I left the gite shortly after 07:00 tto walk the few hundred metres back to the administration point and to get breakfast. Breakfast was high in carbohydrate, which is probably what I needed: cereal and bread, washed down with coffee and orange juice.
And so, just after 08:00, I was on the road again. The trail goes up after leaving Golinhac, but soon levels out. It is a mixture of forest track and roads. The forest tracks are OK, but the roads allow views of the countryside.
There were quite a few walkers, and we all seemed to be heading directly towards Espeyrac, About 1km before that village, a garden arrangement told me that I was close, and sure enough, I soon caught my first view of Espeyrac through the trees. Espeyrac is 8.5 km from Golinhac, and I reached it after just over two hours of walking, so my expectation of an average pace of 4km per hour was about right. Espeyrac is a village that hangs onto the hillside, with narrow streets, and few cars. It is a pleasant little place, and offered a chance to rest for a little while before going on.
Overall, the trail descends between golinhac and Espeyrac, but on leaving the village it crosses a stream and starts to ascend again. Nevertheless, despite the ascent, it took just over 30 minutes to reach Senergues. Senergues is a smaller village than Espeyrac, and not as interesting, or as photogenic.
After Senergues, the trail continued on upwards and westwards. It was a steady slog, mostly along the road, but occasionally on tracks. The roads allowed good views, as good as in the early morning. And so I came after 6km to Saint Marcel. There are signs from 700metres before this hamlet telling walkers that it has a public toilet and a supply of potable water. That combination makes it a popular resting point for walkers. The church there is dedicated to Saint Marcel, a pope who was martyred in 309AD. Put the connection to Saint james is evident in the three scallop shells in the fanlight over the church door.
And then it was on again. At first, the route from Saint Marcel is level, but then it descends quickly to reach Conques. Conques is a historic town, with the cathedral dedicated to Sainte Foy in its centre. Like Espeyrac, the town clings to the mountainside, and its historic nature means that most streets are only suitable for pedestrian traffic. It is a tourist attraction, and has many artisan shops to supply the need for high class souvenirs. It started raining not long after I arrived in the town, so I escaped the rain on the route, but not for walking around twon.
I am staying in Conques tonight, and will go on from here in the orning. A good dinner ahs me well rested, and I hope for better weather in the morning.
And the step count for today was 38390.
Walkingman 