Our Moveable Feats

September 17, 2024

Saint-Côme-d’Olt -> Estaing

Like the peak of these Romanesque bridges, we are at the mid-point of this trek, where the currents run swift and mindless.

We broke fast in monastic fashion, then set out, readily giving in to the ‘low road of temptation’ along the Lot river, to save our legs for later glory.

Whereas St. Côme is a calm and appealing PBV ^TM, Espalion is all smooth glamour. Its imposing Renaissance-era Palais de Justice, with its stuck-on turrets and mosaic of brickwork, soars from the Lot as we approach via an easy plane-tree park. Cool tanner’s platforms, too.

Cafés and eatables obtained, it was back onto the chemin, for some varied terrain, under/over the escarpments of the area – les causses. We had a peaceful, airy break for our souls and soles, refreshed with cemetery water.

The last push, via an open expanse, then a rude, crumbly spike, delivered us into Estaing… as if we weren’t PBV^TM’d-out, this place… no words (for once 😉 )

Too spent to wait for 1900, we went subversive, having pizza and a pichet de rouge.

*PBV = Plus Beau Village, a French designation for small, precious towns.