Planning

Well I have been wondering what to do next Compostelle-wise.  After walking from Le Puy-en-Velay to Saint Jean Pied-de-Port, I have been considering many options.  I ordered the Miam Miam Dodo for the so-called Voie d'Arles because I understood that there were fewer walkers, hence fewer places to stay, and was worried about distances between them. This guidebook will enable me to have a much better picture of actual availability of gîtes, as the online sources I have found have been rather scanty in information. For those unfamiliar with the Miam Miam Dodo guides, they are a series of guidebooks with maps of the route in question, indicating places to stay and eat along several heavily traveled Grandes Randonnées in France.  Having seen wonderful photos, YouTube videos and having heard positive things about this route, it is now under serious consideration for me walking at least a portion of it.

Also known as the GR653, this modern hiking trail is actually a combination of ancient routes, Arles being along the old route to Rome, combined with the route of St. Gilles, the 7th century hermit saint from Athens whose tomb is in Provence, and the route to St. Jacques de Compostelle from Toulouse, the Via Tolosana. Another southern variant further along the way is the  Voie du Piémont Pyrénéen, the GR78, which I encountered at the very end of my walk last fall into St-Jean Pied-de-Port from St. Jean le-Vieux. It is becoming increasingly popular because it passes through Carcassonne, St-Bertrand-de-Comminges, Lourdes and Oloron.

I've just finished Edwin Mullins' The Four Roads to Heaven : France and the Santiago Pilgrimage which highlights parts of the route.  He writes so well, and gives so much historical background to the whole Santiago Pilgrimage that it was sheer pleasure to read. Mullins has also drawn me into appreciating a route that I might not have considered otherwise.  According to him, of the four French routes, that from Arles has been one most frequented historically by Santiago pilgrims, with many pilgrims coming from northern Italy and Eastern Europe.  The climate may have been a factor, and Provence was an area rich in both history and legends, with many shrines to be visited along the way, so this would make sense.

Writing as an art historian, the architecture and works of art are certainly highlighted, but he seems to capture the spirit of the times as well.

The Arles route is one of the four medieval routes described by Aimery Picaud in his 12th century pilgrim's guide, the Codex Calixtinus.  It was likely the busiest route during the Middle Ages also because of two-way traffic: pilgrims coming from Southern and Eastern Europe and northern Italy heading for Santiago, but also those coming from Spain, Portugal, and France traveling to Rome.  Its alternate name, the Via Tolosana, is derived from that of its most famous city, Toulouse.

There is also a newly formed Via Tolosana Facebook group, started by Gerard Zegers, from the Via Podiensis group, as he is planning on walking the route in reverse, starting from Puenta la Reina. Someone posted an elevation map which doesn't look too bad except for the Col du Somport (no surprise there) and the Haut--Languedoc (between St-Gervais-sur-Mare and Castres).

Since I'm in Paris for a few days, I also went ahead and bought a copy of the Lepère guide for La Via Tolosana which was on sale for only EUR 10. My first impression is that it seems scant on places to stay but has maps and descriptive information lacking in the Miam Miam Dodo series which makes it a welcome addition.  On the other hand, the print is extremely small, so I don't know how much good it will be without a magnifying glass...

Also while in Paris I visited the Decathlon store which specializes in relatively inexpensive sporting goods--clothing, equipment, etc. and checked out their hiking attire and accoutrements... I didn't see anything particularly noteworthy--I tried on some shoes and decided the Merrells fit me best (which are an American footwear and likely cheaper in the U.S.), and although I did like one type of (French) hiking pant, they were similar to a pair I already own so I didn't spend any money on that outing... The reason for the trip was a scheduled hike in the Bois d'Arcy forest on Saturday with a Paris Meet-up group.  I decided to just go with what I had with me even though I really didn't bring any special hiking gear.

After some research, however, the following day I decided the Merrells were actually a good buy and went back and got them. I then tried them out in the Coulée Verte Réné Dumont (Promenade Plantée) to see how they performed.  I think I like my old German Hanwags better but these were quite comfy and the coral accents perfect for my latest hiking togs.

 

And it was a lovely day.  There were hints of spring, even though it wasn't in full blossom yet.

In addition to Decathlon, I have also discovered Go Sport, another sports gear chain in Paris with relatively reasonably priced athletic clothing...  I will have to check them out again in the fall just before I set out on my next trek...  Le Coq Sportif and Au Vieux Campeur being a tad overpriced for my needs...