Via Podiensis (October 26, 2013) - Day 48 Moissac to Saint-Antoine

Today was just a long day at 27 kms in great weather, but complicated by a very late and frustrating start at 10:45. I was kicking myself for having chosen to be part of a late start...took me a while to change some poor thinking and walk peacefully.

The reason for the late start was twofold a) help Yosh make travel arrangements to Frankfurt where he will fly to Tokyo and b) to see the cloitre in the Moissac cathedral (more on this latter). With regard to us helping out Yosh I was all for this as France can be a complicated country to travel in with the various holidays etc. it took 45 minutes for Georges to sort this out for Yosh...without his help Yosh might never have left France!

My contribution to helping Yosh out was to keep others happy around us... Canadian lapel to the guy at the rail desk, an Australian couple patiently waiting in line and another lady also waiting. Something had to be done as we hogged the ticket agent!

Last evening we had a beer with Yosh, Sonia, Robert, Georges, Cyrille....Yosh absolutely wanted to pay to thank us.

Robert and Sonia at center

As we were leaving Patrick and Delphine joined us (they had left earlier in Conques) as they had driven for an hour to see Cyrille and take him out for supper.

Last night at supper a record 8 Canadian lapel pins were given, 2 to kitchen staff, 2 to a French couple in Moissac for a short walking holiday, 3 to ladies in Moissac for various reasons and a young guy making his way from Austria by bicycle and busking in town squares.

Vegetable soup

Potatoes and lamb

Delicious apple cake

A funny story later last evening...lay down at 9:30 and left lights on for Cyrille who was out for supper. I heard noise some time later as I must have dozed off. Cyrille had locked himself out and was screaming and yelling to me and Georges...luckily Georges was more awake than I was as he went down to help Cyrille...otherwise he might have spent the night under a tree!

Cyrille was very thoughtful as he bought some pates from the three of us for Yosh...pate is really expensive in Japan. Yosh was visibly touched by this gift as it was given to him...paper bag and all in typical guy manner, this morning.

He gave each of us his address and contact info in Tokyo and we did the same for him...very sorry to see him go.

Luckily today was easy and flat however we moved really hard to make up for lost time. Unfortunately I have zero, nada, zip and no interest in reading about old worn out, half broken historical artifacts. It took me 5 minutes to zip through the exhibition and then I waited...my own fault for not starting earlier...I did enjoy the inner courtyard though.

We walked along a canal for 12 kms or so which was very restful for the first hour or so...then became somewhat tedious.

Nuclear reactors

Decorated tree trunk

Town square

We stopped for lunch at Vincent's which is a well known spot for pelerins...I ate what I had bought in Moissac this morning...phew to get rid of some weight!

Cyrille helped me with my backpack to readjust the straps as it wasn't tight enough around the shoulders. They are screaming at me a bit...not happy campers those shoulders!

My feet are better again...not sure what they will look like in a month at my daughter Lise's wedding!

Best part of the day without a shred of a doubt!

Future Pilgrims

We are in the Gite Saint Antoine (Oustal) in a room for 5. The cost is 17 euros with breakfast and reservations have been made to eat in a local restaurant tonight. A warm reception with something to drink as we walked in...I rate it very highly.