La Romieu to Condom
The hallmark of our third section of the Camino seems to be a late awakening . Once again we enjoy a nice breakfast, then we take our time and wonder in the garden of the B&B and only then, around 10:00, we feel that we are ready. Back in La Romieu we buy in the grocery some tomatoes, sardines and banana for the day. It’s going to be a nice weather, only 24 degrees and the air is fresh. Today the ground in the fields has less yellow and more brown hue . The farms are impressive and well maintained and the forests are shaded. Huge packs of straw, packed in green nylon, are arranged in the fields. About four km later we enter the village of Castelnau-sur-l’Auvignon. It is a tiny, picturesque village with a church and a tower (closed). On a sign, the history of the village and of the resistance members who fought heroically against the Germans. A couple of elderly Frenchmen stop by. Ignoring our signs of misunderstanding, they explain in fluent French about theirs life in the village.
Chapelle Sainte-Germaine
The path descends behind the church into the fields and climbs towards Sainte Germaine Chapel (11th / 12th century). The chapel has a rustic Romanesque style, surrounded by a nice garden with pine trees under which blooms crocuses and abundance of cyclamen flowers. A wooden table allows us to sit comfortably alongside 3 women, they are the only humans we saw during the day. We continue and in front of us a field with sunflowers. Each has a huge black face, their heads facing us and they seem serious and thoughtful. I stand and watch and take more and more photos . It’s hard for me to leave these sunflowers that look surprisingly human. Clouds cover the sky and a breeze blowing … more fields around us and a large reservoir of water. Millet plants bloom in silvery shade. From here on there is a long long rise and at the end the descent to Condom.
Condom
It’s a quarter to three. Our hotel is disappointing – an old house with a beautiful facade but a shabby room and bath drain problem. It rains constantly and we take advantage of a short pause to access the nearby cathedral. In the street, near the cathedral, stands a statue of the three Musketeers and we rush to take pictures and send to our three beloved musketeers at home.
Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Condom
The cathedral was designed at the end of the 15th century and erected from 1506 to 1531. We appreciated the windows and the unique neo-Gothic openwork screen from 1844 around the chancel. The 16th-century cloister is now a public passageway and was very disappointing.
A simple dinner and we can call it a day.
