We were determined, after yesterdays long hot walk, that we would get up in good time today.  We would go and find some provisions for a picnic and start walking around 10:00… but we woke up at 9:45am.

So we showered and meandered and had a cup of tea and finally left our apartment around midday.  We drove 15km to the very pretty village of Montreal du Gers.  This is another stop on the Camino Le Puy and the road sort of shadowed the route as we drove… although you couldn’t see the path.

We parked under a tree on the edge of the village and enjoyed a picnic of fresh bread, auvergne cheese and some local pate.  We packed the rucksack with water and bananas and a few nuts and we set off into the centre of town.

We looked like pilgrims so as we walked up to the Office de Tourisme where our walk started, the other pilgrims smiled and greeted us… oh my poor heart sank… I want to be a pilgrim!  I wished them a buen camino (although of course this should be Bonne Chemin! as we’re in France) and off we set.  Leaving the pilgrims and the camino markers behind we followed our PR route… Les Traces des Romains!

As we left town we passed a field of trees… a crop planted in straight lines and I was again instantly transported back to a day on the Via where we walked all day beside rows and rows of these .

We continued and walked a few kilometres but crikey it was hot.  We paused for a drink and looked at the time.  I looked across at Gerry and he was looking as pink and sweaty as I felt.  “what are we doing?” I asked him and he nodded.  It’s 35c and not yet the hottest part of the day.  It was crazy to choose to go walking in this heat.  So we walked back to the village, jumped in the car and instead went to visit a national monument at Larressingle a few kilometres down the road.

It was a good choice…. and another pilgrim stop!  These pesky pilgrims are everywhere!  We wandered around this old fortified village, sat in the shade and enjoyed some homemade icecream and stopped for a drink of local cidre… which looked more like a cup of tea and not the ice cold, long, glass we had imagined!

It’s forecast to be 37c tomorrow so we’re taking a driving tour… but it’s cooler after this so I think we’ll still manage two more walks this week!

p.s. I hate my new shoes!