The End??

Day 18 - Saturday, 12 October 2024 - Vers to Cahors. ~16klms, total ~350.3.klms

I have to say that, especially compared to the previous day, but in its own right all the same, the walk into Cahors from Vers was underwhelming. I think that part of that is psychological; one sets one's mind for an "easy" day, however defined, and then the reality of the day does not match that nebulous expectation. Sure, the walk along the banks of Le Lot had its interesting moments, but after a while the river just becomes the river, and there's only so many kilometres of market and community gardens in which one's interest can remain riveted. I'm being a little churlish of course, perhaps a symptom of reaching the end.

Ahh, the end. This was Janet's and my 4th long distance walk (the Camino Frances, 800 klms, 2015; the Camino Portuguese, 300 klms, 2018; the Via de la Plata, 1,000 klms, 2023; and now this one, at around 350 klms). I'm going to write more about the similarities and differences in coming days, along with some "lessons learned" commentary. But for now I'll simply reflect that I don't see me/us doing any more of these big walks. The other night Janet was re-reading a post I had written this time last year as we got close to entering Santiago at the end of last year's 1,000 klm stroll, and apparently I had said at the time that that was it, there'd been no more very long distance walks, and maybe only 3/400 klm ones. Well I obviously forgot that when I planned this walk, although the reality of this trip actually matches that 12-month old prediction. But all those semantics aside, I think that this is indeed "the end".

On balance it's been a very good 18 days. Much tougher than I expected, but very interesting. More on this later ...

Last night's hotel was excellent. Best yet??? On arrival last night there had been a slight mix up on the rooms which fortuitously resulted in J and I having a lovely riverside room. A beautiful end. And the meal at the restaurant was superb in all respects. Best yet???

Leaving Vers

Another disused train bridge, the easy way to cross Le Lot

The engineered "weirs" all along Le Lot (if that's what they are) and their associated "locks" are quite fascinating. The weirs slow the flow of the water and provide a smooth and still upstream zone. How they were able to be constructed amazes me.

And lastly an automated lock cleaning machine:

In previous blogs I've written about the network of A/E highways which criss-cross Europe. Even as we wander slowly along carrying three weeks' possessions on our backs they are a reminder of the wider commercial world around us. Here the A20/E9:

Approaching Cahors, not quite in true time order ...

Helen in the bamboo forest!!

Following a necessary but unwelcome 3 klm walk to the other end of town, Trish and I retrieved our luggage (Janet's and my bags had last been seen in Le Puy, and the transfer system had worked a treat, despite a bit of apprehension on my part) and we returned to our quirky 4-level townhouse (5 if one counts the cellar). Tomorrow (Sunday) is a washing/packing/beard-removal/exploring day.

A scene from the Rue du Maréchal Joffre in central Cahors to conclude: