Day 31: Stage 26: Beaulac-Bernos

26 km, Sun ☀️ 🌞, 24°

Chilling In The Sun!😎🍻

Well, we weren’t quite chilling, but it was wonderful to walk in the sun with a big blue sky! It’s sort of made my heart sing. The only downside I could think of is that I had to carry just about all my gear.😂 A very small sacrifice that I was more than delighted to make.

After enjoying the typical French breakfast formula with Colette, we said our goodbyes and set off on today’s stage. We have both commented about how nice it is to stay in someone’s home during these walks. Much more personal and I find that I learn a lot more about the area I’m travelling through, not to mention the person I’m staying with. It sure beats a hotel.

Today we basically followed the Camino route with two short spells on the highway for strategic reasons. I immediately noticed just how fluffy my freshly machine washed socks were!😀

Today was a very good day of walking. We walked both small country lanes and the trails as well. Wherever we went the scenery was great and the walking was enjoyable.

We walked along beside a good size lake for quite a while. We decided to try this path because there hasn’t been any rain for about four days.

It was still quite muddy in parts, but not as bad as it would’ve been last week.

At one point, we passed through an area that was signed as prohibited to walk through in the fall because of the hunting that takes place. We saw some huge blinds and hides for the hunters through this section. Otherwise, it was just nice little trails.

As I said, nice narrow country roads today often lined with spring wildflowers.

After about 15 km we reached the small city of Bazas which is particularly well known for its UNESCO designated cathedral because of its long history with the Chemin de Saint-Jacques de Compostela in France.

However, before we could take in the splendours of the city, we had some domestic chores to take care of. Most importantly I needed to recharge my phone. This time it was 80G’s of data for just €15 at one of the local tabac shops. Easy-peasy. Next stop was a bank ATM to pick up some cash in order to pay for many of our accommodations. Then it was off to city hall for a stamp in our credentials, before finally we were able to take in the cathedral.

It did not disappoint.

Beautifully cleaned stained glass!

Work has begun to restore and clean the outside of the cathedral. It’s amazing to see it sparkle, looking just as it did when it was built hundreds of years ago.

After a simple lunch and a few minutes to pick up a couple of things at the grocery store, we said goodbye to Bazas and headed for the exit.😊

We spent the next 10+ km walking along a converted rail trail which was shaded by lovely trees.

And then we walked around to the back of the house to see our little home for tonight. It seems that each time we have walked a different Camino we’ve found an unusual place to stay. Sometimes it’s a truckstop, other times it’s a hut at a campground, occasionally it’s a cell in a Buddhist temple or a Christian monastery and other times it’s been a caravan.

It’s got just about everything. And our host is going to make us dinner tonight and provide us with breakfast tomorrow.

That’s about it from here. Tomorrow’s stage is some 29 km, so I’d better look to see if I can find a few shortcuts.😉 Apparently we will be walking through some heavily forested countryside along a very straight track. Sounds to me like a day totally suited to plugging in some good music. I haven’t done that in well over a week.

Bon Chemin!

Geoff🌞😎❤️🍷