Day 22, 16 June, Montréal-du-Gers to Manciet 28.2 kms

It was a great delight and surprise to look out of our gite at breakfast this morning and see the Pyrenees in the distance. 

Breakfast this morning was a happy and hearty affair. With one person from the Ukraine, one from Switzerland, one from Germany, two from France and two from Australia, we had an engaging conversation in German, French and English. We talked about our destination today. Two were going about 16 kms, we were going 28 kms and two very hearty lads were attempting 43 kms. 

The two who were doing 40+ kms said that they eat very little on the way (unlike us!). They stop for a coffee and one of them nibbles on some sausage he keeps in his pocket. 

Breakfast this morning was typical: bowls of coffee, loads of bread with lashings of butter and a delicious choice of jam, yoghurt and cereal. 

Sven, a young Swiss guy from 100 kms north of Zurich, has walked all the way from his front door and is heading to Santiago and then to Finisterre and Muxia on the western coast of Spain. 

We said 'goodbye' to Anita Dann who had been wonderfully hospitable as the owner of her 'Gite Compostela'. 

After descending from the village, most of the terrain was fairly flat, in fact the flattest that we have encountered the whole of our walk thus far.

In the morning the sun shone and the track was firm under foot so we were able to cover lots of ground quickly. It was a different story when the thunder struck and the rain pelted down and for most of the afternoon we had our ponchos on. 

We walked for the first couple of hours on a pleasant track under a canopy of trees and surrounded by bush. 

Later we walked from one farm to another for the rest of the way. We passed through scores of vineyards, fields of wheat and newly planted corn.

In the early morning we love the sounds of the birds, including the metronomic call of the cuckoos. Today as we walked, we belted out a rendition of the song, 'Morning has Broken' that Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens) would have been proud of, such was our wonder and joy at the newness and freshness of the day. 

We stopped around 10 am at a gite for a welcome hot chocolate drink and at midday, when we arrived at Eauze, it was still cold so we deviated from our usual picnic baguette. A hot slice of pizza and some delectable flan hit the spot and we were off full of energy for the last 12 kms of our day.  

We are continually struck by the simplicity of what we are doing and the delight we discover in the ordinary things of life. It reminds us of the discovery of Harold Fry when starting out on his pilgrimage:

"When he dug his teeth into his sandwiches, the nuttiness of the cheese and the sweetness of the bread exploded on to his taste buds with such vigour it was as if he had never eaten before."

(The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry)

We arrived in Manciet at 3.30pm. We are staying at a gite named 'Chez Mathieu'. Mathieu was doing some cleaning but his mother received us, gave us some cool drinks and showed us around. The house is a 600 year old converted boulangerie (bakery) with the original oven still in the kitchen and dining room. 

After walking in the rain on a cold day it was lovely to have a hot shower and rest before dinner. 

C'est la Vie

Geoff and Lyn Pound 

P.S. Some photos from our walk today are posted on our Facebook pages. 

Day 21, June 15: La Romieu to Montréal-du-Gers - 30.2 kms

The converted convent dorm was strangely tranquil last night. All seemed to have enjoyed a good night's sleep. As intimated,  threats and enforced mantras, re an aforementioned snorer, work. Perhaps, too, the spectre of his cruel, cruel wife standing over him with a cane (almost used the previous night in our converted schoolroom) did the trick. 

We woke to breakfast all laid out on long tables by our host which we could have whenever desired. Each space was set with a basket of goodies. A welcome & different touch was apples. 

Our walking today was long but very enjoyable and we were relieved not to get lost at the end of the day, like yesterday. We found ourselves lost in the middle of the day, instead. We had stopped for a couple of hours at a town, Condom, and enjoyed visiting the cathedral and wandering around the square where a market was in full swing. 

When it was time to go, our Camino markers were very difficult to find and several people we inquired of had absolutely no idea. After much wandering around, we eventually discovered how to get out and soon were out in the wonderful French countryside again. 

We passed through few little villages today, so had long stretches of being alone in nature, with plenty of silence that was conducive to contemplation. That's when we didn't have to concentrate hard whilst slip-sliding through mud, of which there was still plenty. 

Our gite tonight is run by a seasoned Camino pilgrim who is kindness personified. Dinner was not only delicious but great fun with a Ukrainian, two French, a German, a Swiss and us. We were swapping experiences of other Caminos we'd done, or hoped to do, and it was wonderful getting other people's perspectives. 

