Le Puy Camino – via Podiensis: Miradoux to Lectoure

April 29, 2023

After a good night’s sleep and breakfast at Chez Vous Chez Nous, I started off towards Lectoure – a 16 kilometer walk today. Before leaving Miradoux, I stopped in a patisserie to grab a sandwich and a piece of fruit that would serve as my lunch later on in the day. It was a misty day for much of the walk, but still a pleasant easy walk on relatively benign, rolling-hills terrain.

A short distance outside of Miradoux, I noticed some ruins off in the distance. The Château de Gachepouy was built in the 14th century and served as a watchtower. The word “gachar” means – to watch, to guard or to spy on – in the dialect Gascon from the Gascony region of France. And “pouy” means hill, mound or height. I love how the name of the castle fits its purpose!

The cloudy, misty day put forth an ambiance that was relaxing and peaceful. The gray mist allowed the beauty of the spring colors to dominate the landscape. This day was one of my favorite walks – filled with solitude and stillness. While much of the day I walked on my own without many passing pilgrims, I was delighted to see some familiar faces at one point along the trail.

As I was walking along enjoying the silence of the day, I heard some distant singing. It was coming from behind me and growing nearer. Shortly, I was overcome by the French family of five that we had met at an earlier gîte. They were trekking along and singing as a group. I was delighted to witness such family cohesion. I remembered that Lectoure would be their stopping point after a two-week vacation walk along the GR65. Such fun to see them again.

In the small village of Castet-Arrouy, I stopped and peeked inside the Église Sainte-Blandine. I’m always amazed at the ornateness of the interior of some of these churches given the often very simple exterior architecture. Unlike many churches, the pews are replaced with chairs.

More of the countryside alone the way and some things in bloom!

Just on the outskirts of Lectoure, I came upon this cemetery – possibly the Cimetière Saint Gervais. I took a short break from walking and wandered around here for a spell.

Leaving the cemetery, I started to enter the outskirts of Lectoure. Before coming to the old town section of the city, I passed by a round-about and was greeted by a very rustic interpretation of a pilgrim.

Since it was too early to check in for our accommidation for the night, I decided to try and locate my belle-soeur Susan. I texted her to see where she might be, and then sat down on a bench right outside the Cathédrale Saint-Gervais and Saint-Protais and ate my lunch. Eventually, Susan responded and I found her enjoying a hot cup in a small restuarant a short distance away. She had taken a day off from walking due to a sore knee and grabbed a taxi to Lectoure – spending much of the day there. I learned from her that it actually rained hard all day in Lectoure! I treated myself to a warming glass of wine and a Crème Brûlée for my lunchtime dessert! 🙂 Unfortunately, our accommodations for the night would not let her check in early but she was able to drop her bag there. I was disappointed to hear this since I knew her knee was bothering her and she did not feel well. I already had a not-so-good feeling about the place.

We had reservations in a renovated 18th century royal tannery built in 1754 that is now an historical monument and operated as a bed and breakfast and meeting space. The Gîte d’étape La Manufacture Royale de Lectoure was one of the most unique places that we stayed. We headed there after our snack in the cafe to check-in. The atmosphere was an interesting mix of fancy yet simple decor. The accommodation had been open only one year. Our host greeted us and while very nice, she exuded an elegance beyond what I expected in a pilgrim accommodation. Although it is advertised as welcoming to pilgrims, I got the impression that they were really catering to a different clientale. Upon further research, I discovered that the owners do have more upscale accommodations in the lodging as well as special events.

The “Pilgrim Cottage” is a separate area where those of us walking the camino are housed. I’m not sure we even had access to the rest of the lodging. It is much simpler in design and sparse in furnishings but still very comfortable. It appeared they were having a special upscale function in another part of the building and we were given a quick tour, shown to our rooms and left by ourselves. It is one of the few places where I took some interior pictures of the fixtures, etc.

The Pilgrim Cottage

We settled in and took showers and walked around the town for a spell – landing on a small cafe for dinner. I had a delicious salmon burger with fries that was more than adequate for my appetite. When we returned to the lodging, we discovered the only other pilgrim that was staying here had arrived – a young woman who was traveling solo and was just starting her camino from Lectoure.

Scenes from Lectoure:

The town was very busy with tourists from around France as it was during one of their many school vacation times. It has the designation of the “town of art and history.” Lectoure traces its origin from an Iron Age settlement to medieval times and was at one time a walled city. It was considered an “oppidum” – a fortified town that existed between the 2nd and 1st centuries BC during the Iron Age. Wow – that’s old!! It is in the Gascony region of France and I got the impression Lectoure is a bit of a tourist town.

The next day was going to be close to a 19 kilometer walk so we retired early. While the beds were comfortable, I had a hard time getting warm. The stone construction and basement feel to the place did not “warm” up during the night. Despite that, I slept and woke up refreshed and ready for the next day’s walk.