Tales from the Via Podiensis -h) The Department of the Gers

The early morning starts continue, with there sometimes being mist as I set off in the half light. I pass some more ponds which contain either croaking frogs or frogs making a rapid exit to safety hence avoiding being photographed! They are too quick for me. Every now and then I passed another poignant reminder of French history and this was very much the case in Castlenau sur L’Auvignon where there are multiple plaques outlining how the village was ransacked in World War 2.

Then there are the moments of fun such as seeing an interesting art installation or posing with the 4 musketeers in Condom near the historic Cathedral of Saint Pierre on the town square. It was also a good place to stop and talk to people- the backpack attracted attention!

With Condom being a larger town with a good range of shops, this was another place where I could stock up on supplies for the back pack! Plus on the outskirts of Condom is the attractive river Baise which I crossed first thing in the morning as I departed. There were even a few ducks on this particular river

It was during this particular stage of my journey that I first spotted some red squirrels in the tree tops whilst I was walking through the forests (particularly during the morning). The squirrels all moved really fast hence there was no chance of a photo! However the good thing about being in the Department of the Gers is that I managed to eat Cassoulet for dinner on more than one occasion. Real hiker food this.

Also this region is wine growing country so there were numerous of grape vines which I also passed. At times you could see the grape harvesters at work and if it was a weekend you could hear the sounds of the dogs and bugles (because the hunters were out). In the ditches besides the roads there was often an assortment of self-seeded herbs, which made for a very pleasant smell at times.

It was also during this stage of the journey that I ran into hikers who I had not met before and we would sit down and compare experiences whilst having either a snack or meal breaks. There is a very good pop up cafe with amenities between Montreal du Gers and Eauze, where I also stopped and chatted to some hikers.

The final stage of the journey towards Eauze involved walking along what used to be an old railway line (which was built on an old roman road), hence why it was so straight! There were more squirrels to spot in the tree tops along with some of the locals who were out either horse riding, jogging or walking.

Eauze is an old roman town and some of this history is on display at the local museum. I can remember eating one meal in the town square with a fellow hiker as well as another purchased from a boulangerie. I had lunch whilst sitting in the very pretty garden of the rebuilt chapel of Saint Jacques which is located down a side street (Rue Hopital). There used to be a medieval hospital nearby (hence the name of the street). I was accompanied in the garden by one of the local cats! Plus as Eauze is the Armagnac capital of France, I did manage to taste some of this local product as well as eat some more French cheese! I also stocked up at a local supermarket including purchasing my favourite Cantal cheese for the backpack. One hint if you are fond of peanut butter, it is hard to come by in France.

It was also whilst in Eauze that I took advantage of a local laundromat (lavoire) and gave my hiking clothes a good wash! However working out how to use the coin operated machines required the assistance of the nearby madame who attended along with her small dog!

To be continued- Tales from the Via Podiensis-i) From the Gers to the Department of the Landes