled with large trucks taking blind turns. I prefer not to die on holiday, so I looked up and saw the "To Béziers" sign pointing left, instead of straight and parallel to the canal. I figured this was a detour to get walkers safely back to the pedestrian-only path, so despite hearing the voices in my head saying "JUST KEEP THE DAMN CANAL ON YOUR RIGHT," I followed the sign. After about ten minutes, it was clear I was heading to Vias Plage (Vias Beach), which is due south, and definitely NOT west. So I said fuck it, and walked back to to sign...and saw the pedestrian overpass bridge that had been cleverly hidden from the canal path behind a grove of trees.
Also, let's note that the bridge was to the right, and the sign helpfully pointed LEFT. I felt like a really stupid contestant on “The Amazing Race."
Once I crossed the pedestrian bridge, the path continued to one of the Canal du Midi’s engineering gems: The Ouvrages du Libron. The Ouvrages are a 19th-century solution to allow the Libron River to pass safely over the Canal through six lock gates, even during flash flooding. It's frankly astonishing to see the level of engineering technology that existed in earlier eras. When I first viewed the Pyramids of Giza, I had the same reaction: How did they do this without electricity, trucks, and computerized design?
11:15am: 3.25 hours, 9.2km- Port Cassafieres in Portiragnes
There wasn’t much along the canal for the next hour, which kind of sucked because I REALLY had to pee. So, when I saw Le Boat’s marina in Port Cassafieres, the first outpost of civilization since the Ouvrages, I wandered in and asked to use the toilet. Again, not only were the locals gracious and sweet, but they even refilled my water bottle and bid me "bonne journee" after my thirty-minute Duolingo and water break on their terrace.
1pm: 5 hours, 14km- Le Jardin des Délices and L’Écluse de Portiragnes in Portiragnes
I had been recommended to stop a bit further in Portiragnes, at a restaurant called Le Jardin des Délices. Jardin des Délices is a private home and garden adjacent to the Canal, that the owners have converted into an outdoor restaurant, bar, and shop. It's got that perfect tumbledown feel of a cobbled-together rest stop, with benches made from old wooden pallets, tables from old wine barrels, old curtains repurposed as doors, and hand-painted signs. It’s perfect and brilliant and I was in love, especially when I saw they served garden-fresh salads. That, and the repurposed shed that functioned as a bar.
I ordered a salade chevre with pistachios, fresh bread, and some French rosé. And when I attempted to pay with my credit card, the sweet owner told me that I can only use a card for checks over €20. So, given that I was just €3 under that minimum, I ordered a post-lunch pastis, and everyone was happy.
After leaving Le Jardin, a short walk just a bit farther led to l’Ecluse de Portiragnes, one of the major Canal locks between Agde and Béziers. I do luvs me a waterfall, and I have decided that these pretty locks are close enough.
4pm: 8 hours, 19.3km- Écluse de Villeneuve-Lès-Béziers
I arrived in the very cute town of Villeneuve-Lès-Béziers, the last town outside Béziers, and boasting its own écluse. And there was a bar right next to the écluse; given that I was tired, thirsty, and needed to use a free toilet, I stopped for some wine and to admire the écluse. However, I was a jolted out of my relaxed state when I noticed that my phone was at 15%…and I had already drained my backup battery at lunchtime.
This is a problem when one’s guesthouse address, contact info, and entry instructions are ONLY ON ONE’S PHONE. Commence mild panic. I proceeded to pay my tab, and set off for the final stretch to Béziers at a much more rapid pace than I had intended. I calculated that my phone’s battery was eating 1% about every four or five minutes, so I had approximately an hour to get to my guesthouse. Eeek.
5pm: 9 hours, 25.9 km- My guestroom in Béziers
Two things: First, I missed having a triumphant arrival into Béziers (which I fucking EARNED from walking nearly 26km) because I had to panic-run the last kilometer to ensure I had enough battery to get into my guesthouse. I had zero opportunity to sightsee or savor my arrival- I was too busy RUNNING.
Second, the entire walk into Béziers is ALL UPHILL. Like, brutally uphill. I had conveniently forgotten this detail from my last visit here. So I had to run my sweaty, exhausted, panicked self straight uphill, navigate to my guesthouse, figure out its overcomplicated digital lock, get safely inside, and collapse inside...with just 4% battery remaining. Victory is mine!
Also, the guesthouse left me fresh madeleines on the bed, so double victory for me. I ate them while lying on the floor in a flop sweat.
