We departed Moissac and continued walking in terrain already familiar to us, as we had cycled the Canal de Garonne in springtime of this year. We would then pass through the delightful hilltop medieval villages of Auvillar, Lectoure and Montreal amongst others and the large town of Condom, crossing through vineyards in the department of Gers... before arriving in the small city of Aire-sur-l'Adour in the department of Landes...
 |
| A farewell hug to friend Eva in Moissac on the banks of the Tarn River. |
 |
| The medieval abbey of St. Pierre in Moissac, an important waypoint for medieval and modern pilgrims alike. |
 |
| Bo on the familiar Canal de Garonne. |
 |
| Tough life for the Gypsy Prince. |
 |
| It doesn't get any flatter than this, hiking the tow paths of the canal. |
 |
| Bidding farewell to Vincent, our host at Le Par-Chemin, a gite in Espalais which operates on pilgrim donations. We ate a delicious home-cooked dinner in the company of a dozen other pilgrims and spent a restful night in a double bed, a rare luxury for us. |
 |
| The brick dovecote at Le Par-Chemin. |
 |
| Katy got all excited when we arrived at a church dedicated to the saint of her name: Catherine. She is usually depicted with a broken wheel at her side, which comes from her legend. Apparently, a strikingly beautiful 18 y.o. virgin, she was condemned to die at the wheel for having professed her love for God over the king of Alexandria. However, divine intervention broke the wheel and spared her life. |
 |
| La chapelle Sainte-Catherine du Port (ca. 1305 AD) on the banks of the Garonne River, at the foot of Auvillar. |
 |
| Views over the course of the Garonne River and the suspension bridge that crosses it, seen from Auvillar. |
 |
| Can't get enough of village fountains. |
 |
| Medieval pilgrims artfully placed around the main plaza. |
 |
| The circular market of Auvillar. |
 |
| About to pass under the Tour de l'Horloge (Clocktower). |
 |
| Modern pilgrim mural seen while leaving Auvillar. |
 |
| Jeff and Bo having a laugh. |
 |
| This abysmal sight is none other than the nearby nuclear plant of Golfech. |
 |
| Bodhi explores the scene in the hilltop village of Flamarens. |
 |
| Elaborate crosses seen at Flamarens... |
 |
| ...and at Miradoux. |
 |
| Nothing like a naked spin on countryside singletrack at dusk. |
 |
| Jeff on the move with twilight colors and vast fields of sunflowers forming the backdrop. |
 |
| St. Jacques pèlerin, in Miradoux. |
 |
| Some of these hills are too steep! |
 |
| The agricultural expanse of Lomagne. |
 |
| Pilgrims on the go. |
 |
| Breakfast break featuring a big handful of fresh-picked blackberries! (plus the usual heap of oats, muesli and honey) |
 |
| Lectoure, a notable clifftop town in Lomagne. |
 |
| More hot temps lead to the municipal pool in Lectoure. |
 |
| Serene setting for a public pool. |
 |
| A twilight view back onto Lectoure. |
 |
| Twilight walking beneath a full moon |
 |
| Sunset colors on a gorgeous evening. |
 |
| Our campsite near Croix-de-la-Justice, a fine example of sleeping-under-the-stars. |
 |
| This is by far our favorite way to go! Bodhi on his bike immediately reduces the load on the Chariot by 18 kg (39 pounds): 13 for him and 5 for the balance bike! |
 |
| Of course all the exercise sends him into deep peaceful daytime naps. |
 |
| A classic moment: Katy swings Bo into a natural spring/pool found alongside the road, as the intense heat still hasn't abated, walking in 37 degrees day after day. |
 |
| The enticing track that leads down to the town of Condom. |
 |
| Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Condom. The marvelous choir pictured here. |
 |
| The portal of the cathedral, with detailed Romanesque figures and angels decorating the scene. |
 |
| Condom was a merry scene, as we drank beers in late afternoon with these fellow pilgrims. |
 |
| The pilgrim shown on the right, Aliénor (Grenoble), was also doing Le Puy-Santiago, but she would arrive 6 weeks before us!!! |
 |
| Katy amidst D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers (from the fictional novel by Dumas). The most famous musketeer, D'Artagnan, (who was from the department of Gers in Gascogne) served as the captain of the Musketeers of the Guard under Louis IX. |
 |
| 39 degree temperatures had us darting to the public pool of Condom, which turned out to be paradise for a 2 year-old.. |
 |
| We spent several hours of a rest day in Condom here at the pool. |
 |
| One of our neighbors at the Condom municipal campground, Hans (Netherlands), hiked with us out of town, and even carried Katy's pack aways. |
 |
| Hans hopes to walk the Camino next year. |
 |
| Trailside folk art, motivating for pilgrims. |
 |
| Bo hijacks this one to appease his profound addiction to tractors. |
 |
| Looking for the fountain at a roadside chapel. |
 |
| This fellow was walking from Zurich to Santiago, over 2000 km. |
 |
| Stained glass in Montreal-du-Gers. |
 |
| The arcade at the mairie in Montreal. |
 |
| Nestled amidst the rolling hills of the Gers we found some wooded valleys which made for delightful walking. |
 |
| These vineyards go to the production of Armagnac, France's oldest brandy. |
 |
| Bo hits the trail. |
 |
| Going from muddy puddle to muddy puddle, of course. |
 |
| We passed these folks out for a day ride. |
 |
| Bo climbs on top of Katy's pack on Jeff's back! |
 |
| The charming Bas-Armagnac village of Eauze. |
 |
| A pilgrim takes a load off in Eauze. |
 |
| An important event captured here: frantic reaching for fresh figs! |
 |
| This is pretty much hiker's crack. All three of us were addicted. |
 |
| Bo figures out that the grass is a natural brake on a shaky descent. |
 |
| What would you do if you found HIM alone in your vineyard? Our repeated admonitions were to no avail - he likes grapes even more than figs! |
 |
| Gers countryside... |
 |
| ... occasional small challenges along the way. |
 |
| Katy walking with a Swiss and a Danish pilgrim near Nogaro. |
 |
| The village of Nogaro seen as we approach. |
 |
| Romanesque figures seen at the 11th century collégiale Saint-Nicolas. |
 |
| Bo takes a breather. |
 |
| Pictured here with a pilgrim from Czech Republic. |
 |
| Camping in lush forest. |
 |
| Bo leads the way! |
 |
| From vineyards to cornfields... |
 |
| ...and onto another feature of the Gers: its production of foie gras. Whether one supports this hideous industry or not, the stench connected to it is undeniable. We were obliged to walk past about a half-dozen geese-and-duck-raising facilities, which are up there with industrial pig production for loathsome stenches. |
 |
| Swallowtail butterfly. |
 |
| Picnic along the Aire river. |
 |
| Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste d'Aire, Aire-sur-l'Adour |
No comments:
Post a Comment