Date: Monday, 28 April 2025
Day: 1
From: Le Puy en Velay To: St Privat d’Allier
Start Walking: 814am End Walking: 355pm
Distance (Planned): 23.5km Distance (Garmin): 24.2km
Progress: 24.2/765km
Ascent: 641m Descent: 423m
Weather: High cloud, humid and hazy in the morning, then trying to out-walk rain late in the day.
Stayed At: Accueil Randonneurs
General Comments:
• Sorry if I appear to be a bit slack on the blogging front. It’s been a tad busy! We are definitely still finding our walking legs and by the time we get to our accommodation, it has been shower and flop! Even I have been struggling to string a sentence together, let alone try to get my thoughts into any sort of remotely sensible order for a blog post, but I am determined to try to rectify that today.
• So, Day 1 was a biggun’. Big on excitement, nerves and a few descent ascents and descents to make us truly understand what we have committed to. The crowd of walkers was equally big and it was rare to look ahead or behind and not see people strolling along the trail.
• The day started with a Pilgrim Mass at the Cathedral in Le Puy and, while we are not Catholics it was a nice bit of pomp and ceremony to start us on our way. Needless to say it was all in French and we didn’t understand a word, instead we just stood when everyone stood and sat at the appropriate time. The kicker came when a fabulous grate opened in the floor to reveal steps leading out of the Cathedral and we were off!
• Us and about 300 of our closest French-speaking friends! This path is very popular with the locals.
• The landscape in this region is simply stunning. All rolling hills with lush green paddocks that are so very green it almost makes your eyes water. It’s a lovely change after dry ol’ Aus.
• It had been a perfect, but hard walking day and the weather had been kind all day until the last hour or so. Clouds built up, there was thunder and lightning, and down came the rain! Now we know why it is so green around here!
Top Tips:
• If you are walking on a Monday, plan ahead as many/most shops close in France on Mondays. We loaded up with bakery goods (of course) before leaving Le Puy and enjoyed pique niques along the way. As did most of the French walkers.
• Signage is excellent, including plentiful red and white blazes indicating the GR65, plus yellow directional signs with distances to the next main village etc.
• There are also a substantial number of public toilets, picnic benches, seats and garbage bins. It’s all incredibly civilized! I like it!😁
Bon chemin!
Life...one big adventure 
This looks really beautiful.
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Incredibly beautiful. We are very lucky.
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yah ! I am happy to read that you are on my fav Camino !!! I don’t think I would like to blog and walk. too much fun and not enough time but I appreciate that you want to do it. Will follow you . I hope you get to speak French…or try to do it… All the French people will appreciate your effort . Bon chemin
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Yes, I am doing my best to communicate in French. I am sure I get it wrong most of the time, but I’m having fun.
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the most important thing is to have fun… learn new words along the way.
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Bien sur!🙃
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So unlike your trek to Everest! Toilets, pastries, signage! Wonderful!
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True! I hadn’t thought of it like that.😊 It’s also a darn sight warmer here!
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Sounds fantastic. Bon Chemin
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Merci beaucoup. It is very different to a Spanish Camino, but the friendship and camaraderie is definitely here.
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How lovely. Seeing Pique Nique always makes me laugh – when I was first learning French I thought it was pronounced “pee-kway, knee-kway’, so Picnics are always known as peekwaykneekways in my family 🙂
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🤣😁 too funny! I never thought of it like that. And now, it will be stuck in my mind when I see French people sitting on the side of the trail! 🙃
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“It’s all incredibly civilized” she says, followed immediately by a photo of a very muddy path 🤣
Day one done! I must feel good to be on your way again.
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🤣 I guess we all have very different definitions of what is civilised!🙃 And Yes, it feels fabulous to be on the road again. X
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Don’t worry about not getting to the blog. I refuse to blog while I travel, so I’m always amazed when others do it.
Civilized. That’s a great word for France. I admit I’m a bit jealous. Not so much of days on end of walking, but of just being in France (and the food you’re eating, mais oui).
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Playing blog catch up as we speak and Yes, there have been a few days that were less than enviable, but it is just so damn beautiful. Such a contrast to home.
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What a fabulous way to begin the day and walk! It must have been such a surprise to have the floor grate open! to usher you on your way.
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I had seen videos on YouTube of the magnificent floor opening up. It certainly did start the adventure with a bang!
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