Durangoans live for adventure, and it’s pretty typical to spend Monday mornings getting the latest news on weekend exploits from colleagues.
This summer, it seems like half the town took some pretty epic vacations to dreamy destinations, with many friends venturing to Europe, in particular. I usually live vicariously through others’ adventures, but in September, I had the chance to travel with my boyfriend to France and hike a small portion of the country’s national network of trails. After a long summer, it felt great to do something that has long been on my wish list.
France’s network of long-distance trails, known as the Grande Randonnee, consists of more than 20,000 miles of trails crisscrossing the entire country. The Grande Randonnee routes are identified by a white bar over a red one and follow city streets, departmental (or county) roads, dirt roads and hiking trails.
Several routes connect to the well-known Camino de Santiago, which leads to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain, so people on a spiritual path or personal retreat (referred to as pilgrims) frequent these routes. The routes are numbered and denoted with “GR” and take travelers through an array of wild lands, beautiful villages, historical sites and the French countryside.
Our 130-mile hike along the GR provided a diversity of experiences unlike anything I had experienced in previous European travels. Walking fosters an intimate connection to the land, as travelers have plenty of time to see, smell and feel the details of the natural world. My understanding of the geography, flora and fauna of France grew exponentially simply by walking through the countryside.
European history has never been my strong suit, so before this trip, I’d never heard of any of the villages we traveled through. We hiked in the Midi-Pyrenees region, starting our trek in Cahors and finishing in Saint-Sulpice-la-Pointe. The villages we passed through were all established before the 13th century and situated along rivers, in the shadows of castles or surrounded by defensive walls. The history of war was palpable in the infrastructure and ruins that we passed. Walking along trails and roads between villages, I imagined warriors traveling the same lanes en route to battle hundreds of years ago.
Furthermore, we immersed ourselves in the French culture. We capitalized on gites d’etape (small hostels) and chambre d’hotes (bed and breakfasts) for lodging. This allowed us to interact with hosts and their families and dine with them and other guests over home-cooked meals. It was a great way to experience the culture.
Obviously, I’m a fan of traveling in this manner. With good planning, it can even be a great way to travel with children because many villages are close enough together for young hikers to be able to travel from village to village in a day. Guides and numerous maps exist to help with planning, and a quick online search yields additional resources.
If you’re looking for an adventure outside of the U.S., consider a trek through Southern France. It’s life-enhancing.
Stephanie Weber is executive director of Durango Nature Studies. Reach her at stephanie@durangonaturestudies.org.
