Bruce and MR were back at Lautrec this morning, so I loaded my bags into their van and  we trotted back to Les Terrasse so that I could show them around Dominique’s lovely hotel and garden.  Dominique was gracious as always and I thanked her for a wonderful stay.

We picked up some baguettes then headed in the direction of Castres to pick the track from where we had left off last Tuesday.

We had lots to chat about as we had been apart for a week.  The walking was pretty easy going … a lot of tar under our feet.  MR had to buy new boots as her old ones fell apart, so she struggled a bit today trying to wear them in.  I really feel for her.  New boots simply mean pain!  If not from your feet then from other parts of your body as you adjust to the new way of walking in them.  I think it will be a tough couple of days for her, but fingers crossed it isn’t too bad.

We met a couple of French ladies who are walking from Arles to Toulouse.  We had coffee in a little town called Viviers-Les Montagnes.  A lovely Frenchman stopped and chatted to us and pointed us in the direction of the cafe.  It is always a treat to come across a town where you can get a coffee and maybe a pastry along this walk as there aren’t that many that you walk through that have anything as exciting as a cafe.

We had lunch in a church yard.  We passed an organised group of walkers who had stopped for lunch.  They had chairs and a table and a picnic lunch.  A group of about 10 I think.  They had a backup van with them.  I figured that they were the reason that I couldn’t get into the local abbye for the evening.  When Dominique tried to book me in she was told that there was a group booked in and they had no room.  I was a little disappointed because I think it would have been interesting, but such is life.  I hope that they aren’t walking too far though, I don’t want to be stuck for accommodation.

As we only walked 16 km we arrived in Dourgne at around 3 pm.  Bruce was busy today having new tyres fitted, shopping, buying drills to do some repairs etc.  So we sat outside the tourist information on the wifi for a while.  Followed by a coffee at my little hotel in the middle of the town.  Then when Bruce arrived we had a pastise.  MR and Bruce who have a better understanding of the French language than me had a look at my menu for the evening.  “Don’t order that … pigs feet, don’t order that calf’s head, octopus” etc etc … it went on and on.  So I am quite nervous about what I am actually going to eat this evening.  It should be interesting.