Pilgrim's Progress – Long Distance Walks in Europe and the UK

The wheel is come full circle

Shakespeare – King Lear

35 years ago I limped into Cahors, my feet a blistered mess. I had come nowhere near meeting my objective of walking all the way to the Pyrennees. I crossed the historic bridge, made straight for the train station and hot footed it back to the UK.

35 years later, earlier today, I reached Cahors, the final stage of my walk from Cluny. The world has turned full circle. Once again I’d failed to reach my original objective – the medieval bridge at Avignon. But there were important differences to my previous visit to the capital of Quercy – not a blister in sight and no real regrets about not having reached Avignon. Sometimes fate intervenes and you have to adapt. The Chemin Urbain V can wait until another day.

With a long day ahead, I was out of the door and heading towards Cahors by the time it was barely 7am. I had been joined at breakfast by several bleary eyed walkers whose night had been disrupted by a number of heavy snorers in the dormitory. Thankfully my ear plugs had given me a night of uninterupted slumber.

As I headed out of the door, I noticed that the mercury was in single figures. Hardly the sort of temperatures you’d expect in the south of France at the end of May.

If I am being brutally honest, today wasn’t the most interesting of days. The countryside was largely obscured by trees, and the few villages the GR65 passed through were unspectacular.

I passed a tea room adorned with flags of the world and a slightly incongruous shrine to Johnny Halliday, but that was about the acme of the day’s excitement.

At least the sun was high in the sky and the walking was fairly straightforward with hardly any arduous ascents and descents.

Even Cahors was a bit of an anti- climax. This time I didn’t cross the medieval bridge and the gite was a bit of a dive, run by a seedy looking chap who didn’t seem in the least bit glad to see me and barely said a word as he escorted me to my bedroom. Supper wasn’t available for me, although I noticed that places had been set for 8 as I headed out of the door in search of a pizza!

There is no doubt that the Chemin de St Jacques (GR65) has changed out of all recognition since I walked it 35 years ago. 50,000 pilgrims head out of Le Puy every year. I’d be surprised if it was more than 500 a year 35 years ago. Sadly a lot of the magic has been lost and I’m convinced that in the intervening years, the route of the GR65 has been considerably altered.

But having said all that and despite the patchy weather, I had a great time, met some lovely people and walked almost 700km through a beautiful part of France.

Thanks to all those who followed my progress and took the time to read my idiosyncratic ramblings.

The biggest thanks must go to Olivia for holding the fort and dealing with all the dramas that have happened over the last week.

Walking the pilgrim routes of France has been an uplifting and inspiring experience. I’m not sure where I’ll be heading off to next, but for the moment it’s time to hang up my boots and bid you all adieu!