After breakfast I started on the trail. About 30 minutes into it I passed by the Church of St. Sernin. It dates from 1078, so is quite venerable. There are many tiny wayside chapels on the Camino, most of them only visited by pilgrims. They can hold about 20-50 people.
After about an hour on the trail I ran into three French couples hiking on the Camino. Since we're all about the same purpose we made fast friends.
They were all about taking shortcuts, and taught me quite a few things. In modern times, the Camino tends to be very careful about avoiding highways, even if that's the route the pilgrims of old chose. So modern pilgrims are routed to cow paths and farm roads for their own protection. Not these French couples. They were heading for the Pyrenees via the fastest route possible!
One of the men had sweet memories from an American G.I., who gave him a piece of chocolate as the war was winding down in France.
After a while we became separated, probably because I chose to follow the trail and they were going along the highway.
Having people around on the trail can be wonderful, because it provides company and solidarity. Being alone also is good because it provides for sustained opportunities to pray.
It was a beautifully sunny day, with temperatures in the high 70s. Again, there was not a cloud in the sky.
Once again, on the approach to Moissac the trail had me ascend high in the hills. One day I'll find out the reason for this. Then it became like the pilot looking for the airport.
I think that we've all been in planes where the pilot tells you that the plane is on the approach to land, but it takes forever. Then the plan slows to minimal speed and the wait becomes interminable. You just know that your stacked up in line, waiting for your turn to land.
That's how it feels as you wait in the hills tinder the city where you'll be arriving. But Moissac was worth the wait. Spring is far more along here than in the mountains. I swear that the Lawn and Garden Club of Moissac had prepared just for my arrival, because the flora and fauna were out of this world! This was one perfect day.
I checked into the gîte (a former Carmelite convent) and then toured the town. The must-see attraction was a medieval church with a cloister attached to it. It was so beautiful. The decor seemed more Spanish than French (even more Italian than French), so there must have been some reason(s) for this.
Oh the beautiful things that mankind created for the glory of God in the Middle Ages!
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