C'est la Vie

Geoff & Lyn

Day 20, 14/6/2016 Castet-Arrouy to La Romieu, 29.8 kms

Emerged this morning from our hostel which formerly was the local primary school. We received some positive report cards which included the following line:

Snoring: Geoffrey showed great restraint last night after he wrote 100 times on the blackboard: "I will not snore in the dormitory tonight."

We were dismissed from breakfast at 7.15am and we hit the road. 

The track was clear and firm under foot. Sky overcast. Rabbits abounding in the crops. Lots of household vegetables growing in the fields plus coriander that was smelling strong. 

After two and a half hours we arrived at the medieval town of Lectoure. There was a wonderful atmosphere in the 13th century cathedral, and other buildings in the historic centre adjacent to the square were intriguing. The  cakes from the patisserie were 'divine' - we bought two, wolfed them down & promptly bought the same again.  

For much of the afternoon we walked in torrential rain, strong winds and hail at times. Then half an hour later the sun would shine brightly to the point that we are burnt tonight. 

The rain made the track excessively muddy and slippery. It was treacherous at times and some at dinner reported some falls. 

Lovely views of the coloured fields against the grey thunder clouds. 

After missing a vital marker we got lost, adding another 30 minutes to our journey . . . which felt like hours, at the end of our walking day, as we tried to figure out in which direction to point our noses. 

We are in an ex-convent tonight which stopped being so 40 years ago, was for the next few decades a retreat for nuns and for the last 10 years has been a gite for travelers. Happy to be in an old convent tonight but we wouldn't want to get into the habit. La Romieu is a gorgeous little village, dominated by a huge abbey. 

Lots of people arriving at the same time meant a lengthy time to register, shower, wash and hang our clothes and scrub the mud from our boots. 

We cooked up a storm in the kitchen and are putting our feet up for rest and recuperation. 

C'est la Vie

Geoff and Lyn Pound

P.S. Photos on Geoff and Lyn's Facebook pages. 

Day 19, Mon June 13: Espalais to Castet-Arrouy - 23.5 kms

The gite last night was delightfully alternative - saris for curtains - and volunteers that were Camino pilgrims themselves and could anticipate our every need. One woman from Paris had taken two weeks of her holidays to volunteer at the gite.  We much appreciated their kindness and, after a convivial breakfast time, we were sent on our way with bear-hugs all round. 

We certainly copped the full gamut of weather possibilities today from starting out in heavy rain to gale-force headwinds to light hail and, would you believe, to sunshine just in time for drying our clothes. 

The first village out was one on the list of the most beautiful villages in France, yet again. We loved wandering around the main square and marvelling at the configuration of roofs and the structure of the medieval buildings. 

We are staying in a 'gite communal' tonight (as opposed to a private one), so we fend for ourselves  in the communal kitchen. It's in a very old converted school building with school class photos everywhere, including above our beds. We're in a large 'classroom' with two other French women and, surprise, surprise, our Camino friend from Kentucky who loves mud! Since meeting her, we have been trying our darndest to love mud, too, but we wouldn't pretend to be there yet. I guess it would pay to fall in love with it quicker as, apparently, it's going to rain until Saturday and we'll no doubt be rounding many a corner to find yet more 'boue' (boo!). 

Over dinner, we had a great conversation with a young French couple who had just spent 5 months in NZ. They adored it and we're only too happy to rave on about all their fantastic experiences, while we quietly purred away.  

We love the different sense of camaraderie you get in the gite communals, as you often end up chatting  whilst drying the dishes or washing clothes together. 

We try to finish our day with the much loved night prayer from the NZ Prayer Book and especially appreciate the lines:

What has been done has been done;

What has not been done, has not been done;

Let it be. 

 

Bon Courage

Geoff & Lyn

Day 18, 12 June: Durfort-Lacapelette to Espalais, 34.5 kms

Had a deep sleep last night in our converted pigeon loft. Woke with a flutter and it seemed we walked rather pigeon-toed this morning.

Our kind, gentle gite host had made such an effort to make us feel comfortable with so many extra unexpected touches (like flowers in the room & beautiful soap in the bathroom) - we felt blessed. 

Our path took us through lots of orchards and vineyards so we must be getting near Gascony (The French Tuscany). 

