day 13 - draft
Monday, 18 April 2016
Cahors to Montcuq Lauzerte
46 km today - 392 km to date

Breakfast at 7h and off about 7h30.  I know the bridge to leave Cahors is on the west side and about half way up the U shape the River Lot takes around the town.  As I start in the south west corner of the U, I head to the main street running north - south and encounter a large open area and also see a brass scallop shell set on the footpath pointing west.  This leads me to the Lot and I can see the bridge: it is magnificent.  I also encounter two chaps I had met at the monastery at Vaylats.

I lead the charge over the bridge (pedestrian traffic only) and the climb up a rocky cliff to a view of the town 100 metres below. Their rock climbing skills are better than mine and I soon loose sight of them.

Following yesterday's sighting of the GR 65 pathway, again I elect to walk on the road and make good progress to Trespoux-Rassieles where a Proxi store (a small well laid out mini-market) tempts me to have some bananas, a pinwheel pastry with sugar topping and a large black coffee.

About an hour later I mistake the road number and turn right when I should have gone ahead.  I make good the mistake and arrive at the village of Saint Pantaleon at lunchtime.  The church is open, so inside first.

Approaching my intended destination of Montcuq the toe on the left foot starts its distraction again.   A lady offers me a ride to Lauzerte, 14 km beyond my intended destination for the day, and I accept.

Lauzerte is the genuine medieval town.  Nice wide open streets and a mix of old and new but in a consistently evolving style (whatever that means).  Again I've arrived after midday so a coffee and other distractions until 14h.  The hostess assumes my given name is Jamieson and that is what I am called until I leave the next day.  This is a communal gite with the hostess cooking the evening meal and preparing breakfast.

I wander around the town taking photos of buildings and other stuff that appeals to me.  Dinner is entertaining even though we have little language in common.

And so to bed.