July 17, 2008

Day 20: 3 May- Limogne-en-Quercy to Vaylats

It was an easy day's walk to Vaylats through more forest, nearly flat, though the day became very warm by lunchtime.

There was another dolmen to see, just a little off the track.....
And in the village of Varaire there was a 'lavoir' to view, where you could almost imagine the women of old slaving over laundry with cold icy hands.
The welcome was very warm at the convent of Vaylats, with a lay hospitalero taking me to my room, very comfortable, all to myself. This was a perk for a solo woman;-) Single men were in a shared dorm downstairs!
There was a view of the interior courtyard, hinting at grandeur from days gone by.These days, the convent seems to be a large part of the reason for the village. A couple from the US provided some excitement in the afternoon heat when a local farmer delivered them to the convent doors on his tractor!

The parish church, unusually for this "Chemin" part of France, was closed
when I went exploring briefly, though of course it was a holiday weekend. The afternoon became far too hot for walking and I hid under a shady tree until nearly dinnertime.Interestingly, these days of early May just before Cahors, were the hottest days I experienced until later in June when I was on the last part of the Meseta....

All of us pilgrim residents had a delicious shared meal in the evening. There was a Swiss couple present who were walking to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Their very presence made it a celebration for everyone else. Apparently we would usually eat with the nuns in their dining room, but they were having a 'chapter' with many visiting nuns this weekend. They made us very welcome in the morning though for a hearty breakfast before we started walking again.

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