Walking season is in flow on the Camino de Santiago/Chemin St. Jacques (The Way of St. James).
Picture: A winter view from the Chemin St Jacques close to us (2-minute read).
The sound of bells jingling alerted me. Two visually impaired walkers on ropes were being led by guides and a black labrador with a high-viz harness seemed to be the source of the bells. I called out “Bonjour”and tried to offer help but they were okay.
Today, I have counted four in the few hours I have been near the route. A jolly older French couple were worrying about mud. “That was last week,” I assured them.
We could see it was impassable so we went out and cleared it so the chemin (way/lane/path) could drain: there’s nothing worse than wet feet. It was good to do a kind deed that means people are happy when they are walking.
The encounters on the route can be quite memorable. I will never forget one American walker years ago who asked: “Tell me the way to Anoye.” My father thought that he had said “Hanoi” and looked confused. It caused a lot of laughs; now happy memories of last moments together.
Chemin St. Jacques: welcome to the world
Then, we didn’t know our Jean-Pierres from our Jean-Michels, let alone all the place names around here.
Anoye – not Hanoi or to annoy – is a village two small valleys away which has a pilgrim refuge for people walking the Chemin Saint-Jacques de Compostelle or simply Chemin St. Jacques (Voie d’Arles/Arles route). The Arles Chemin St Jacques is one of several walking routes through France which are ancient pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in Spain.
I took the inspiring sight of blind walkers on the route as official recognition of the opening of the 2026 walking season on the Chemin St. Jacques (Way of St James).
The champagne bottle has been smashed and the merry Ark is now sailing towards Santiago – and it means the world starts walking through our village.
Missing winter in the Pyrenees
The Chemin/Way is far from a super highway – typically a handful to a dozen of walkers each day. It starts in April and continues until the Autumn. Leave it late and crossing the mountains will be like a re-enactment of a survivor movie. Have you packed Bear Grylls? If not, stay at home.
It is not to say you have to aim high and walk 855km (from here to Santiago de Compostela) there are lovely circuits and local walks all around the Madiran Vic-Bilh. And a world of walks awaits you in the mountains, from novice to advanced, accessible by car for day trips.
Alongside the long-distance super trekkers are keen local walkers. La Marche Nordique (Nordic Walking) is the sight of generally active over 50-somethings from local walking groups vigorously pounding and tapping the chemins with their walking poles.
This human swarm of breathable fabrics, along with the dogs and sometimes donkeys accompanying the super-trekkers, brings a different frequency of movement to life here in this lovely corner of the French countryside.
Pack your walking shoes.
Country tracks footnote: although we need a national push – perhaps a country fella in the Élysée – to keep all of the ancient lanes open because this does not seem to be a local interest.
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