Richardson Rambles

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The path to Montréal-du-Gers was wet and muddy.

This is Dave kindly trying to rid my boots of a thick layer of mud.

Larressingle:

Larressingle is France’s smallest fortified village, and possibly the cutest.  It currently boasts a population of 200 people.  The walls are original, unusual for this part of France, which was buffeted by wars for centuries.

Larressingle entry gate.

Larressingle within the walls.

Routges:

We enjoyed a picnic lunch at the Église de Routges, a lovely rural medieval structure dating from the 14^th century. We learned about the Cagots, a persecuted minority that lived in western France and northern Spain. They were considered “untouchables” and considered so unworthy that they were only allowed to enter the church through a tiny side-door and could only receive the Eucharist by means of a very long spoon.  The prejudice endured into the 20th century, when Cagots were finally absorbed into the general population.

Église Sainte Marie-Madeleine et Saint Louis de Routgès.

Montréal-du-Gers:

At the end of the hike, we arrived in Montréal-du-Gers, a pretty little town (population 3,965) built around a stunning central plaza and fountain.  In addition to the area’s classic stone buildings and light blue shutters, the plaza benefits from unusually deep colonnades on three of the four sides, which means there isn’t a bad seat in the house.  Everyone is protected from sun, wind, and rain.  It was so appealing that we couldn’t resist enjoying a glass of wine before heading to our hotel for the evening. 

Walking into Montréal-du-Gers.

The main plaza in Montréal-du-Gers.

Colonnades on the plaza.

Montréal’s Collégiale Saint-Philipe-et-Saint-Jacques, 13^th century.

Interior of the Collégiale.

Montréal-du-Gers to Éauze:

Éauze is the capital of Armagnac; it has a unique Gothic-style cathedral with unusual brick over stone construction, both on the exterior and the interior.  Our YouTube videos show more of the current structure, which is an 18^th century reconstruction.  There are also many half-timbered buildings in the historic center.  They all need some TLC, as do many buildings in Europe’s historic city centers.

Cathédrale Saint-Luperc, Éauze, interior.

A classic half-timbered building, with a café/bar where we stopped before heading to our apartment.

Éauze to Nogaro:

Manciet:

On the way to Nogaro, we passed through Manciet, a small village with a bullring, and church.  Bullfighting here is called “Course Landais” and according to the literature (marketing?) features a bloodless competition using “athletic cows”.  Hmmm. 

The Manciet Bull Ring.

Nogaro:

Nogaro is the site of Circuit Paul Armagnac, a motorsport racetrack.  The town also has a busy aerodrome for propeller-driven aircraft.  Add to this the frequent rumble and rattle of large trucks, and you have an overall impression of Nogaro – an old, dilapidated city with a 21st century noise profile.

Nogaro to Aire-sur-l’Adour:

Aire-sur-l’Adour is a commune in the Landes department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. It lies on the river Adour in yet another wine-growing area.  Once the residence of the Kings of the Visigoths, it is also the site of the martyrdom of Saint Quitterie, beheaded by her father for refusing to give up her Christian faith.  It has a bull-fighting ring, as do many towns we’ve passed through, and the famous Spanish bullfighter, Ivan Fandiño, died here in 2017 after being gored in the arena.

Walking over the bridge into Aire-sur-l’Adour.

Église Sainte-Quitterie d’Aire. Gothic, 12^th-14^th century construction.

Aire-sur-l’Adour to Pimbo:

Miramont-Sansecq:

Back on the road the following day, we passed through Miramont-Sensacq, where we enjoyed a picnic lunch. The 19^th century Église de Saint Martin welcomes visitors into the town.

Église de Saint Martin, 1888.

Sensacq:

The Église Saint-Jacques de Sensacq was built in the 11^th – 12^th centuries and has a full-immersion baptismal font, something I’ve not seen before.  The full-immersion fonts were introduced in the Carolingian era (8^th – 9^th centuries), which I promised to research last year but never got around to.  It turns out that Charlemagne, concerned about the souls of his citizens, required the churches to conduct surveys of their parishioners’ baptismal status as evidence of their Christian formation.  Apparently finding deficiencies, some churches constructed the full-immersion fonts to enable adults to fully partake of the baptism experience.

Full immersion baptismal font at the Église de Saint-Jacques.

Interior of the Église de Saint-Jacques.

Pimbo:

Super cute town – lively and tiny.  Unfortunately, we were not in the mood to enjoy it at its fullest since our luggage never arrived.  Our evening was a little grim. At least we had toothbrushes and toothpaste. No fresh clothes (although we were able to wash our underwear), no meds, no deodorant, no makeup, no sunscreen. You get the picture!  Oh well, tomorrow is a new day.

Our room at Le Patio Tursan in Pimbo.