We have been in Europe for two weeks, mostly visiting friends and family in the Netherlands and enjoying unusually warm and sunny weather. Last Sunday we went by train from Amsterdam to Le Puy en Velay in France, about 100 km southwest of Lyon, to begin a 30-day walk to St. Jean Pied de Porte on the Spanish border. It is an old pilgrimage walk commonly known as the le Puy Camino and also one of French the Grande Randonnée walks, the GR65.
We plan to do a few short blog posts as we go and later do a more complete post.
Today is day four of walking. The image at the top of this post was taken on the first day of the walk—a quiet country road on a warm, overcast day. How the weather has changed! The endless warm sunshine of the Netherlands continued on our first day in France, changed to cooler overcast weather on the first day of walking and now has become abnormal cold and snow!
The cold is widespread in Europe and will be with us for the next few days. In spite of the cold, we are enjoying the walk. It feels great to be on a long walk again. This part of France, the Massif Central, is a scenic mix of forest, farmland and small towns with lots of climbing and descending. As it is early in the season, it is quiet on the trail but we’ve met a few other walkers and had some pleasant evenings talking over dinner. Here are a few more photos from the last four days—
Wish I was there too! Snow pic is great. Have fun
Wow …Already quite the weather adventure!! …you both are so well seasoned, I am sure you have layers for every climate!! Are you seeing many other walkers?…is this considered the quiet time..or is it the shoulder season?!! Hope your feet are dry and your pack is light!!
Cheers,
Anne
I’m looking forward to seeing more photos of your adventure.
Blake
Dear Inge and Roy, I am happy to see you guys on your wonderful adventure in Europe! Thank you for sharing your journey, I feel like being there with you 🙂 Sending you a big hugs with a hope to get you more warm. Wishing you a good luck. And no more snow 🙂 Your friends from UBC.
I’m so happy to see you out and exploring! I’m looking forward to following your adventure.
Thank you for sharing your stories and photos. It’s a vicarious adventure for me.
wow – so jealous – looking good you two adventurers! wish I was there – especially when the weather gets warmer for you – formidable!
you are missing nothing here in Vancouver – wet and cool temps expected for all of April – for now the weatherman is correct in his forecasting!
Happy Trails xoxo S
Bonjour mes amis!
Thank you for including me on your mailing list. Looking forward to many more photos and “insightful commentary”. Happy trails, J
How wonderful to hear from you. Yes, such weather changes, but it looks like you are well equipped for anything. You’re such seasoned walkers. Always love the photos.
As always – a joy to read and savour via beautiful shots of immense life.
With love,
Gwendolyn
Leuk om jullie weer zo te mogen volgen op deze prachtige route van oude wegen en mooie Romaanse stadjes veel plezier en geniet!
It looks like a fabulous trip. Well done you guys!! K & M
Greetings from home. Inge, I guess we won’t be meeting for coffee anytime soon! Wishing you fair weather and easy walking. Cheers, Carol
That is 2 for 1: Winter wonderland AND spring time. Awesome. Have a great time and stay healthy.
I love reading about your travels. Perhaps I should have done more walking during my Europe days!
Keep well and walking.
MJ
So great to hear that you’re on your way and to see the photos! Sorry to hear you’re walking in the snow but I guess the weather can be very unpredictable this time of year. Stay safe and stay warm.
I’ve yet to meet two more intrepid souls. If you haven’t seen them yet, the Hollywood cows of the Aumont Aubrac await, unless they have not been released to their spring/summer pasture yet. Will follow your adventure with keen interest
Bringing back some wonderful memories. Must still be pretty early on the central massif. Hope you have a wonderful journey!
oh such fun – I loved doing that route! Send more pictures!
Awesome! Thank you so much for sharing. Have a great time guys!
Thanks for the news and photos. Great that the trip has started so well despite the significant change in the weather. The Spanish news reported snow in Navarre and chaos on the roads there! Happy walking! I’m very envious!
Oh so good to see you enjoying your trip!
I was just thinking about you both and wondering why it had been awhile since I had heard from you. What a wonderful journey you are both on, and I hope the weather improves to brisk and sunny.