Day 8: St. Come d'Olt to Estaing via Espalion, France

This was going to be a big day. Not mileage-wise but the walk would lead through quite a few interesting areas on the way to Estaing. Dragged the suitcases down three flights of stairs... I wish someone would please explain why we are always on the 3rd floor. Going down is a million times easier than going up and I have it down to a science. Turn your suitcase on it's side...hang on to the railing for dear life...and slide it down each flight.

Reading the topographic map and trip notes, I noticed a choice on today's route. Through a muddy forest or bypassing that section by sticking to a lower road. Easy decision. Definitely enough mud yesterday, we'd stick to the road. Across the river with one backward glance at St. Come d'Olt and my tired feet took their first steps on another 17 kms/10.5 miles to Estaing. It was a shame we couldn't have spent a little more time exploring this medieval town with very few modern buildings. "Olt" is the old name for the river Lot. The 16th-century church of Stes. Come and Damien had a twisted spire, unusual and difficult to photograph, said to resemble the shape of a flaming torch. St. Come d'Olt also had historical information on street plaques and a walking tour available from the Tourist Office, but, no time...

St. Come d'Olt

A brief pause to admire a local's green vegetable garden...watch a mother cow with her baby...and a little further on, Eglise de Perse, ...View image...a church built in the 11-12th century and dedicated to Charlemagne's confessor. Stopped to look but didn't go in and kept on going until we came to Espalion.

growing vegetables outside St. Come d'Olt

Espalion (pop: 4,360), was gigantic compared to the little 400-600 person towns we'd stayed in. It is on the Lot River and the first thing you saw approaching was the Vieux Palais, once the residence of Espalion's governors from 1572.

Vieux Palais, Espalion

There were many timber-balconied buildings, the Pont Vieux (Espalion's 11th century bridge), boulangeries, patisseries, little hotels, and a statue of a Pilgrim in the Lot River.

Sheila on the Pont Vieux, Espalion

Pilgrim statue in the Lot River, Espalion

In one side of town and out the other...colorful wildflowers growing out of the ancient stone...View image...old houses on the other side of the Lot River...

old buildings along the Lot River

The very large Chateau de Calmont d'Olt was closer to Espalion than St. Come d'Olt but we still weren't going to climb to visit. If you ever come this way, the Chateau is 1000 years old with lower fortified walls, eight towers and 32 arrow slits. The Chateau also has an exhibition on war in the Middle Ages with working models of catapults. It really would have been interesting to visit.

Chateau de Calmont d'Olt

Still on the trail to Estaing was St. Pierre-de-Bessuejouls, a little 16th century church with an unusual chapel beneath its 11th century belltower. St. Pierre-de-Bessuejouls is one of the oldest churches on the route.

St. Pierre-de-Bessuejouls

We managed to arrive right before a tour bus and climbed up some tiny, worn and narrow stone stairs to look at the Chapel of pink sandstone decorated with Maltese crosses. This Chapel of St. Pierre-de-Bessuejouls is also famous for its 9th century altar carved with Archangels and St. Michael slaying a dragon...