Le Puy Camino – via Podiensis: Auvillar to Miradoux

I have been feeling guilty for the length of time is has taken me to finish recording both of my Camino walks to the blog. But, as I return now to those walks, I realize that it’s okay. I am having such fun reading over my old notes and recalling the small little details of the walks through my photography. It is a bright spot in what seems like an endless, dreary, cold winter! My focus will be on my first camino in the Spring of 2023. I am starting where I left off!

April 28, 2023

Before leaving Auvillar, we did a brief walking tour of the town. I love the beautiful brick and limestone architecture that gives this town its charm.

On our way to the walled town center, we passed by the Eglise Saint-Pierre. Originally built in the 12th century, the church has undergone many renovations overe the years.

We left the church and wandered into the town center to see some of the sites. As is typical of these medieval villages, the streets are narrow and cobbled.

Auvillar was built high on a rock outcropping and was the site of many invasions over the years and changed hands several times. In 1589, it became part of France permanently and due to its fortress-style architecture was subjected to conflicts such as the Hundred Years War and the French Wars of Religion. From the 17th to the 19th centuries, the town was known for its pottery and also its production of writing “pens” from goose feathers. One of the unique features of the town are the ceramic pilgrim figures that are perched on many of the buildings in town. They are very fanciful and fun to discover! Be sure to look up when walking through town!

Our next stop was in the Place de la Halle for a look at the “Halle aux grains” building – an old market place built in the early 1800’s.

I saw signs along the way for a scenic overlook and had to go investigate. The view from the overlook on top of the massive fortress walls was spectacular.

To get back on the GR65 and head out for our walk today, we had to pass through the Tour de l’Horloge d’Auvillar. The clock tower is an historical monument and was built in the later part of the 17th century. It was a very cool piece of architecture!

Much of the walk today was fairly tame with “levelish” ground. The hot and humid weather carried over from yesterday so I was happy there were no major elevation gains! The walking terrain was a mixture of pavement, dirt tracks and small footpaths. The overall distance I had to cover today was a about 17 kilometers! Some guidebooks treat the walk between Auvillar and Lectoure as one stage for a distance of over 32 kilometers. Breaking this into two stages was a much better idea!

Pollarding was a common practice since medieval times in Europe. In ancient times, the trees were pollarded to produce fodder for animals and to produce wood. These days, it is done for ornamental reasons and to keep trees small in urban areas.

Around lunchtime, we started to come upon the village of Saint-Antoine-de-Pont-d’Arratz that advertised a great restaurant called La Coquille de Saint-Antoine. It was obviously a popular pilgrim stopover as we came upon many others who were looking for a rest and some refreshment.

Before heading to the restaurant, we popped into the Eglise de St Antoine – a unique Romanesque style chapel. The plain exterior did not prepare me for the more elaborate interior design.

The restaurant was busy and had a rather festive atmosphere. With outdoor seating, we grabbed a table and ordered some food. Really nice place!

After leaving Saint-Antoine-de-Pont-d’Arratz, the scenery returned to the rolling hills landscape of this morning. It was such a nice pleasant day!

Right about the time I was ready for a water and snack break, I came upon the small hamlet of Flamarens. There was not much here – sort of a one-road village but two structures caught my attention. The Eglise Saint-Saturnin is an old structure in partial ruin. It is believed to have been constructed in the 14th century near to the Château de Flamarens. Together the two structures served as defense positions for the villagers. The Château de Flamarens dates to the late 1200’s and today serves as a lodging for pilgrims.

There was a really nice picnic area just opposite the church where pilgrims could take a break and relax. I was not alone as this was another perfectly placed rest stop!

The rest of the day was uneventful and I arrived in Miradoux early and before my accommodations opened for the afternoon. Chez Vous Chez Nous is a lodging that occupies an old renovated building and has an enclosed garden on the opposite side of the road. They allowed me access to the garden while I waited for the gîte to open. When I was able to check in, our host indicated that the place was full! We had a room with 3 beds and found out we would be sharing our room with Gerald – a pilgrim we have met before from Germany. .As I was checking in, there was also another American couple from Nevada. It was unusual to come across Americans on this journey so it was a nice encounter!

We paid for a demi-pension which gave us both dinner and breakfast for an unbelievable price of 37 euros. Dinner was served outdoors in the walled garden and included an aperitif prior to a multi-course meal. Our roommate Gerald showed us some of his talents when he played the guitar and led us all in a rendition of the Pilgrim Song. There are many different pilgrim songs. I don’t remember the exact one that Gerald sang but I’ve grabbed the pilgrim song lyrics from the movie “The Way”. I just like it.