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16 September 2026 - St. Chély

Last night on the couch I stayed up too late reading, so I didn't break camp until 7:30 this morning. My clothes sadly were not dry either, so now I have a couple plastic bags of wet clothes in my backpack. I said goodbye to everyone and headed out into the cold morning. Much of my morning walk was through heathlands over 1200 meters. The small granite stone huts dotting the countryside are called buron and traditionally used for making cheese. I stopped for a short break in Montgros, but the cold wind blowing against my sweaty clothes was somewhat less than comfortable.

Around 10AM I strolled into Nasbinals, visited the cathedral, gave coins to a beggar, shopped for some groceries, visited the ATM, and then found a café. And who was in the café but Caroline! So we had a little chat before I got my morning coffee and sat down to work. For lunch I had a transformative experience. I had aligot for the first time with my bœuf stew. I have been making inferior mashed potatoes my whole life. When I get home I must learn how to make it. While I spent the many hours in the café, the rains also came and went. So when I headed out in the late afternoon the weather was cold instead of hot. Along the way to Aubrac I crossed out of Lozère and into Aveyron. And talked to some local farmers who were also out for a walk. The red dirt underfoot is a reminder that this region was also once volcanic. I reached Aubrac on the hillside overlooking the valley around 5PM and stopped to read and have a couple beers. Then began the long descent to Saint-Chély-d'Aubrac. Dropping 400 meters the weather got warmer and the heathlands turned into forest. I reached the town after 8 and stopped to buy a bottle of wine for the night. Then I headed up the hill on the other side of the creek to find a place to camp. The clocktower in town tolled 9 as I finished setting up my tent. It's still wet from the morning dew and I have those two bags of wet clothes as well, but it's a beautiful evening. The sky was clear by now, and the light levels low enough that I could see many stars.