I was gifted with one of those mornings that compels one to be an environmentalist. The sky was clear and what I saw were compositions and the dazzling colors that the images below didn’t capture in their fullest. No pollution to spoil the scene.
Imagine eating breakfast with this canvas before your eyes. We feasted on the best baguette yet; the same could be said of the chocolate croissant. The sunrise enhanced the moment.
As we walked through the village of Golinhac, another representation of a pilgrim was in the town square. I am sure that these pilgrims saw many beautiful skies throughout their journeys.
We crossed a foot bridge and felt that we were in a primeval forest. What a contrast to the Aubrac plateau from days before.
Our first break was in Espeyrac. As we ordered our drinks, a ceramic statue of a French Bulldog sitting on the counter caught my eye. Moments later a real one peered at us from behind the front door while we sat a table outside. We had a good laugh about his expression. I could not coax him to come to us.
When one walks these multi-day hikes, you come to recognize people who are in the same stage as you are. We saw Vincent, 64, and Patrick, 62 (French, not Irish) who have showed up everyday since Le Puy. They called out to me from their resting spot today on day 10. They will be finishing up in Figeac in two days.
The descent into Conques was steep and rocky. Regular sneakers would not have provided the ankle support to prevent twists or more serious injuries. Even in the village, we were careful because of the steep inclines and cobblestone streets.
The center of it all is the magnificent Romanesque cathedral which was built between 1045-1120. Its tympanum of the Last Judgment is one of most treasured art works from the period. I liked the devilish characters on the right — try out Hieronymus Bosch from late 15th-16th century for more ghoulish representations of the dark side.
Also striking is the interior height of the cathedral without the use of the flying buttresses of the Gothic churches. The stone masons of the times were probably the most revered craftsmen because they produced the major structures of the times especially the religious ones.
To end the day and what caused the delay in publishing this day’s blog was our dinner at the one-star Michelin restaurant, Émilie & Thomas. Our dinner started at 7:30 with our amuse-bouche served on the patio along with our pre-dinner drinks. I tried a Negroni Verde – with no Campari but with Chartreuse. I have to find the recipe for that drink. Magnifique! Our dinner ended at 11. I provided images below of the dishes. We shared a white and red wine from Aveyron, the wine region the includes Conques.
It was Monique’s last day on the road. We made several toasts to her during dinner. Her fluent French helped us along the Chemin.
Inside, we were treated to dishes that were refined and whose flavors burst out. The three types of bread (not pictured) were some the most tasty that I have ever had with a crunchy crust and medium to firm inside. I tried all three! I did not include an image of the cheeses — only three modest portions — nor the petit fours at the very end. Had to condense somewhere,
We walked home in the dark with help from Jeff’s iPhone flashlight. The walk included going up the steep streets of Conques in complete darkness. We were as quiet as we could be. At the main street where our hotel was located, we were rewarded with the Conques Csthedral bathe in lights.
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