Day 39 / Saint-Hilaire-de-la-Noaille -Auros / 26.13 km
Today will be a relatively short stage. 25 km. I entered the Landes where affordable sleeping options are not easily available. I found an affordable place in Chateau Auros, which is an old castle now functioning as an event place and gite. The alternative affordable option was to go to the refuge municipal of Captieux, directly 60km further. End this week I start climbing towards the Pyrenees, and in addition have some +40 km runs planned so it makes sense to limit the distance in the beginning of this week.
After saying goodbye to Bernadette and Serge (who is a little bit a lookalike of Jean Gabin) I slowly start running towards La Réole, an old village with some history. I want to avoid to arrive to early at Auros (a small village with nothing to do) so I decide to spend some time at La Réole : do some sightseeing , have a coffee and even find a “coiff” to trim my beard as I have the impression people start looking like at me as I’m an ISIS member.
Rain is forecasted but for now the sun makes an attempt to shine. The run to La Réole is short but beautiful.
In La Réole I spontaneously follow a city walking tour passing all the worthwhile historic buildings of the city. I learn that W Richard Lionheart built a small court before departing to the crusades to chop some heads, that the Mairie was a Benedict Abbey and that there was once a Roman villa. Finding coffee is not so easy. Similar to most small cities I passed thus far a lot of La Réole’s commerce seems to be in permanent shutdown. I estimate 60 % of the commercial buildings are empty, most of the ones not empty are still closed at 10.30 in the morning. I’m lucky to find a trendy looking bar open. The barman explains me it is a cooperative cafe opened just 3 weeks ago by some social driven people who want to fight the (cultural) downfall of their city. So if you find yourselves in La Réole please visit La petite populaire. The music is for French standards very modern : Sgt.Pepper’s of the Beatles and Talkingheads:77. I did not find a “coiff” open.
After my visit to La Réole I cross the Garonne. The bridge built by Eifel has already been some time replaced by a bigger and more modern version. At the other side of the bridge the Landes start. A “flatter” region known by most of the endless forrest boarding the highway to Spain. For now I’m not passing a lot of woods. I pass a canal and lock number 50 built on the canal. At the lock there is a nice cafe with a terrace. As the weather is sunny I have another coffee break. I think I have just ran 5 km. Another 12 to go. The lady who owns the place gives me a can of pork pâté and a bottle of water for lunch. I reluctantly accept as the can and water adds almost a half kilo to my backpack.
After I leave the sun decides she has worked enough today. Clouds appear predicting rain. I pass some villages. The roads are alternated by paths through wet grass fields. If it start raining my feet will be wet already.
Around 13.00 it starts raining. In the beginning only a couple of drops but suddenly It’s shower time. I seek shelter under a big tree. In attendance for the rain to stop I have my lunch; couscous and the Pâté. The pâté is not my taste and in a nearby bin it goes. It starts raining harder and the tree is not longer functioning as an umbrella. I put on my rain gear. 5 minutes later the rain stops. I take off my rain gear. I start running the last kilometres to the place I’m staying. The path is more wet grass fields and a very muddy, wet, path through a forest.
When I arrive my wet shoes/feet are making a sloshing sound. The manager of the Chateau checks me in the Chateau’s gite. It’s a cold place, the manager is unfriendly and I understand I will have to dine alone. Later when I want to take shower there is no warm water. I need to go to another place to have a shower. Dinner provided is minimal, some soup and a small piece of lasagne (which I suspect to be a leftover). Breakfast is not much better, an already hard bread and a tiny cup of jam. I complain but the person refers me to the owner. The owner is not around. The only solution is to go to a local supermarket to buy some additional food. The frozen chicken with macaroni is a not to bad supplement to the lasagne. On the way back I notice a bakery.The Chateau has a nice golden book to leave customer messages. I’m looking forward to leave my review tomorrow.
Lessons learned :
- Chateau is sometimes just a fancy name for a cold gite.
- Never look a given pâté can in the mouth.
- Being a pilgrim does not make you immune for poor service.
Song of today : No regrets - Dirk Blanchart
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