Dave and I have been passionate Camino walkers since autumn 2015. The Via Podiensis in southern France is one of our favourite Caminos. We walked most of this beautiful route in 2023 and fell in love with its stunning countryside, charming villages, fascinating history, and the wonderful people we met along the way.

Now, three years later, I’m heading back, while Dave stays home and holds down the fort. This time I’ll be walking with three friends: Janine, Murielle, and Denise.

Want to follow our Camino journey? 🥾🇫🇷 If you haven’t already followed my new Facebook page, “Via Podiensis Encore with Friends,” please click the Facebook link at the end of this post and then click “Follow.” That way, you’ll be notified when we post updates, photos and stories from the Camino. We’d love to have you walking along with us! ❤️

We’ll begin with three nights in Lyon, giving us time to recover from jet lag and see some of the highlights of this beautiful city. Then we’ll take the train to Le Puy-en-Velay, a dramatic medieval town famous for its volcanic landscape.

Leaving the cathedral in Le Puy is, I think, one of the best beginnings to any Camino. After the 7 AM pilgrim service on August 30th, a section of the cathedral floor opens to reveal the staircase leading down through an arch, with the Camino stretching straight out in front of us. What a way to begin!

We’ll average about 16 kilometres a day, making our way through beautiful countryside and villages all the way to Figeac. We’ve booked every night, so we don’t have to worry about reaching our destination in time to find a bed. We can simply enjoy the walking, the scenery, the villages — and whatever adventures come our way!

And there will definitely be some adventures that are different from our usual Caminos. We have two opportunities to trade our hiking boots for kayaks if we want! 🛶

The first is on the Lot River, where we’ll paddle from Espalion to Estaing. A special “St.-Jacques” service means our backpacks will be transported for us, so we can simply enjoy the river and beautiful countryside and collect our packs at the end. The kayaking is supposed to be easy and relaxing rather than technical, and many pilgrims consider it an unexpected highlight of the Le Puy route.

Our second kayaking adventure will be in the Célé Valley, where we’ll paddle between Marcilhac-sur-Célé and Cabrerets. This sounds absolutely magical — limestone cliffs, forested banks, hidden beaches, little villages and even buildings built right into the rock. There are no rapids, so it’s more about quiet drifting, birds, swimming, picnicking and stopping whenever we find a beautiful spot. Perfect for beginners who don’t mind a long day on the river!

We’ll also make a side trip by train from Figeac to see spectacular Rocamadour, built dramatically into the limestone cliffs. Then Denise will say goodbye and head off on her own tour, while Janine, Murielle and I continue through the Célé Valley to Cahors.

Because we don’t have enough time to walk the entire Via Podiensis, we’ll take a train and taxi from Cahors to Navarrenx — a long journey of about five hours. This will save us enough time for something we’re really looking forward to: walking the final four days to arrive into Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on September 25th.

Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is, of course, the famous starting point for so many pilgrims walking the Camino Francés to Santiago de Compostela.

So it’s going to be a wonderful mix of walking, kayaking, trains, beautiful villages, good food, friendship and new adventures. We can hardly wait to get started! 🥾🛶🇫🇷❤️

And this time, there’s another adventure of sorts: I’m leaving my iPad Mini at home!

I’ve always taken it on Camino because it makes blogging so much easier. But this time I’m taking only my phone, so blogging may be a little more challenging — and probably a little less polished!

I’ve set up a Facebook page called Via Podiensis Encore with Friends, where we’ll share our adventures as we go. It can be viewed by people without Facebook. Just click on “Follow” to see our posts. If Facebook gives you the option, turn on notifications for the page. We’d love to have you along for the journey! ❤️

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61592977568143