My Compostelle 2 : the Via Tolosana: Part 2, day 12 : Dourgne to Sorèze

The time at Sainte-Scolastique had been lovely and refreshing. Their gîte turned out to be more modern than its first impression lead me to believe, and I was joined there by Bernard. The only other person staying there to my knowledge was Jacqueline, a woman slightly older than I, who was taking care of a 93-year old woman. The latter appeared to be in very good shape, and was doing an extended visit of sorts to the monastery. In fact, when Bernard and I had dinner in the dining area, there were more than a half-dozen "groupies" -- older lay people who were also dining there and seemed to be "regulars" helping out in ways that they could.

Bernard and I attended vespers and enjoyed listening to the sisters as they sang the hours. We were not alone, as there were other habitué(e)s in attendance as well. I was glad to have him with me, though, as it would have been a bit lonely there by myself. Apparently he had hoped to stay in En Calcat, but the monks apparently did not take lodgers during the month of September because they wanted to devote their spare time to gardening.

The walk to Sorèze was a short one. I started out before Bernard, then, during a scary portion along a busy highway, ran into Teri from Raleigh, North Carolina again, and the two of us walked together the remainder of the way. She had done a portion of the Camino Francés the previous year through Camino Ways, and was so impressed that she had decided to do a segment of the Voie d'Arles as well. She would be walking as far as Toulouse.

Sorèze was an artsy town with a lot of activity going on. I stopped to take photographs, and, because I was staying just a couple of kilometers in the outskirts of town, lost Teri when I decided to have lunch there. She would be walking as far as Revel that day. Since I would not be taking the demi-pension at my gîte that evening, I decided at least one good meal that day was in order, and the Brasserie/restaurant St. Martin, half covered in vines, turned out to be an excellent choice.