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LE PUY - MOISSAC

France, Via Podiensis

Monistrol to La Clauze

24th September 2021

Climbing up from Monistrol up onto the plateau and on to La Clauze

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Chapelle Saint Jacques de Rochegude


After our host took the obligatory photo of us by the Eiffel bridge, we set off through the town and steeply up to the Chapel of Madeleine, built into the cliff high above the river. Once we had climbed out of the river gorge, we had some rolling countryside to cross to our destination for the night, La Clauze, itself fairly isolated, but well worth it! We were heading into the area of the (in)famous beast of Gevaudan, and soon the signs started to appear, warning tourists of impending souvenir shops. This was also the day where we first met some other features of the area that kept cropping up - an open stall for shoeing bullocks, and a local delicacy made of mashed potatoes and melted cheese, which each host in the following days insisted we should try. Again. And again. (Although this wasn't the real Aligot, this was a simplified version) We also met sheepdogs disguised as sheep, trained to warn off pilgrims, and a selection of interesting statues. Saugues, a former 12th century stronghold, was also well worth a visit, being the traditional meeting point for pilgrims coming from Auvergne. As with many places in the area, it had a "Tour des Anglais", a square keep dating back to the Hundred Years War, as a defence against hordes of pillaging 13th century English tourists.


Pilgrim stamps


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Map of route

Our route



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