Day 22 Larressingle

Saturday 8th October and I felt much recovered this morning following too much sun yesterday. My other ailments from yesterday included plenty of mosquito bites, a cold, and (rare for me) sore legs. The plan for today is slow and steady with a long lunch (by which I mean rest) in Condom which is just over halfway to today's gite d'étape. Condom is a major town for the area though with a population of less than 7,000.

My exit from La Romieu. 

Compared to Spain, France is sparing with its
profound words which I suppose provides them with the time for some welcomed translation. 

I pass through the small hamlet of Castelnau-sur-l'Augignon which punches above its weight and is keen to remember and share its role with the resistance movement in occupied France during WW2. Though it is easy for film makers to celebrate the resistance as everyone gets behind the underdog, it was a difficult time for the French and many kept three books recording how they supported the resistance, the ousted government and the ruling government of Vichy France (1940-1944) who had a policy of collaboration with the occupying German forces. It must have been impossible to know who would come out top.

I assume that this is the castle that contributes to the name of Castelnau-sur-l'Augignon.

Condom itself has a cathedral and a vague connection to the three musketeers. Or should that be no connection to the three musketeers as it was the young D'Artagnan who teamed up with the older three musketeers as he wanted to become a musketeer and this explains the age old numeric discrepancy. Oh, and it was D'Artagnan himself who came from Gascony in France where Condom lies; about halfway between Bordeaux and Toulouse. 
Condom cathedral. I can understand why they added the protection of a wooden porch but it doesn't really work architecturally. 

With grape vines aplenty today it feels like I am in France.

Larressingle.
I am the only guest tonight despite it being a Saturday night. The gite is off the main route and not near a major town; I think people start their accommodation search in towns and villages where there are more options. On arrival the couple welcome me with the usual chat and a refreshing lemon cordial. Best of all they show me where the beers are and offer to do my laundry. As I will eat with them later the laundry offer may have been driven by their desire not to have the stinky version of me at the dinner table. There is some gain in altitude here and on a clear day you can see the Pyrenees which is where I am headed.

Oh, and this is day 22 of 33; dividing my numerator and denominator by 11 it becomes clear I am two thirds of the way through.

Over diner, conversation turned to our old friend Fibonacci and his series. Though I will confess to steering the conversation in that direction she used the word "Fibonacci" first. Anyway, the only reason I mention this is that France has many local currencies which aim to support local businesses. Much like the Lewes pound in the UK. The Gers department that I am currently in has only just started it's local currency and in deciding the denominations such as the euros 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 they have gone with the values of the Fibonacci series 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, and there is a '0' note because I've seen one. The currency is called La Plume and even the spiralling feather is derived from the Fibonacci series. 
It had been a pleasant evening chat as they were keen cyclists and had done a grand tour just before coronavirus hit the world and documented here: 
https://www.graphicbiketour.com/

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