6. Mas d’Azil to Saint-Lizier

 

It was another big stage today with some serious ascending and descending so we planned to rise early, breakfast and leave. Alas, the best laid plans falter. For some reason my alarm didn’t go off (probably because I didn’t actually set it) and we slept in. The two previous eight hour days of walking surely contributed to this!!

Anyway, we rose at seven, breakfasted and left, just as the weekly markets were getting underway in Mas d’Azil. It was a vibrant and warm feel in the public square and I must confess it would have been good to tarry awhile had we more time. Not so today, must get going to beat the heat and make it to Saint Lizier before the Tourism Office closed with the key to the gite.

Less than a kilometre from town we faced what we thought would be a massive climb across a soaring limestone hill - weary legs were screaming no. At the last minute we realised there was a natural tunnel under the hill through which the road and our path passed.

Wow! And what a tunnel it was.

We emerged on the other side and on we went, walking past this interesting what? Cemetry? Not sure.

After a few more kilometres the path all but petered out. How amazing that such an ancient route can seem so solid and worn in parts and so faint in others. Here it was little more than a goat track.

And here it passed right through this machinery shed. Literally, right through!!!

Little gates were another feature of the morning path.

And little fragile bridges.

Goats.

And steep (really steep) climbs.

And giant slugs!

And stunning Pyrenean views

And descents.

Beautiful Charolais cows.

And soft, moist, cool walkways.

This was the view from our munch spot, plonked on the ground next to a muddy puddle. And as we sat there munching on hunks of day old baguette spread with roughly cut goats cheese, our feet free of shoes and basking in the stillness and quiet, we mused that it doesn’t get much better than this.

Of course, the funny thing was that we had been looking for somewhere to stop and sit and eat our lunch for half an hour or so - a bench in the shade was all we hoped for. But nothing appeared, until five minutes after leaving our lunch spot on the grass when we came across this bench placed by the local pilgrim association!! 

Attacked by a blackberry vine,

It was a warm day today and thankfully the afternoon section of the walk went mainly through most, soft, shaded paths. This made the last fifteen kilometres a lot easier to negotiate. We arrived in Saint Lizier around four, collected the key and set ourselves up in the gite. Then begins the ritual of unpacking, making beds, showering, washing sweaty clothes, seeking food and sorting plans for the next stage. On top of that there was a brief time to explore the central part of the village, including the huge old cathedral,

complete with frescos on the ceiling

and a cloister out the back.

This really in an amazing part of the world, with something to wonder about at every turn.

We ate out tonight, as cooking possibilities in the gite were extremely limited (and the supermarket was a twenty minute walk away, and we were feeling slightly jaded with sardines in pasta!!). Thankfully, there was a little restaurant just down the road that was open and that offered meals that were reasonable value. In the end we were joined by Jonathan whom we met in

Pamiers. Frites and sausage was basically the only meal on the menu but very much appreciated it was, along with a really interesting conversation about the scandal of The Salt Path book, which some of you may have read. 

I (Neil) am writing this in my bed in the gite. I am surrounded by sleeping pilgrims, there are four of us here, and my eyes are drooping too. I apologise for any typos or illegibility in the writing. These days have been wonderful but exhausting. And so I leave you, dear reader, to get some shut eye myself. Thank you for following along and for your comments and responses which are a delight to us both. Bon chemin!

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