June 17, 2026 – Buzet-sur-Baïse to Agen – 29 kms – Le Cœur d’Agen apartment 

June 18, 2026 – Agen to Auvillar – 33 kms – Chambres d’Hôtes de Marchet

June 19, 2026 – Auvillar to Moissac – 23 kms – L’Atelier à Côté Abbatiale

June 20, 2026 – Moissac to Toulouse by train – L’Authentique – Cœur de Ville apartment

June 21, 2026 – Toulouse – L’Authentique – Cœur de Ville apartment

June 22, 2026 – Toulouse L’Authentique – Cœur de Ville apartment 

Gordon:  We completed the active portion of our trip on Friday, finishing our walk or ride in the city of Moissac.  In total, I walked 1214 kilometres on this trip, and Ruth rode 1302.

We passed through Agen, with its remarkable assemblage of half-timbered buildings, and a canal-bridge more than half a kilometre long.  The following day we joined the Chemin de Le Puy at the beautiful hilltop town of Auvillar.  We passed through here in 2010, and it was a delight to visit it again.  Immediately noticeable on the Chemin was the availability of better infrastructure, like well-maintained washrooms, and a general investment in restoring the many historic buildings.  Auvillar is best known for its Halle, or covered marketplace.

The following day I walked a section of the Chemin de Le Puy in reverse.  Ruth and I counted the pilgrims that we met on the stage, arriving at a total of less than 40.  This is half as many as accompanied us on our first pilgrimage from Le Puy en Velay in 2009.  Similarly, we were surprised by the modest number of pilgrims in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.  Why so few pilgrims?  Possible explanations include the unusually hot weather, the competition of the World Cup, or some other factor.  A French pilgrim told us that June is usually a less popular month than May or the Summer.  If so, it would be a good choice for pilgrims that wish to do the Le Puy route during a less busy time.

In Moissac we made repeated visits to the Abbatiale Saint-Pierre and its cloister.  The church is rather ungainly due to modifications over time, but it has remarkable 12th century sculptures on its main portal and in its cloister.  A major rail line cuts through the abbey complex, highlighting how unlikely it is that an art treasure such as those found in the Abbatiale will survive 800 years of war, revolution and development to be seen by us in the present day.  We are certainly grateful for the opportunity to see the ones that have successfully negotiated the fraught sea of time.

We took a short train ride the next day to Toulouse, where we are staying for three nights before our flight home.  We have been in the city several times in the past, including three weeks in 2010 when we were attending a French school.  Our plans for the time in the city have had to be modified, however, to accommodate the heat wave that is currently surging over the country.  The daily highs have been rising from around 30 degrees a week ago to a forecast 39 degrees for the next few days.  It has reached the point where it is unpleasant to be outside in the afternoon, even in the shade.  Our small apartment in the historical district lacks air conditioning, but the stone walls, more than a metre thick around the bedroom, have thus far kept us comfortable.

We fly home to the gentle climate of June in Victoria tomorrow.