Category Archives: Camino Le Puy (Chemin du Puy)

The Chapel in the Middle of Nowhere

Small and weathered, with tiles missing from the roof and patches of stone visible in the thick, unadorned walls, it didn’t look like anyone had visited, let alone worshiped here, for centuries. Yet of course it was unlocked.

Conques, Theme Park of the Middle Ages

One of the most famous stops of the Chemin du Puy, the Way of Saint James from Le Puy to Saint Jean Pied de Port, is in Conques. For many pilgrims, this is a high point of the trip. Our experience was not quite the same. Here’s an excerpt from the book-in-progress

5 Unforgettable Gites on France’s Chemin du Puy

A few weeks ago I shared my five favorite albergues on the Camino Frances, the path from Saint Jean Pied de Port to Santiago. But that only covers half of my Camino. Now I want to step back and look at the five most unforgettable gites of the Chemin du Puy, the Camino route fromContinue reading “5 Unforgettable Gites on France’s Chemin du Puy”

Radio Camino

A few days into our Camino, as my feet were slowly, finally, maybe starting to adjust to long days and the extra weight of a pack, Eric’s turned against him. His shoes cut awkwardly into his Achilles tendon, causing pain. So he switched to sandals, but those caused a dreaded ampoule—a blister. Wearing his sneakersContinue reading “Radio Camino”

Spend 3 Minutes on the Chemin du Puy

If you leave from Le Puy, this is what you’ll see in your first two weeks of walking, including France’s most beautiful villages” of Saint Come d’Holt, Espalion, Estaing, and Conques, and the stunning high plateau pastures of L’Aubrac.

Saint Roch: The Burlesque Saint of Bad Knees and (Maybe) Pilgrims

If you venture into the churches and cathedrals of the Camino, you’ll notice a lot of saints. One is dressed as a pilgrim, with a cloak and a floppy hat and often even the scallop shell of Saint James. But he’s not Saint James. You can tell because this particular saint is always standing a certain way.

“Am I a Pilgrim Wimp?”

I’ve been getting serious again about the book, and have (finally) been making some progress. Here’s a bit of Chapter Three, still tracing the early days of our walk from Le Puy. I felt good that night, surrounded by a people from all corners of the globe, enjoying the wine, feeling secure that my basicContinue reading ““Am I a Pilgrim Wimp?””