I celebrated my completed walk with a dinner of oysters and duck confit parmentier at Hallégria, a restaurant in Béziers's gorgeously remodeled Les Halles (covered French market). The restaurant was retrofitted into the Les Halles's former courtyard, with a Louvre-like glass pyramid over the dining room. I had showered and put on clean clothes, but they weren't fancy clothes, so I was strategically seated in a dark corner.
After dinner, I walked to the newly reconstructed plaza in front of the Église de la Madeleine to Le Honey Café, which we'd visited several years ago. Without the construction chaos this time around, the nighttime view was gorgeous. I accompanied said view with a dreamy mousse chocolat.
Tomorrow I have almost the entire day to see the newly renovated Béziers and its écluses before my Flixbus back to Barcelona!Meer informatie
FrankrijkAgde43°18’49” N 3°28’35” E
22 mei, Frankrijk ⋅ 🌬 66 °F
So I have decided to embark on a solo, one-day walk along southern France's magnificent Canal du Midi. It's a marvel of 17th century French engineering AND a lovely trail. When since I first saw the Canal in Narbonne in 2022, my immediate thought was “I would love to walk that.” It took three years, but here I am.
Why walk alone? Well, the husband unit has some other obligations this week, and I realized I’ve not taken a solo trip in over twenty years. Seriously! I think this is because I have such a fun travel (and life) partner…but also because there’s a bit of a stigma for a person in a committed relationship to travel minus the partner. But my beloved friend Angie-Pangie does so on a regular basis, and I am nothing if not a proud thief of someone else’s ideas.
The Canal du Midi is an ideal route for a solo walker, because it’s nearly impossible to get lost; just keep the damn canal on your right side, and eventually you’ll end up where you need to go. And as a bonus, the Canal path is somewhat untouristed- and I've been craving a bit of solitude. Between home, work life, and our activities, I am never alone except for one hour each week when I swim laps. An entire day of silence in the Frenchie sunshine sounds like heaven to me.
But what most drew me to this adventure is that as someone who loves walking, French food, and considers herself a history and engineering nerd, the Canal du Midi is my catnip. I mean how can you not be amazed by 17th century French hydroengineering and its intricate system of écluses (locks)?
Hello? Anyone? Just me?
To figure out my route, the Canal du Midi association has a fantastic planning website and navigation app; I was able to input my origin and destination, and find the time and distance required to either walk or bike. Béziers is just 22 kilometers from Agde, so poof, that was my route.
On Thursday morning, I left on the 7:30am Flixbus from Barcelona’s Estació Nord, and arrived at the tiny Béziers station at 11:45am. I then caught a train for the quick ten-minute ride from Béziers to Agde- the excitement was elevated by the bizarre apprehension of an entire group of tween pickpockets. Several French police officers suddenly swarmed the platform around me, because apparently Fagin’s kids (that's a literary reference, folks) were all standing right next to me. (but the joke was on them- I didn't HAVE any pockets, just a tightly overstuffed backpack that I could barely open). Anyway!
I arrived in Agde in time for lunch, and quickly realized something about Agde: It is shut down HARD outside of the summer months. Nearly every shop and restaurant was closed, and the entire town felt COVID-deserted. I found a small bar on the main promenade that was serving lunch, so I enjoyed my first Frenchie meal (salade chevre) on the bar’s outdoor terrace, and people-watched. Well, not so much "people-watched," as "construction-watched." It is obvious that Agde, like many tiny towns near a walking path, is gearing up for a big tourist influx from the Canal du Midi. I saw a lot of cyclists come through during my lunch, looking for food. And it appears the town is building, refurbing, and adding signage as fast as it possibly can.
I will add here that the people working in shops and cafés in Agde have been extraordinarily kind and helpful. It occurred to me that this small town is actually EAGER to welcome tourists! Obviously this is VERY different from my Barcelona life. We happily hate tourists.
I spent the afternoon taking a self-guided walking tour of the (deserted) Old Town, provided by the Agde Tourism Office. It's lovely little medieval town, with a picturesque setting on a river, and an impressive cathedral...but also very, very quiet.
Given that Agde seemed like a ghost town, I had assumed that my dinner would be forgettable, at best. But later in the evening, I stumbled onto a riverside restaurant, run by an older man and his wife, that was an unexpected wonder. I was given a window seat in the floating dock-slash-dining room, covered to protect against the wind. And to my amazement, the food at Mare Nostrum was even more glorious than the view.
After dinner, I walked back to my guesthouse on a perfect spring night. Agde is even prettier at night (perhaps the "prettier" is due to the darkness hiding most of the construction works). My guesthouse is a small attached studio in a local family's home, on the edge of the Old Town. It's cute and snug- it even includes a cat- but there will be no sleeping in tomorrow, as I will be up early to start my walk!Meer informatie
Gratis
