This stage of the Via Podiensis was marked by fields containing crops, along with the hilltop villages that have existed since medieval times and another UNESCO listed Cathedral. So there were more hills to climb, more eglises to stop and rest in and of course the views. Of note the bastide villages and towns are all situated on the top of a hill. Some of them I could see a from a reasonable distance before I made that final push up that inevitable hill. Others were best viewed by looking back over my shoulder as I departed.
Having walked past numerous sunflowers fields where either the crop had already been harvested or the sunflowers were past their best it was always nice to see some fresh produce. One of the best markets that I came across one morning had an array of delights to chose from. I think it was the garlic stall which was the most impressive. Unfortunately this raw garlic was not going to go so well as a snack option with the bread and cheese already in my backpack! So I passed on the garlic.
Walking through the Bastide villages sometimes in the middle of the day meant that there were more opportunities to marvel at all sorts of of medieval architecture. Of course not everything was open during the middle of the day but sometimes I got lucky! I remember walking into the outskirts of Lauzerte and seeing the temperature reading on the official electronic town sign. It was 32C! So it was a very slow climb up into the town (and another sojourn in an Eglise)!
It was on this leg of my journey that one of my hiking poles snapped whilst walking down a hill. So I was down to one pole which although manageable required a bit of adjusting to. Scoring the odd apple from nearby trees continued to also be very much a bonus. I can remember having a late lunch near this small eglise (pictured below), prior to the final push into Moissac. Why did I stop there? It was the access to a nearby supply of potable water!
Once I was in a position to descend into Moissac I could look out over the Tarn et Garonne region and its patchwork appearance due to all of the various fields and copses of vegetation. However the actual descent was not without incident because one of the soles of one of my hiking boots partially detached (this had happened to the other boot earlier on). So I had to undertake a temporary fix (with twine) and shuffle slowly into town.
Moissac has the famous UNESCO listed Abbey church of Saint-Pierre, along with a very useful information centre situated right beside it. I was pleased that I also managed the tour of the cloisters as each one of the stone carvings represents something. The inside of the Abbey church is really impressive as well.
A more robust running repair of the soles of my boots was then undertaken whilst in Moissac (as I was staying the night), which involved a combination of glue and twine (to hold the soles onto the boots). I was not prepared to try and walk in a new pair of boots at this stage of the journey.
The other good thing about Moissac is that it is by the Tarn river as well as being close to the nearby Garonne canal. So it was a pleasant change to have a riverside stroll along some non undulating terrain, and give both the legs and the feet a bit of a break.
It was very pleasant walking alongside the Garonne canal first thing in the morning (nb the mist). However I needed to be very much traffic aware because there was also a steady stream of people riding bicycles along the path as well.
What I also remember from this stage of my journey is having to raid my hiking snacks at night after eating at one hotel because the nouvelle cuisine style of food was nowhere near enough. By this stage I was eating 3 courses at dinner every night and each course needed to be an ample serving of food. This was due to me averaging 25km a day on the trail.
To be continued- Tales from the Via Podiensis – g) From the Garonne into the Department of the Gers https://debverranlivinglifeoutdoors.travel.blog/2020/01/18/tales-from-the-via-podiensis-g-from-the-garonne-into-the-department-of-the-gers/
Living the Life in the Great Outdoors 
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