Sunday, Sept 29, 2014
To Condom; 9km
Last day of hiking the trail. Destination Condom.
Due to “stuff” mentioned earlier, we stayed at the Chateau des Mons, which is about 4km off of the GR65 which meant we had to hike back part of the way to reconnect with the trail. Another option would have been to just follow the road, but there are no shoulders on either side and traffic, while light on Sundays, is VERY fast. So altogether it worked out a short 9.5km. Some of it on country roads, some on muddy trails.
We arrive in Condom around 13:50 to find out almost everything is closed on Sundays and many stores are closed on Mondays as well. No, it’s not a long weekend. They just close on Mondays. AND..that includes restaurants!!! We have 2 slices of gluten free bread left that we have with us and a smallish block of cheese!
Scouring the internet I find a takeout sushi place open and hike the 1.2km to get supper, and back.
From the Chateau we start out on paved road roads that leads to the trail, the GR65
The paved road leads to a gravel road which is part of the official trail. But it doesn’t last long before we’re on a dirt track between fields and through a swamp and around a reservoir.
Eventually we arrive in Condom and work our way to the place we’re staying for the next 2 nights.
It’s a Sunday and almost everywhere the stores are closed. Many are closed tomorrow too! The bars are open though and we have a coffee and a Coke before checking in to pick up the keys.
The restaurants are all closed and the ONLY place I can find that is open is a takeout sushi place 1 1/2 km away. There is a bakery and a Relais place but neither can guarantee anything gluten free. But they have wine, so we buy a bottle for later and head back to the room.
I call the sushi place to make sure they’re still open and then hike out to it and place our order, wait the 30 minutes, and then hike 1 1/2km back to the apartment carrying a tray of sushi
So, once fed and a few sips of wine we’re trying to work out how we’re going to get back to Toulouse to catch our flight to Stüttgart. Condom isn’t exactly on the way to anywhere important and Toulouse is about 120km north east. There are no trains here but there are buses.
Google maps, who seems to know everything, says to take a bus to Agen where there are trains. But…based on a recent episode waiting for a bus to appear we’re rather reluctant to go that route. Plus it’ll cost over 150€ with the train and takes 4 hours, and then there’s making the connection, and “The Baggage System at Heathrow…” to worry about!
I contact our host here and she suggests to try blabla car, I already have the app. and sure enough we can get a ride with Alexandre who is a student heading back the university in Toulouse, on Tuesday. He has room for both of us and our packs, all for 17€ for both of us. Side note: The ride itself is a tail worth telling if you really want to know.
Next Day;
Monday September 30
Things have improved. The sun is shining, the rain has stopped, most stores and shops are open, including the grocery store, (where we will meet the blabla car tomorrow).
Time to walk around the city, explore, buy postcards, souvenirs, and donate our “walking sticks” to The Camino Store for some other adventurers.
The cathedral and the church bells are impressive, but we miss Mass and wander around until it’s over so we can discreetly enter without interrupting services.
We take our Credencials to a Sister who asks a few questions, stamps our books and wishes us a pleasant journey.
