Thursday: Aire sur l'Adour to Sauvalade

I had the luxury of a room all to myself in the Maison des Pelerins, and only a short walk from the bathroom! From the outside MdP looked like a rather bizarre shop, its plate glass windows full of photos of smiling faces from around the world. The door opened onto a large room with posters, a piano, shelves of crockery, and some large tables, behind which sat Jean Michel, the proprietor. It was really a lovely place to stay, and after the usual coffee, bread and jam breakfast, I pushed my bike out in to the street as the sun was rising at the end of the road.

Today's ride was hilly and hard work, but it avoided the major roads and the French lorry drivers who had seemed so determined to kill me the night before. I was soon passing through the beautiful villages of Pimbo and Morlanne and visiting their churches. In Pimbo they obviously celebrated mass in the sacristy and behind the altar a door opened out onto a fantastic view, the countryside that I had just cycled through.

Yesterday had been a long 90+km day, so today I booked a Gite d'Etape adjoining an old abbey church in Sauvelade which meant a shorter 75km ride. In fact I reached my target by 3pm and wondered if I shouldn't be pushing on further so as to leave myself a shorter distance to the train. But I had made the booking and it was nice to think that I had finished for the day.

I showered, washed my cycling gear, and had a beer in the sun. An elderly pilgrim appeared who asked me in faltering French, if this was the Gite. For half a sentence I began an answer in French before coming to my senses and saying, "Are you English?" and continuing in English. Unfortunately my half sentence had convinced Hugh, who was to be my roommate, that I was French, and, like Charles Ryder's father (brilliantly played by John Geilgud) he could not be disabused of this misconception.

Sauvelade was a Benedictine and then a Cistercian church, visited by Edward I. It is plain in style, but a beautiful and prayerful space.