September 30, 2019 – Departed 14:00 – Arrived 19:20
Today I took a half day of rest. I decided I would do only a short stage in the afternoon, and use the morning to visit Saint-Bertrand.
I thought Saint-Bertrand was a city but it’s really a village, with maybe 200 souls. It’s a very cute village though, with narrow streets, pretty houses – some of which going back to the middle ages. The entire village is dwarfed by the church, which in earlier times was actually a cathedral. It is quite unique and beautiful, a mixture of Roman and Gothic styles with parts built in successive periods. The cloister, which on one side has been opened to give a view of the lower Pyrénées to the South, is magnificent.
Before we leave Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, I have to say a word about where I stayed last night. There is a Halte Jacquaire (simple accommodation where pilgrims can find a bed and a place to cook) at the presbytery by the church. When it is full – as was the case yesterday – Marie Uchan opens her house and lets pilgrims use a self-contained unit she has there. When I arrived she made sure I wasn’t in need of anything. I mentioned I needed to do laundry (my hopes of finding a laundromat being dashed by the size of the village) and she offered to do it for me. She keeps the cupboards stocked with essentials (and more) for the pilgrims. There is no fixed price for the stay – it works according to the donativo (donation) system. It is just amazing. When I asked Marie why she is doing this, her response was: “J’ai la chance d’avoir une grande maison” (I am fortunate enough to have a large house).
I left Saint-Bertrand at 14:00, and stopped by the Saint-Just church in Valcabrère 15 minutes later – this is a church which is quite striking because during construction in the 12th century they reused stones from a nearby Roman necropolis, so some walls have inscriptions or motifs from earlier times.
After that I continued on my way, got lost – I seem to be doing this often; this time it was entirely my fault, there was a crossing of two GR’s and I didn’t pay attention (all GR’s have the same red and white blazes, so it’s important to pay attention when they cross). After some backtracking and some grocery shopping I walked for another two hours to Refuge Saint-Martin.
This is an unguarded refuge in the hills halfway between Barbazan and Génos. It’s a very simple house, the lower level has a table, a few benches and a fireplace, the upper level is a barren wooden floor where 10 can sleep After having a light dinner outside, this is where I set up my bed for the night. Like camping, without the tent, and with lots of creeking and noises that I will have to get used to if I have any hope of actually sleeping.
GR10/GR101/GR78 August/September/October 2019 