Part 2, day 16 : Ayguesvives to Toulouse

I decided to save time and took the early 7: 13 a.m. bus from Ayguevives into Toulouse where it hooked up with the Métro at the Université Paul Sabatier station. It was an easy way into town, and I took a guess at my station, Esquirol. The station was right in front of the hotel ! 

The Hotel Père Leon had a lot going for it ! It was centrally located, closed to the Métro, had nice modern rooms, and an excellent restaurant attached. I dropped off my backpack at the reception since it was still early and decided to explore the town before my friend Judy arrived sometime in the early afternoon.  

They had given me a small map at the hotel reception desk and I headed first for the Basilica of Saint Sernin, the former abbey church of the Abbey of Saint-Sernin or St Saturnin. The current church is located on the site of a previous 4th century one which held the remains of St Sernin, the first bishop of Toulouse (c.250 A.D.) . According to Wikipedia, the importance of this particular church increased enormously after Charlemagne donated a quantity of relics to it, and, as a result, it became an important stop for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela, and a pilgrimage location in its own right. The immensity of the current building and the existence of an ambulatory likely reflects the need to accommodate increasing numbers of pilgrims. 

I then visited Notre Dame de la Taur and the Couvent des Jacobins where Judy and I planned to attend a piano concert the following evening.  The latter was first built in 1230 by Saint Dominic, who founded an order of monastic preachers intended to combat the increasing spread of Catharism, which the Catholic church considered a heresy. Thomas Aquinas, a member of the Domincan order and author of the Summa Theologiae, later canonised in 1323, is buried there.

I then returned to the hotel to have lunch in the restaurant, as the place was originally founded as a wine bar and later brasserie, and enjoyed a very good meal just before Judy arrived. 

Le Père Leon

My café gourmand

 Toulouse was a lively town and we were to enjoy much as we were there the weekend of Les Journées Européennes du Patrimoine. In addition there was a sizable peaceful march of the Gilets Jaunes (and related causes and sympathizers), that grassroots movement  born out of the frustration of those living in the neglected towns and villages of France. These are the people largely forgotten by city dwellers whose needs are different, but who benefit from services now unavailable to their abandoned brothers and sisters.  Having just walked through a segment of this rust belt of France, and noting the inconveniences and lack of services, I was beginning to understand just where they were coming from...

To see the video version of my walk, I am also making it available here.

To see a short videoclip of them click here

Part 2, day 15 : Avignonet-Lauragais to Ayguesvives

The three of us, Dominique, Francine and I, had a lovely stay in Avignonet as Danielle turned out to be a most pleasant and helpful hostess.  Anticipating a long 24km walk to Ayguevives, she first drove us to a bakery where we picked up sandwiches and lunch supplies, and then gave us headstart along the Canal du Midi. It was a long but pleasant walk and we met a group of people from a pilgrim organization which enabled two physically challenged woman experience a portion of the Voie d'Arles along the canal, we were able to see two boats go through the locks, and then visit a small chapel along the way, normally closed to visitors.

La Goutille

Danielle at the boulangerie where we bought sandwiches for lunch

Me with Francine and Dominique

The Canal du Midi is one of the oldest canals in Europe still operating.  It was authorized by Jean-Baptiste Colbert in October, 1666 under Louis XIV, with the aim of developing the wheat trade.  We were fortunate enough to see one of the locks in operation when two small boats passed through and we waited several minutes for the water to fill up.

 

Here two boats lie between the locks as the water fills up

While eating lunch Francine talked with a man stationed near the canal and we got permission to cross via the lock and visit the chapel

Chapel

Here we left the canal for the long 3,3km walk in the afternoon sun to our gîte

Michael, a young man also staying at the Accueil pèlerin de Ayguevives