Day 9: Gentiane (105 km) to Aubrac (123 km)

May 20  Gentiane (1192 m) to Aubrac (1307 m)

Annie:  Last night Dave was in a lot of pain with his blisters, so we weren’t sure we would be able to continue.  But in the morning he was ready to go!  Another cool morning, windy and foggy, so on with the rain gear.  The French couple next to us at dinner last night (Michel et Micheline) are also going to Aubrac, which made me feel better, since our Dutch friends had judged the distance “too far.”

Dave: Today we walked to Aubrac through what we later learned was a wind storm, which had started the day before.   It was initially cold and cloudy as we walked through the little town of Fineyrols (where we saw a sign requesting that pilgrims raise their walking sticks – I guess the click clack click drives the Fineyrolians crazy!). There were several visible clumps of pilgrims, ahead and behind us, as we turned off the D road onto a winding path similar to the ones we took yesterday, through grazing fields where we saw some spectacular rock formations. 

 Soon it cleared. We crossed the “pilgrim bridge” and then made our way toward Nasbinals.

Annie:  Walking to Nasbinals, we had plenty of views of the vache d’Aubrac.  In one small town, we saw a man driving – literally, he was in a car – his herd to another field; the cows with their calves broke into a dignified trot in front as the car pursued them. 

Outside the eglise in Nasbinals

Inside the eglise in Nasbinals --St James

Dave: We decided to eat our main meal in Nasbinals, since the gite in Aubrac has no meal. Waiting for a restaurant to open at 12pm, we had coffee in a little Bar Tabac next to the beautiful eglise. Annie said that the song the friendly owner/bar maid was singing along to (Florent Pagny, "Chatelet Les Halles") was a big hit a few years back. Dinner was tasty – salade nicoise for me (yummy!), an omelet for Annie. Then we were off again.

We followed the D road for a bit and then veered off on a broad gravel tree-lined road. We took another D road and then made an abrupt right onto a narrow rutted path that cut through rolling grazing land. This path curved around, taking us higher and higher through a series of huge, desolate grazing fields, stretching as far as the eye could see.

A group of school kids

At one point we passed a group of disabled kids guided by three or four adults, on some kind of field trip. 

We pushed into the strong wind, which continued to howl away. Feeling, by turns, exhilarated and fatigued as the afternoon wore on. We walked through a series of cattle stiles again, struggling to open and close them. 

The sky began to clear.  I saw four tiny figures at the crest of a hill, well over a km ahead, silhouetted against the sky. That’s where we were heading! Surely Aubrac would be over that hill!   I secretly feared that the walk would continue evermore. At last we reached the crest and cheered as we saw the sign for “Aubrac,” which appeared in the distance, with its medieval church tower, looking like some enchanted town out of Lord of the Rings. As we approached, around 4:00pm, we looked for our gite. 

Annie: The “Royal Aubrac” is an odd-looking place – a sort of motor inn in back of a building that looks like a run-down loony bin.  No luxury accommodations, but a nice hot shower.  We then went into the town, which was a bit disappointing – not very lively, more like a museum town.  And no bakery!  We were lucky to find a bottle of wine and almond cookies at the touristy Maison d’Aubrac, and feasted on the sausage and cheese we bought in Nasbinals, along with the rest of our nuts and an apple.  A very early night for two tired pèlerins!