CONQUES

We are in Conques, on the list of one of the most beautiful villages in France.  Arrived yesterday afternoon and wiil spend two nights here, giving us a chance to wander the streets today wearing sandals and no packs.

Conques is an amazing village from the middle ages and pilgrims have been welcomed here since the 11th century.  It's so enchanting, tall stone buildings with shuttered windows and slated roofs lining the narrow steep streets.

It is now day 11 and walking into Conques we knotched up 200km.  My blister is fine, caught it in time and have kept it wrapped in wool and tape.  We are all charged up again having purchased a new USB charger in Espalion, a larger town we walked through a few days ago.

WiFi is very difficult to obtain in these isolated villages and I am typing this in a noisy Tourist Information Office, the only place in town where WiFi is available.

We are finding this walk much harder than the Spanish Camino, and everyone who has walked in Spain agrees. The terrain here is very hilly and we are climbing and descending all the time, which makes for difficult conditions at times but also gives spectacular views across the countryside.

We have walked in all conditions over the past 10 days. We've experienced freezing cold, driving rain, drizzling rain, sunshine, and fog.  We've had to wear full wet weather gear several times and haved walked with our sleeves rolled up when it has been warm.  

One day driving rain found a way through our gortex jackets and we had water inside our packs. We were freezing cold and had been walking in mud that at times covered our boot laces. That was the day our 22km walk down the side of a mountain turned into an 8km walk and a 16km taxi ride to that days destination. Our Aussie friends Sandi and Karla joined us in the taxi.

The track is extremely well marked so we haven't yet lost our way.  The track is also varied with sections of good gravel tracks, farm roads which are often muddy, and stretches of bitumen road.  The steep dirt tracks that lead up and down the mountain sides are often poorly maintained. Exposed rocks, tree roots and bad erosion make for challanging conditions.  These tracks are extremely slippery when wet and then there have been some really beautiful sections through forest where the moss covered trees and rock walls glow almost irradescent green from the rain.

Tomorrow we set out for Decazeville, a 20km walk classed as a hard 7 hour trek.  Best we set out early.  We'll post some photos when we get back to the hotel via the phone.