In Montégut I stayed at the gite La Tour des Fées and the older couple that have been doing it for 10 years. They must be well into their 80s now, and they were most accommodating. The husband opened up a bottle of local Gascon wine for me at dinner last night and only charged me 1 Euro for it! The place was very clean and modern with a beautiful view of the surrounding countryside.
There had been another storm and heavy downpour last night just before midnight. It was overcast when I left, but walking in cooler weather was a plus. The negative was, however, was the mud. The short walk to Auch went very smoothly until I was well within the city limits then must have missed a balise and after walking a long time on a road never saw another. I ended up in a suburb, asked for the city center and had no problems. There was mixed road walking on little used roads interspersed with walking through a wooded areas. Mostly level with a few hilly portions. The two French women from Pibrac and I are staying in the Acceuil Pelerin in the presbytere. Since it seems pretty empty the volunteer gave me a private room which I appreciated, although it is pretty spartan. The Acceuil Pelerin doesn't take reservations, so I will have to show up at 3 pm tomorrow agsin. as I'm hoping to stay another night.
Auch. the capital of Gascony, is perched on a hill that overlooks the Gers valley. It dates from Roman times. During the Middle Ages the territory of Gascony became defined, and Auch was its head. The cathedral has been the archbishop's seat since 879 although there were some power struggles back and forth in the 10th through 12th centuries with the lords of Armagnac. Auch's memory has also been linked to the character of D'Artagnan (musketeer)
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