France on two feet a day

FIGEAC, FRANCE -- After 25 years of marriage, my husband and I decided it was time for the best vacation ever. (Parents newly liberated from teenagers will understand why we felt so deserving.) Our wish list included elements that don't usually share a travel itinerary: hiking through beautiful foreign terrain, taking in historical sights, eating gourmet food and sleeping in comfortable beds. No sleeping on lumpy ground and dining on dehydrated entrees.

We managed to find the cushy, civilized hiking trip of our dreams on a self-guided walking tour in the Dordogne region of France last October, just after sending our youngest child off to college.

It was a soft-adventure vacation with just the right physical challenge for the semi-wimpy set -- those who like to sweat and rack up just over 81 miles over six days without risking broken bones or discomfort.

We tramped along paths that have been used for centuries, moving at our own pace, our only goal for the day to transport ourselves from one exquisite medieval town to another in time for a shower and a lavish dinner. Our bags were whisked from one hotel to the next. All we had to carry were small backpacks containing rain ponchos, water, an extra shirt in case it got chilly, and the day's picnic supplies.

"Self-guided" doesn't mean we had to be as self-reliant as the term suggests. We were on vacation, after all. Detailed maps, written directions (in French) and tourist information were provided. Dinners, breakfasts and hotels were prearranged and prepaid, all part of a package deal from La Pelerine, a French company that specializes in such excursions.

We chose a route from Figeac to Les Eyzies, a journey of eight days and seven nights, with six days of walking. Each day's walk ranged from 16 to 26 kilometers (10 to 16 miles) for a total of 131 kilometers, or 81.4 miles.

The cost for the walk itself came to about $700 each. Add to that your round-trip flight to Paris and $440 per person ($220 each way) for train transportation to and from the walking route, which is five hours to the south. My sister Lucy lives in Paris, so we had a free place to stay for a couple of nights before and after our walking tour. Incidental expenses were minimal: a matter of a few dollars for lunch, wine (not included) with dinner and any souvenirs we couldn't resist.

The experience was a perfect blend of culture and nature to soothe and refresh the soul and to reconnect as a couple. We even talked about things besides our kids.

Modern pilgrims

There was a measure of inspiration in following in the steps of countless spiritual seekers, walking one of the most-traveled routes taken by pilgrims ancient and modern on the Way of St. James, one of the most important Christian pilgrimages during the Middle Ages. The route eventually leads to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain, where the apostle St. James the Great is said to be buried.

Our accommodations were designed for modern pilgrims who like their plumbing indoors. Our rooms were modest, comfortable and equipped with private bathrooms.

The trek began with the train ride from Paris to the small town of Figeac. Our hotel room looked out over the river Cele and a picturesque bridge into the center of the village, much of it built in the 12th and 13th centuries.

The next morning, we took our luggage downstairs and ate a breakfast of fresh croissants, yogurt and strong coffee. Our bags were whisked to the next hotel on our route.

Each morning on our way out of town, we would stop in little shops or at street markets to buy the day's picnic supplies -- fresh bread, goat cheese, chocolate, apples and carrots -- and load the treats into our packs, which already held the day's detailed maps and directions.