Saint-Jean-le-Froid to Dufort-Lacapelette Previous | Books | Films | Index | 日本語 | Pics | Training | Via Podiensis | Next

26 September 2026 - Dufort-Lacapelette

Not to much coughing in the night fortunately. I did some morning yoga and broke camp by 6:30 as the others were getting up. Maïlys said sleeping in the chapel was a very bad idea. The morning was just fields and forests and then the descent to Montcuq, which, according to William and Nicholas has the same pronunciation as the French for "my ass", mon cul. Humor has some universals. I got coffee, and a sandwich and beer for later in Montcuq. No other camineros in town at 9AM though.

After Montcuq I got lost in the fields without realizing it until some hunters told me to turn back. It was nice that they didn't want to risk shooting me on a Saturday morning. Still, i lost an hour. I stopped in the hilltop town of Montlauzun to eat my sandwich and replenish my water. Then it was down and up another hill and crossing into the Tarn-et-Garonne department. Having been to this department three years prior it felt a little bit like coming home. Lauzerte is on the top of a high hill, but first one must make the steep descent to the valley around it. The grocery store is at the bottom of the high, so I stopped there to stock up. On my way I saw William, Nicholas and the girls going in. We planned to meet for beers in Lauzerte. I was the first up the hill and picked the bar with a solid local IPA, but they soon caught up. It's a cool little old medieval town, Lauzerte. And I imagine quite defensible back in the day when climbing hills mattered. Even as far back as Roman Gaul this was an oppidum.

The descent from Lauzerte was as steep as the ascent. And then, of course, there was another ascent. The four caught up to me there. At slightly different paces I had a chance to talk with each. Maïlys was the last and by then we were descending to the chapel where they planned to camp, so we had a chance to talk all the way there. It's so interesting to talk to kids that are roughly Maxwell's age and just out of school wandering across France. they are all so full of joy at living life. Then I said goodbye and continued on to find my last campsite of the trip. it was probably another hour and a half down the road in a nice bamboo thicket with a picnic table next to a spring. I probably should had thought the decision through a little better, because the spring was basically a mosquito breeding ground. Even trying to watch the sunset 30 meters away in a field they were all over me. So I hid in the tent and went to sleep early.