I slept well in my pigeonnier/colombier or dovecote. I was alone on my floor because the Swiss pilgrim Joël, who arrived late, wanted to sleep on the second floor. However, I wasn’t entirely at ease, as I had spoken with him briefly and he was very bitter about Swiss society. At the end of our conversation, he mentioned that he had spent a long time in a psychiatric institution but went on many trips to avoid being in Switzerland. At 6:30 AM, my breakfast was ready, and Linda, the hostess, joined me. For 8 euros, I’ve had much better meals: it was just bread, butter, jam, homemade honey, and a hard-boiled egg. At Peter’s, they get a brunch for 8 euros! Also, she couldn’t give me my 10 euro change.
Departure from Marciac
At 7:15 AM, I was on the bike, riding over the hills of the Gers, with inclines that made my still sleepy legs ache. The first brief stop was at an 11th-century church in Maubourguet, and as I was leaving the town, I saw a “special” artwork by a well-known French artist whose name I don’t recall. Nearby, I finally saw two pilgrims: mother Patricia and daughter Fleur (with three children and a husband) who were traveling together from Auch to Lourdes. This Marian site is often included by many pilgrims for obvious reasons.
The special artwork. The church of Maubourguet. Patricia and Fleur
I then cycled further through the beautiful village of Lembeye with a stunning city gate and church. My goal for the morning was Morlaàs, about 50 km from my starting point, where one of the most beautiful Romanesque portals in France can be seen. I arrived there by 10:30 AM, as the descents were longer than the ascents.
Lembeye and Morlaas
A guide had just begun a tour for an art history student and her mother and invited me to listen in. The guide explained everything wonderfully: on the left and right, beautiful images of the apostles; two small tympanum reliefs depicting the Massacre of the Innocents on the left and the Flight into Egypt on the right. On the arches were the forty elders of the Apocalypse, among others. The rest of the church was largely destroyed during the 16th-century religious wars; the Protestant wife of the King of Béarn had as many Catholic churches as possible burned down. Part of the tympanum was heavily damaged and was restored in the 19th century by Viollet-le-Duc. A photo shows what remains of the original tympanum at the top. The rest was eventually saved. After my visit, I got a stamp from the guide, who is the head of the Office du Tourisme.
Morlaas: portal with two small tympanum reliefs
After Morlaàs, I had to cycle a difficult section around Pau, for which I didn’t have time. The guide told me to keep following the direction of Zaragoza, which worked surprisingly well, despite the very busy roads like the N134. Many roads were flat or downhill, and less than two hours later, I was on the D24, which safely led me along a beautiful small road through the Jurançon wine region to Oloron-Sainte-Marie. Jurançon, a wine from the Pyrenees, is a fruity white wine that can be enjoyed as an aperitif or with a main dish of chicken or duck. It must be served nicely chilled. If you haven’t tried it, I recommend you do. The Jurançon region is hilly, with lots of greenery, trees, and shrubs, and many vineyards are hidden in between.
The vineyards of the Jurançon wine. Oloron-Sainte-Marie: the village and the Ste Marie church
I made a final stop in the village of Lasseube to eat the sandwich with magret de canard and salad that I bought at a bakery. Duck is also very popular in this region, especially magret de canard or duck breast. Lasseube is a typical Pyrenean village with slate roofs; it feels cool, not southern. The same goes for the simple church. I met a Dutch couple, both 65, who had set out from Montauban by bike, without any motor assistance, to Santiago. They were just about to leave again. After lunch, I cycled another 16 km, rolling uphill, to reach Oloron-Sainte-Marie around 3:00 PM, a town located at the confluence of two gaves or mountain rivers. Water and waterfalls in the river are abundant here.
Oloron-Ste-Marie: portal of the Ste Marie church and one of the monsters.
I went to see André and Gudrun, where I stayed last year; they are a French-Swedish couple, aged 79 (him) and 77 (her). The welcome was warm, with a French white beer, Goudale. I visited the town but limited myself to the cathedral of Sainte-Marie in the upper town. The man-eating monsters on the west side warn sinners to behave better. The town has somewhat emptied out; many shops in the main street are vacant. However, there are still some beautiful buildings and parks. The rivers give it a unique charm.
In the evening, I was invited to dinner by André and Gudrun. It was a pleasant evening with Gudrun, André, and Colette, André’s sister, a widow who lives in a small pavilion in the garden. I didn’t want to intrude on the intimacy by taking photos. No one had a cell phone nearby, and I quickly put mine away. It was a cozy evening with Jurançon wine served with melon, chicken with southern vegetables and roasted potatoes, goat cheese, and Coulommiers cheese with salad: it doesn’t get much more French than this. At 10:30 PM, I called Magda, who is looking for accommodations for me in Spain; it’s challenging, but she’ll figure it out.
Oloron-Sainte-Marie
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