We reached Moissac near midday. It seemed a bit run down but we wanted to take some time to explore this town because it was the 2nd most important sacred site for the medieval pilgrims on this route after Conques, with its centre being the abbey. Unfortunately the much loved cloisters were shut and we were unable to visit. 

We struck the Sunday markets in Moissac and in one other village today which sparked them up - usually Sundays are super-quiet with all the shops shut. 

It was fascinating to follow a canal out of Moissac and see some holiday travelers in their boats. 

Lots of extremely steep terrain today and this with a 34 kms distance meant we were on our hooves for 11.5 hours. A shortage of signposts made it difficult today especially in picking up the Camino after spending time in a town like Moissac. 

When we arrived at our gite in Espalais, dinner was almost ready to be served. We hadn't expected a meal so this was a pleasant surprise. It is a large, rambling home and we shared a delicious pasta meal with several French people and a woman from Montreal. Lots of talk and jokes about the Montreal accent - like the French spoken 300 years ago, apparently. 

We will sleep well tonight. 

C'est la Vie

Geoff & Lyn

Day 17, June 11: Montcuq - Durfort-Lacapelette - 26.1 kms

We were told to make sure we pronounced the 'q' for the name of the place we left today, Montcuq, because otherwise we would be saying the French for 'my arse'. Never let it be said that we asked a local for clear directions to 'my arse'.  Apparently, a bawdy TV skit was created around this town's name that has become famous and increased the tourism stakes of this little town considerably.  

Last night in our gite of converted stables it was rather noisy, as a couple of young colts in the adjoining stall were obviously relishing the chance to roll in the hay, whinnying and neighing to their heart's content. 

I had told Geoff that is was essential he have the mantra running through his mind: I will not snore and  cause a stampede. And it worked! Plus, no nightmares. 

We bolted out of our stable for breakfast,  enjoyed our oats with a couple from dinner last night who made a very good effort to communicate and we were soon cantering down the highway with the bit between our teeth, blinkered against all distractions. 

We must have climbed up and down around 5 very steep slopes today - one had a rope rail for us to cling to and another stakes at the side for us to hold. It was a case of poncho on, poncho off as the weather decided what to do. Yes there were stretches of mud, but mostly it was kind underfoot. 

We climbed high up the hillside to have our picnic lunch at the little town Lauzerte, classified as one of the most beautiful in France. After some time spent exploring the place, we couldn't agree more with this classification.  

The afternoon's walk was very challenging, but we eventually made it, exhausted, to our gite at 5:30 pm. We are sleeping in a converted pigeon loft tonight and are sharing it with a Kiwi woman from Nelson and two very friendly French guys. We have just enjoyed a hilarious dinner time together, sharing food and stories. 

Today we saw fields of what looked like bluegrass, which took us way back to the mid 80s when we had a stint in Kentucky. 

This Camino is by far the most physically rigorous of the three we've walked, but we are absolutely loving it and are seeking to live fully into each day. 

Ultreia!

Geoff & Lyn

DAY 16: Fri 10/6 Cahors – Montcuq 32.3 kms

We ended our stay in Cahors by going out to dinner with my brother who lives on London and his partner, Vlada. They just happened to be in the area at exactly the right time for us (!). It was very special as we don't get to see them very often. 

Our day began with around 100 deep steps up the side of the sheer cliff that took us out of Cahors. We walked through a wide range of terrain but, for the last couple of hours, it was white mud that clung to our boots and caused us to lose traction - it was like walking on ice.  

By midday we experienced thunderstorms so on with the ponchos for the rest of the afternoon. 

It took a while to find our gite tonight and when we inquired for directions at a supermarket they said that the gite had closed yesterday. They called the tourist office and they confirmed it. Anyway, we decided to try and get there to see for ourselves and we were delighted to be very warmly welcomed and told that, yes, they had been closed yesterday, but only for the day. Were we ever relieved!

We're staying in converted stables tonight and our horse's name is 'Caramel', the name above our 'bedroom'! There  are lots of touches of what the little screened off 'rooms' used to be five years ago and they've pulled off a charming renovation. 

Dinner with 6 other French people this evening wasn't as much fun as usual. We have found that usually a lot of effort has gone into making us feel included, but tonight there was none at all and my limited French didn't go far enough. Still, it was very good to feel, acutely, that sense of awkwardness & isolation that so many people feel back home when they don't have the language. Our host was extremely inclusive but she wasn't present for the meal. 

C'est la vie

Geoff and Lyn