Nothing, really ...

Septième jour - Tuesday 23rd June, Lectoure - rest day

It's a sign that the trip is going well when you have to ask your wife what day it is, and she has to look at her watch to confirm that today is indeed Tuesday 😉.

I could have figured that out because yesterday the shops were all shut, which of course meant it was Monday. But that would require some thought.

Our apartment here in Lectoure is nice, even if unfunctional. There are at least 4 heaters in the place, and one small oscillating fan. We're on the 2nd floor (the top) of the building, and the sleeping area is in a sort of attic space, at the top of the building, the hottest part of the whole building. There's a skylight directly above the sleeping area to let the sun in, and no means of covering it. We've dragged the mattress down the stairs and last night slept on the living room floor. The owners would be horrified (there's instructions everywhere about restoring the place to order when we leave).

Home for two nights - three windows on the top

We're staying directly opposite the Cathédrale, and I mean directly. It's maybe 7 metres across the street. We wandered into the cathedral a while ago - had a radical thought that we should drag the mattress across the street and spend the night on the cool 13th century floors!! Some photos (of the cathedral, not the mattress):

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/7ecab3_e28274f2494c41a6a3f4213635cea88b/file

There was some heavenly singing in the background

Some of the windows are just lovely

St James/Santiago/Saint Jacques, the dude whose way we are following

Pre-cathedral we had wandered across the road to the main square for a takeaway coffee and croissant in the shade.

Like so much of Europe, Lectoure seems to have a modern history which goes back to the 13th century or so. One of the interesting sights is the the Fountain of Diane, also known as the Fountain Hountélie.

The fountain is fed by three known underground springs since ancient times and probably built since that time. In its current form, the fountain dates back to the early 13th century. It's not quite apparent what its usage was back then, as it is located at the base of (outside) the city ramparts. Maybe as long as the hordes weren't invading, the then townsfolk could go about their business outside the walls. By the 18th century it fed the Royal Tannery, just down the hill.

The gated exterior of the fountain

Inside

Les remparts (the fountain is just to the right and down)

Along the ramparts

A couple of very nice old houses alongside (sort of out of) the ramparts

Here's another interesting one, the Castet de las Clarinettos...

The story of this house—which bears the name "château" but is not one in reality—essentially boils down to a founding anecdote, if not a legend. At the very end of the 19th century the owner of a small house located on this site played the clarinet in the Lectoure municipal band, an ensemble that still exists today. He spent most of his time practicing scales and playing his instrument, which inevitably irritated the sub-prefect, whose office was located directly opposite. The sub-prefect ordered him to stop playing, threatening him with severe legal action. He was forced to comply, but he later found his revenge when he had his small house rebuilt. An extra story was added to the building, blocking the sub-prefect’s view of the Gers plain and the distant Pyrenees. Furthermore, the house was richly decorated with stylized clarinet motifs and named Castet de las Clarinettos ("Château of the Clarinets")—the name inscribed in letters shaped like clarinets within a circular medallion on the façade.

After our mini tour of the town it was back to le Cathédrale to cool off again, then home, then to Racinette for lunch. Obviously there's no such thing as a flash lunch when we are walking, so this was special. Great food, great service. Couldn't fault.

Here's yesterday's gourmet store and fromagerie; don't think I added a picture then.

And lastly, today's weather report, taken at 2:53 pm ...

What day is it? Ummm, Tuesday. What did we do today? Nothing, really.

Good to have a rest day though. The pain in the legs has disappeared. The mind is strong.

18.6 klm day tomorrow, which in reality will be nearer to 20. We've decided on a 7am departure (and the boulangerie up the road opens at 6:30 for a croissant for the road). Plenty of eau.