Flat out

Quatrième jour - Saturday 20th June, Moissac to Auvillar - 20.7 klms (running total approx 97.2)

An unusual typographical day. Whilst the previous three days had total accents and descents in the 500/600 metre range (both ways), today’s was about 100m up and down. In other words we walked our 20 klms pretty-well dead flat all day. That was a real bonus in the circumstances.

I can divide today’s narrative into three sections.

Part one – exploring Moissac. The tourist highlight of that city is the 11^th/12^th century Abbaye Saint Pierre. Because yesterday was such a big day we arrived too late to visit, so we delayed our departure in order to visit first thing. That meant a 10am departure, which is too late in this heat, but c’est la vie, as it were.

The cloisters are quite magnificent, and despite the time cost later in the day, well worth the visit.

Moissac markets in main square

The Abbaye church

Inside the cloisters

Leaving Moissac

Part two – the canal walk. The Canal Latéral à la Garonne is some 190 klms long, and part of a system which joins the Atlantic near Bordeaux with the Mediterranean near Marseille.

It was a lovely walk of just under 15klms.

Symmetry

Bridge selfie

Part 3 – the final chapter. 5klms across open agricultural country with no shade.

The highlight of that walk was as we entered Auvillar.

Self-explanatory. Some 70% of France's power is nuclear generated. This station is ~40 years old

Chair selfie. Probably our 4th recovery stop over as many klms. A kind lady stopped to offer us a lift, which we politely declined.

He watched us struggling up the hill to the old town, and hosed us as we went by

And lastly, around Auvillar.

Thisll do; so many more photos ...

17klm day tomorrow. Leaving early. Au revoir ...