Day 28 - Spring Blooms and the Pyrenees : Saint Antoine to Lectoure

Today was one of those days that The Way seemed to just keep on giving. We passed through three fortified villages, saw several chateaus, had a partially cloudy morning with breezes, and in the early afternoon arrived in the beautiful town of Lectoure.

We set out from Saint Antoine this morning after sharing an early breakfast with our fellow hikers. We began with a steady but not too difficult climb on an asphalt road, and soon found ourselves in gently rolling hills that had been intensively cultivated. Not long after leaving the village we met a fellow hiker who was confused by the lack of the blazes and concerned that we had missed a turning. We soon determined that we were not lost, and continued on our way.

As we climbed through the hills we came to a small stand where cherry clafoutis was being sold for 1 Euro a slice. We decided to have faith, and bought a piece which turned out to be delicious, although unexpectedly the pits had been left in the cherries.

After a few pleasant kilometres of hiking we came to the fortified village of Flamarens. This village is home to the 13^th century Castle of Flamarens, which was used as a fortress during the 100 Year's War, and in the 17^th and 18^th centuries became a luxurious residence. Today it is privately owned but open for tours later in the day.

  

There is also a church in the village, which is in ruins, but is being slowly restored. Apparently it was used as a storage facility for ammunition during WWII and was blown up by the resistance rather than letting it fall into enemy hands.

After stopping to take some photos we continued on through open countryside until we came to the village of Miradoux. We visited the church and the outdoor market hall, but decided to give the coffee shop and grocery store a miss. This looked like a very beautiful town, and a nice place to stop.

After we left Miradoux we had great views across the countryside. There were scattered ruins across the landscape which looked like they might have been towers, or buildings. This made me wish I knew more about the history of this region, and was able to read and understand what I was seeing in the landscape.

We also began to pass fields planted with many different crops, not just wheat. Among these were sunflowers, and a few eager plants were just beginning to open up.

 

We also passed a field of onions in full bloom, which reminded us of '''southern snow'.

 

Next we passed through the village of Castet-Arrouy, with its shaded and tree lined streets. There were a few people walking around, and the village itself had a beautiful shaded courtyard at the centre with the church on one side and a cafe on the other. We visited the church and were delighted to find a stamp freely available inside, and then enjoyed a coffee at the cafe. As we sat there a group of about 8 other hikers arrived in town, none of whom we recognized.

After Castet the heat was starting to rise, despite the breeze. However, instead of continuous road walking we were treated to some quite long stretches of shaded grassy tracks. We passed a sign yesterday indicating that an initiative is in place in this region to line The Way with trees. In particular, cypress trees to mark the kilometres, fruit trees to mark the seasons, and other trees to provide shade. This has been done in a few places, and the continuous shade they provide is wonderful!

When we came over the final hill and had our first glimpse of Lectoure it was very impressive. Unfortunately it is very humid and hazy today, so the Pyrenees, which provide a spectacular backdrop to the city according to the postcards, are hidden. 

The approach to the city felt like it took some unnecessary zigzags up and down the surrounding hills, but most of the way was shaded, so we had few complaints. When we finally entered the city walls we were right behind the cathedral, and the street we emerged onto was covered in market stalls. It looked very festive, but unfortunately the market was just finishing, so there was a bit of chaos too.

The gite we are staying at didn't open until 3pm, but the very nice volunteer allowed us to drop our backpacks off. We then visited the cathedral, and afterwards found a bakery offering orange juice and apple tarts. We then walked the streets, which are very narrow, but full of interesting and unlikely surprises, as well as many flowers and photogenic windows and doors. 

Among the interesting things is the Maison des Clarinettes. The story goes that in the 19^th century there was a provocative clarinettest, Polycarpe Sourbes, whose neighbours and wife complained about the noise he made playing his clarinet. In response, he raised his house up a level, and added decorations in the form of clarinets around the windows and doors so that 'they won't hear me any more, but they'll certainly see me.'

Although that site is listed as a tourist attraction, we came across another building in our wanderings which has a carved border of mostly nude women around the top. We could only speculate that this might have been a house of ill repute at some point in the past.

We also visited the ramparts, from which we couldn't see the Pyrenees, and walked passed the thermal springs, which are open as a spa. We also visited the public pool, which has a spectacular view over the valley and mountains, and was full with very happy sounding school children.

We checked into our gite around 3pm, did the usual chores, and then headed back out for an ice cream. We found an artisanal glacier and decided to try the prune armagnac flavour. Although this might not sound too appetizing, it was actually quite good. We decided we definitely have to try the armagnac this region is famous for before we leave it. 

When we returned to the gite we shared a wonderful communal meal of veggies, rice, salad, chicken, cheese, fruite, and cake.  One of the ladies we have been hiking with is ending here in Lectoure for this year, and she was in a celebratory mood.  As we all helped wash the dishes there was much singing, laughing, and silliness.

  
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Practical Information:
Distance: 24.5 km

Cumulative ascent: app. 698 m

Cumulative descent: app. 654 m

Max Temperature: 29˚C

Accommodations: Accueil Presbytere de Lectoure (donation)