2017-09-24 Cahors - Montcuq (36/409 km)

Pont Valentré, Cahors

Walked trough a sleeping Cahors. And came to the famous "Pont Valentré" the classic entry bridge. The master responsible for building the bridge had so much problems that the promised the devil his soul if the bridge could be ready in time. Well the devil made his work, but the master cheated him and as a result the last stone could never be set. I passed over the bridge without any interference by the devil. But then came the trial a stone stairway meandering up the mountain. Steep, stony, bad quality and without fences towards the abyss. But I got up. Several others stopped and took the eight km longer route around this. Well up you had a fantastic view over the city. But I wanted to continue along the ridge. Then came the next surprise at the backside of the mountain you followed a road downhill so you were almost back to the level you started when you crossed under a motorway.

I caught up with a multilingual lady from northern Switzerland. However she preferred German to English so German was the language we spoke while we walked together. After a while she wanted to stop so I left her.

A hot day but with som autumn colors

Ended up in Labastide-Marnhac, drunk some coffee and bought some food at the combined bar-shop. After a while I reached the Swiss lady again so we spoke some more but I felt that she wanted to walk alone so I left her. Partly a monotonous but green limestone landscape with few villages.

I reached Lascabanes the only other halt worth using had a soft drink an continued. The day was hot, at least for me and long stretches I had to walk in direct sun. Towards Montcuq they had changed the GR65 (Chemin de Compostelle) for safety reasons. Earlier you had to walk a long stretch along a highway with heavy traffic. Now they had bypassed that problem trough a track in a green valley, but the price you had to pay was some km extra.

Three of the four guests (the fourth behind camera)

I reached Montcuq and traced the "Gite le Souleillou" where I'm staying now. The responsible proved to be a polyglot, with some connections towards Nepal, so we'll see what we'll have to eat in a short while. He is also the responsible chef.

We had a nice dinner together - all four guest - plus host and hostess and their dog that I just heard howling outside. But I really lack the ability to handle the french language well. Just a limited vocabulary is not sufficient. A must to improve when I get home.

Dejaba Cahors via el puente de Valentré. Este puente tiene una historia de un pacto entre el diábolo y el maestro de obras para meter prisa de la construcción. El diábolo perdió, pero todavía falta una piedra. Detrás del puente había una escalera muy escarpada, pedregosa y peligrosa sin protección del precipicio. Pero no obstante subí. 

Después un día y un paisaje como en los días antes. La entra de Montcuq era cambiada dependiente seguridad, trafico creo. Per resulta en más kilómetros. En Montcuq una buena albergue con, esta noche, solo cuatro huéspedes. Pero falta la lengua francés mucho.