Part 3 Day 12 Marciac to Maubourguet

What a difference a day makes. It is warm and sunny! Patrick Robert, from the eclectic Gite Tour Saint Jacques, gave me a head start.  Claude and Jean-Pierre were out the door while it was still dark. The walking wasn't particularly strenuous-- mixed dirt, asphalt and gravel, and the sky was clear and blue. Gorgeous!

Auriébat (above) is tiny and the town hall has a fountain,  toilet, and benches to sit with a panoramic view. Its primary feature is its church of the Nativité de la Sainte-Vierge with a very tall and colorful Gothic spire. I met 3 Brits there and asked two French women for directions.  

The walk to Maubourguet seemed to drag on so I took a couple of breaks along the road. I ran into several cyclists (mostly Brits) and a handful of cars passed but it was very quiet. 

Maubourguet, though, is a fair-sized place and spread out. I understand from the Brits that it is a bit like Paris--all roads lead to Maubourguet...According to one guide book, Maubourguet is at the crossroads of two major axes: Auch-Pau and Bordeaux-Tarbes. 

The history of the place apparently goes back some 5000 years. It became a major stop along the Arles pilgrimage route in the 13th century with the building of the Saint-Esprit pilgrim hospital.

Part 3 : Day 11 Pouylebon to Marciac

 I left the Camping Pouylebon. happy to see it was not raining,, although gray and overcast. I had a lot of ground to cover, so passed by thec15c castle Pouylebon and the Church of St. Anne which was closed. Arriving in Saint-Christaud there was a curious looking Romanesque-Gothic church of the 14th century dedicated to Saint-Christophe, but it, too, was closed, and apparently under renovation. There i ran into two French walkers, walking separately,, Claude and Jean-Pierre. The former mentioned a certain Joelle who is taking handicapped people along portions of the trail with a donkey in tow. I wonder if this is the same individual that was supposed to be staying in the gite communal in Montégut. At any rate,, A few kilometers from Marciac, there were the ruins of another castle, those of the feudal castle of Monlezun, and a little well-maintained church. Finally, I made it into Marciac.

Marciac, another bastide town, was founded in 1298 by Guichard de Marciac, count of Pardiac, Tolosano seneschal and representative of the king. Apparently the town came to have four hospitals, among them that of Saint-Jacques, which modified the itinerary of the pilgrims and the Voie de Arles 

In recent years it has become know for its Jazz Festival  celebrated, between the end of July and mid-August. 

Part 3 Day 10 Montesquiou to Pouylebon

Well nothing goes exactly as planned. I left the place called "Arnaud" chez Marie-Line, and followed her directions and headed for Montesquiou. 

About halfway there it started to rain, then poured. It was quite miserable as I headed uphill towards the town and was unable to take any photos whatsoever because of the deluge. Montesquiou appeared to be another charming town built around a castle, but I really didn't see much of it. I headed for the epicerie, sitting at a picnic table in the shelter of a covered area adjoining the syndicat d'intiative when a woman drove by. I asked her for directions to the epicerie and she walked me half-way. There the woman behind the counter took pity on my and invited me to come into an area where three others were gathered that appeared to be a makeshift café. They were expats from somewhere --perhaps England. I barely had an opportunity to speak to them when the woman who I had spoken with initially said there was a gentleman from the region who offered to drive me to Pouylebon ! An offer I could hardly refuse!

The Camping Pouylebon is a bit remote but does have two "dormitories" of sorts for walkers. Mine has a main room with sofa, table and chairs, and kitchen, with a dorm of 4 beds, and a bathroom. I am by myself, which is perfect. The weather changed in the afternoon with some sunshine, but my phone charger had gotten damp in the rain and I had to wait several hours for it to dry out.

 

 

Part 3 Day 9 Barran to Montesquiou

Barran seemed such a charming, picturesque village as did Isle de Noé, a charming village despite the light rain, which seemed to dissipate shortly thereafter. The latter was crawling with people celebrating the Journees du Patrimoine and some other market festival--cars were parked everywhere and there were even traffic jams along the narrow streets.  Sights included a 13c church and an 18c of Counts of Noë. There was apparently a 13c hopital St Jacques there as well. I sat at a picnic table there by the river and had a snack.

 

The walk to Marie-Line's place 3 km from Montesquiou was uneventful, although at times I wondered if I was following her directions properly.  I ran into a couple of Germans who apparently live in the area, out for a walk, and they reassured me I was on the right track.