I left Condom this morning walking along the Baise river. Most of my day today was under leafy forests. The day lacked the spectacular scenery of some of my previous stages but it was very pleasant walking and great to be in the shade.
I’m between the forests there were some vineyards which I walked beside. Im now I’m Armagnac country so it’s likely that the white grapes I passed will be used for its production.
I was lucky enough to have a taste of Armagnac with dinner tonight. It was rather delicious.
Looking back to Condom Walking through the treesBeside the vines
Done. I arrived in the protection of Condom today. (sadly there’s no local humour about the name of this town) With that I am safely 1/3 of the way through my journey.
Today started with another diversion, after about 1km I was sent off the track and onto a big road. It wasn’t as bad as yesterday though, a major road but not a highway, and there was a somewhat spacious shoulder. However after 2 km the diversion ended and I was back on the way and feeling much happier.
The day was nice after that. Lots of sunflowers, nice Roman towns to stop for coffee and lunch. Lots of countryside. A big fat, so it was tough but my legs are adjusting to the distances.
And my Gîte tonight has a pool so I had my second swim in two days. Awesome.
Looking back to Lectoure this morning More sunflowers Feeling much better about things A small lake I walked around this afternoon
Today started with more sunflowers. I passed fields where they were nearly completely in bloom. Lovely.
It continues to surprise that I haven’t gotten completely lost in rural France. Then today, somewhere after about 2 kilometres of walking I missed a marker and I ended up walking off route with no way markings. When I realised I was off track I checked google and realised the road I was on was heading for the town I wanted so I was ok. It only added about a kilometre to my trip. And it shows that even when I get lost il always close to somewhere. I was even passed by a taxi at one stage. However walking on the big roads is fairly unpleasant. Especially when cars pass at speed.
Not long after getting back on track the way was blocked by signs saying that the route was impassable and we had to walk along the highway. There was a plus side to this that the highway is a more direct route, however walking along the highway was frightening. There were trucks and cars going at high speeds. And the shoulder was often thin or just not there at all. Usually the traffic would give as much space as possible and often even an encouraging toot. But there were other times when there was no or little space and at one stage I crossed a safety barrier to get clear of a line of big trucks. There were a few tears at this point. If the way is closed tomorrow will definitely jump in taxis or bus.
Not my favourite day on the trail, but in a happy ending the town where I’m staying, Lectoure has a thermal hot spring so I headed there for the afternoon. I’m now enjoying a local sorbet before dinner. Onward.
Sunflowers looking to the early morning sun A small castle Hay bails before I was diverted
Short day today. I’m slowing down a bit while the temperatures are high. The heat is so draining. But there is a flip side to heat, the sunflowers are blooming. They are like big sunny faces looking up at me. Hopefully the numbers in bloom continues to grow over the coming days.
I passed through three tiny French villages today. One offered a great coffee and the others nice shady spots to sit after filling my water bottle.
The way continues to be blocked by fallen trees. There are now signs posted indicating there’s debris on the track all the way to Condom where I plan to arrive on Wednesday. They seem to be removing debris slowly but it’s taking time. Some of those towns I passed through have been without internet since Thursday.
Sunflowers smilingLooking back to Flamerens where I stopped for lunchMore sunflowers Approaching Miradoux where I slept tonight.
Wild ride today. Most of my walk was along a canal, a nice pathway lined by trees and lots of shade. However the recent storms have caused a lot of damage and there were many trees across the trail. The path was passable but it wasn’t easy. I felt a bit like a Ninja warrior going up over and around the obstacles.
When I left the canal behind I had a hot walk along roads with fields on either side and not a lot of shade. Eventually I arrive in Auvillar, another hilltop town which looks out over the Garonne river. Looks like a lovely place to spend the evening.
Shady walk along the canalOne of today’s many Ninja obstacles Hot fields, sunflowers almost in bloomLooking up to Auvillar
Decided to stay in Mosaic today to rest my feet and stay out of the sun. And I’m very tired so I’ve had lots of naps. I plan to get moving again tomorrow.
Tonight I said a final goodbye to Karina and Annie. They also plan to walk to Santiago however they’ll complete their journey across three years. Today we entered Moissac together and after dinner we said a sad goodbye. They will take a train to Bordeaux tomorrow and fly back to Canada from there. It was wonderful sharing the way with them. I have been so lucky to enjoy their friendship and their courage through the many uphill and downhill challenges. I will miss them tomorrow as I head off by myself and each day after.
In happier news I passed the 400km mark today. I have come so far, but there’s still a long way to go. No doubt I’ll meet many new friends along the way.
In Laurzete last night with Karina and AnnieYeah!! Rolling hills today.
There has been a lot of rain in France. And there is so much water on the trail. And mud. We don’t have mud like this in Australia. At times, I worry that my boot will get stuck in the mud and I’ll keep going.
The puddles cross the trail so I have to navigate my way around them. The edges are more stable. At one point today the path had turned into a waterfall and I had to go through slowly. Very slippery.
When I did look up from the mud snd puddles I was greeted with a scene that could have been painted by Van Gogh. I am in Laurzerte. A town I have never heard of before and would never have stepped through if it wasn’t for the Camino. The day was tough with mud and steep hills. But the rewards are numerous.
Water running down the track Puddles and mud across the track Looking up from the mud Out through the trees On top of the world
Today’s climb out of Cahors was my last big climb before I get to the Pyrénées . I’ve noticed that I’m a lot stronger on the hills now and I can power up those climbs. Hopefully I still have that strength when I hit the big hills of the Pyrénées. But I’m also getting quite tired. The effort across multiple days is starting to build. I generally feel pretty good once I’m out walking though.
Leaving Cahors I also said goodbye to The Lot, the river I’ve been circling around for the last week now. From here things will start to change again. I’ll move from seeing the cows of the Aubrac region and into fields of sunflowers and corn. I passed my first sunflower field today but sadly they were yet to bloom. Hopefully there’ll be some more down the road.
The hill I would climb up out of CahorsThe lovely bridge I would cross Me on the bridge, trying not to let the rain or the big hill worry meHalf way up and looking back
A 14km walk today, the shortest day of my Camino so far. And mostly off the road so it felt like a holiday for my feet. More rain, and once again, compared to the heat of last week it was welcome.
Today I walked the whole stage with Karina and Annie. It was nice to chat as we went. When we could see Cahors Annie demanded that we stop and declared that Cahors is the half way point to Saint John de Pied, the point before the Spanish border and the end of the French Chemin. Saint John de Pied will be my half way point, and so I am one quarter of the way through my walk.
Rain clouds Descending into CahorsLooking across The Lot
Rain today. After the heat of the last 2 days I appreciated the cooler air. And I’m getting good at pulling out my poncho. Today was also the first stage that my guide book used the lowest category of ‘easy’. The terrain was definitely flatter and easier on the legs.
I walked for 28km, I passed through 4 villages but only one of them had a shop. None had cafes, boulangeries or bars. This will become more common over the coming stages.
My new friend Donald just said, ‘we always start in a hole’. It’s true. Most of the towns we stay in are down in a valley so we have to climb up out of the hole at the start of the day. But tonight is an exception. I’m sleeping up on a hill in a tiny place called Le Pech. So for once, my day tomorrow will start with a downhill walk.
Light forest in either side of the track in the morning. Mustard fields. Opening out into scrub, the scenery keeps changing
Tash on The Way 