Day 28 Maslacq

Friday 14th October and with the weeks ticking by it can be hard to keep track of time; I travelled out on the 15th September so this is one month in France with 6 days walking to go including today.

After three hours of tarmac along quaint country lanes I make it to my mid-point town and take time for a coffee and tarte-aux-pommes. I had enquired about sandwiches or cakes but was politely directed to the bakers round the corner and it was only by exploring the inner depths of this quirky eatery that I found the tart. I also found a pile of freshly baked madelaines but they were a special order and not for me. The coffee was ordinary but the tart was exceptional, soft buttery pastry, topped with yielding surgery apples and then a third layer of latticed pastry. As the madelaines were off limits (they smelled delicious but were a special order) and the place was yet to serve lunch I was cornered into a second routine coffee and another slice of the equisite tart.

This was painted on the side of a house wall.

This is not representative of today. 

If I haven't been providing weather reports it's because I have enjoyed near perfect walking weather. Today was overcast with some very light early drizzle but not enough to warrant rain gear. I have worn shorts and a t-shirt most of the time only removing them briefly for laundry duty and then only rarely not wanting to jinx the fair weather. 

Tomorrow night's gite is called 'The Cry of the Giraffe'. Maybe in France this has special meaning but I am looking forward to seeing it. 

I am now in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. The old 22 regions where reorganised into 13 larger regions in 2016 and there is still a confusing use of both as you might expect. 
https://maryannesfrance.com/french-departments/

Tonight's gite is an early 20th Century farm house. Despite the formal and impressive front the practical entrance is the back door and the usual French gite routine of boots off and a plastic basket for anything you need at night was enforced. 
I am out of backpack rations and food options look limited tomorrow so I walk back into town for the epicerie. It is now open but the options are limited and expensive, but I do find fruit and my usual fig rolls. 

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