Camino in France – Cat Tales and Cathedrals

Day 30 – Lectoure to La Romieu

Off to an early start, we soon realized we were going the wrong way. Our mistake…blindly following our fellow pink-shirted French trekker rather than checking our GPS. Back on track, we set our sights on our next stop – La Romieu.

The day of walking wasn’t long or difficult, but the October sun was every bit as hot as the September sun. We arrived drenched! There was only one thing to do…

There was plenty to see in this little village, starting with the cathedral – the 14th century Collégiale Saint-Pierre.

The village is famous for its love of cats. Statues and pictures and sculptures of their feline friends fill every nook and cranny. According to Dave Whitson’s Cicerone guide and local lore…

I was told there are 14 weathered stone cat statues perched around the village. I found six (see slideshow below) on my way out of town this morning.

Day 31 – La Romieu to Condom

At last, a short day of walking…just 8-1/2 miles…and we were excited. We would arrive in Condom right about noon and planned to treat ourselves to a cafe lunch. But first, we had a few sights to see.

In 1942, a base of operations for the anti-Nazi resistance was established in the village of Castelnau-sur-l’Auvignon (pictured below). Today it offers a peaceful spot to read about the past, rest or refill a water bottle.

We continued on our way knowing lunch was waiting. But first, one more pretty little church distracted us.

And lunch!