walking the grande draille, an historic drove road
DAY 5 à Montgros (23.5km) sur Le Chemin de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle.
During the next two days, the vistas become open and sweeping, the hills roll ahead, the sky is broad, clear and blue, transparent. The day begins with trees and flat terrain. One passes an old Roman road from Lyon to Toulouse, the Voie d’Agrippa. Lasbros, Prinsuéjols, Fineyrols are hamlets to visit.
But, then, dramatically, the terrain changes and the pèlerin climbs, not a difficult incline upward, gradual it is. Rock walls criss-cross the countryside. Cattle graze. Birds dart in the distance.
Up and up to the top at 1273m one finds a good resting spot and the Roc des Loups. As one descends, on the left is a rock wall, much like the rock fences that are in the distance. You are on the Grande Draille, the historical drove road. The photos are sequential. They take you up to the top with the boulders, and then they show you the way down the other side. (Click on a photo to see more.)
Outside of the little village of La Chaze-du-Peyre and approximately 5.5km from Aumont-Aubrac, the pèlerin passes the small Chapelle de Bastide, started in 1522 but worked on several times since then. It was closed the day I passed it.
Along the way, mysterious structures appear, unused from their appearance and basically having the same construction. They are “métier pour ferrer les boeufs.” They are used, were used, for shoeing cattle.
At the end of the day and before entering Montgros, where I will spend the night at La Maison de Rosalie, I cross the Pont de Marchastel which traverses the stream Bès.
In Montgros at La Maison de Rosalie, I found some beautiful windows. (Click on a photo to see more.)
un Voyageur 