After a fantastic tour in eastern Europe, I am heading west.
Hiking in France! My first stop is at La Chambre.
Mountain village, La Chambre
La Chambre is a beautiful French mountain village with an official camper spot. From here you can walk several hiking trails into the mountains. I am warned to stay on the trails and wear bright colors (the dog too) because of the hunting season. I decide to stay a little lower to the river and not take any risks.
Lac de Grangent
The weather is still pleasant at the end of September and many people relax by the lake or on the terrace. We walk a walking path along the lake and meet groups of Geocachers. The route continues through the forest, a village, past a small church and purple lavender in the garden. One lap is too far, so we walk back the same route.
Camino town, Le Puy-en-Velay
This town has been on my wish list for a long time! The church on the mountain is stunning and so is the city. Streets with clotheslines full of white underpants?
A real Camino town, so nice! I look at the large cathedral from the inside, Leo waits outside. The city is nice and full of terraces, I enjoy coffee on the terrace and am completely satisfied with this extensive morning walk.
Lac du Bouchet
The route to Lac du Bouchet is very nice, how wonderful to tour around here. It is a volcanic lake and is located at an altitude of 1200 meters. We walk near the lake and through the forest, a very beautiful and quiet place. It’s cold at night, brrr heating on!
Another lap in the morning, that fresh wind feels wonderful, just like winter. I drive on again because it is too cold for us. The surroundings are absolutely amazing! I’m not the only one who thinks this way, because I also see many other campers.
In La Bastide-Puylaurent we even appear to be parked on the camino route. Super! We walk towards the next village of Le Thort and back.
La Garde Guerin gorge
Ik is possible to spend the night in the parking lot at this gorge, great. The surroundings and the gorge are fantastically beautiful! I meet Leo & Margreth from the Netherlands, what a lovely people. In the morning, Leo and I walk to the medieval village on the other side and then along the walking path towards Lac Villefort with a view of the lake.
From the parking lot you can choose various walking routes, usually with a view of the gorge, it is really stunning! After all the walks I treat myself to white wine with French cheese, this is the French way 🙂
In Anduze I park in the parking lot next to the bamboo forest. We hike to the village of Anduze and again on the camino to Santiago! We also walk the Viaduct path near the villages of Arre and Bez with two illuminated tunnels, a beautiful setting.
French village Alzon
There is a camper place in the small village of Alzon, a typical French village! Walking and afterwards a coffee and croissant on the terrace. It is a wonderful start to the day.
Montpeyroux GR 653
The fantastic mountain route from Alzon to Montpeyroux is highly recommended. Driving is just as much fun as walking! We are close to Chemin st. Jacques to Santiago, GR653 so of course we walk part of this route. Between the vineyards and through small villages, I love it!
Casteil in the Pyrenees
Casteil is a friendly village in the Pyrenees. The walking route goes up the mountain to the church and the monastery, a steep climb with amazing views.
Pyrenees
We head towards Spain via the Pyrenees.
The road through the Pyrenees is so beautiful, what a pleasure to drive here!
Old town Mont-Louis
I stop at the old city with its city wall, Mont-Louis, which is so nice that I also stay the night. We are parked in the drained canal of the old city, that’s interesting!
The route from Italy to Spain that I drove was partly inspired by the location of the walking routes/caminos to Santiago de Compostela. There is still a lot of beautiful things to see in this area, but I am on my way to Spain, so I will save that for the next time!
Would you like to read my blog about the Spanish Pyrenees? Please click on this link! https://www.marianaroundtheworld.com/en/europe/spanish-pyrenees/
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