From Cajarc to Larressingle

Cajarc - Bach (30km) - Cahors (26km) - Lascabanes (21.5km) - Lauzerte (23km) - Moissac (24.5km) - Auvillar (20.5km) - Castet-Arrouy (22.3km) - La Romieu (29km) - Larressingle (21km)

First of all: I've walked 500km! There are now only ten days left until I reach Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, which is where I'll be meeting mum and dad for two days off! Looking back at the last 9 days, it really does feel like I've been walking through very similar scenery every day. It's almost constantly been fields of crops and sunflowers, broken up by the occasional mosquito-filled wood...

Another recurring theme is walking through - and usually ending my day in - hilltop towns. While this sounds delightful and charming, the reality is something quite different, as you have to walk up those hills to find your accommodation, during the hottest part of the day! However, once a shower has been taken and the feet have had a breather, exploring these gorgeous towns has been fantastic. It's really evident how much has been invested in keeping the towns and villages along this route in tip-top condition!

I've also walked through a couple of big, vibrant towns in the last 9 days. The first of these was Cahors on day 15, a really gorgeous place! My overnight stay coincided with a small music festival, and while I was too exhausted to go to the main event, I did get to listen to plenty of street musicians as I wandered around during the afternoon and early evening. I also spent some time admiring the famous cloisters in Moissac on day 18! It's been a pretty quiet week all-in-all - not that that's a bad thing! After the extremes of the week before, it's been good to get into a rhythm. That rhythm has also included some much earlier mornings, as the temperature during the day has suddenly rocketed and is normally around 36-38degC! Morning interactions on these occasions are usually so infrequent that by the time it comes to me properly talking to someone, I haven't quite gained control of my voice and whatever I try to say comes out as a pitiful squeak...

There have been some wonderful gîtes this week, with the most welcoming and warm hosts who invite you into their homes... Some of them have been really hard to leave!

Some really good news - my feet are behaving impeccably, and there's been no sign of a single blister for the last couple of days! Having happy feet certainly does make life a lot more enjoyable!

Next stop... The Pyrenees!