The day started on a sour note. We were four pilgrims in the municipal gîte for pilgrims, including a couple of ladies. The couple and the other man, whom I hadn't seen, had a key; I didn’t have one because there were only two keys. This morning, around 5 a.m., the pilgrim I hadn't seen noisily went to the bathroom and the shower. By 5:45 a.m., he was out the door. I had already gotten up, packed my bags, and was having a quiet breakfast with two chocolate croissants and instant coffee. At 6:30 a.m., I wanted to leave, but I realized that the man with the key had left and locked the door behind him. So, I couldn't get out. There was no choice but to wake the two ladies, as they also had a key. A bit later than planned, I set off towards the N124, which I had to pass under since it's a busy four-lane road. However, the passage was being renovated. The old one was closed, and the new one wasn’t ready yet. So, I had to cycle about three kilometers along the dangerous N124 to find another way back, but everything went okay.
Samatan
I easily found my way back to Samatan, where I took a break in the center. Several houses and the beautiful fountain (a horse trough) were built in the 19th century by an architect specializing in Neo-Renaissance style. You can tell he designed several buildings there, all in the same red color. From there, I continued through villages like Polastron, where picturesque churches stand with a "clocher peigne," not a bell tower, but a wall with openings in which you can see the bells hanging. The landscape is particularly beautiful, with fields of all kinds undulating like big waves. It’s less idyllic when you have to cycle up and down those waves. I did choose the route with the least steep hills on Google Maps, and gradually, the hills became lower and less steep, which was a relief.
Polastron
On the way, I stopped at the Cistercian Abbey of Boulaur, which has been beautifully restored and even expanded into a cozy place where people can meet; there’s a nice shop with local products and more. Mass was in progress, and I slipped in to hear the sisters sing. There were about 40 sisters (of which at least eight were young novices because they were wearing white veils), a few priests, and a good-sized group of worshippers. The children were all playing outside around the church.
Abbey of Boulaur and surroundings
By noon, I reached Mirande and headed straight for the church with a bizarre tower. As I stopped there, I was approached by two people in their forties who wanted to know what the Rinus Pinifonds is. He, Fabrice, is a Frenchman from this area, and she is Erica from the Galápagos Islands (Ecuador). He had a burnout, went on a world tour, and met her in Ecuador. She has a master’s degree in special education pedagogy, finished her school year, and requested leave to explore the world a bit with him. After three years, they’re still together and likely want to settle in the Gers. A warm handshake, and we each went our way.
Mirande and Fabrice and Erica
I took a quick tour around the bastide market with covered houses and then headed towards Marciac. I passed through the village of Tillac and found myself face to face with two rows of half-timbered houses, beautifully restored side by side, with two towers and a small church. Very few tourists and a wonderfully peaceful spot for a picnic. Around 2 p.m., I set off for the last 16 km to Marciac, my final destination on the Voie d'Arles today.
Tillac
I’m staying at a large farm with a big dovecote. They’ve converted it into accommodation for six pilgrims over three floors. A beautiful spiral staircase leads me to the top, where two spacious custom-made bunk beds fit perfectly into the space: truly cozy. After a nice shower, I headed back to the center, as I definitely wanted to visit the Couvent des Augustins. In the early 20th century, a wealthy American bought the cloister of this abbey and shipped it to the USA. The locals couldn’t prevent it, unlike in Charlieu with the cloister of the Cordeliers but they reconstructed the cloister in glass. It took a lot of research to locate the cloister, but it remains in the USA. I ended my visit at the market, which is typical for a bastide but very large this time, and finally at the Church of Our Lady, a church built by the Dominicans. They made large spaces to preach effectively to everyone. In the narthex, the western vestibule, there’s a beautiful sculpture group of the mourning of the dead Christ.
Marciac: Convent of the Augustines with the cloister reconstructed in glass. Church of Our Lady and the beautiful sculptural group of the mourning of Christ.
I quickly bought some pasta and grated cheese at the Super U and returned to my dovecote (colombier or pigeonnier) where pigeons were once raised, as food, of course. After dinner, a Swiss man from Lausanne arrived who had walked 40 km. We both quickly went to sleep. Breakfast is at 6:30 a.m. tomorrow. It was another fine, busy day. Tomorrow, I head to my final destination on the Voie d'Arles, Oloron-Sainte-Marie, another 100 km. First, I’ll sleep and review the route.
My dovecote
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