Day 29: Argein to Saint-Girons

October 4, 2019 – Departed 8:20 – Arrived 13:15

Continuing from Argein the GR78 followed more or less the Lez river. As it did yesterday it went in the hills on either side, but today it tended to stay closer to the bottom of the valley, which made for a slightly more direct route but also left the path at times more exposed to the noise of the busy road below.

There were some interesting sights along the way, in particular Notre-Dame de Tramesaygues in Audressein, with a fresco representing a Camino pilgrim. Some industrial sites too, with the marble quarry in Aubert (the columns of St Peter’s in Rome come from here) and the Canal de la Papeterie (a canal built for paper mills) just before Saint-Girons.

I reached Saint-Girons in the early afternoon. This will be the end of my journey – for this time at least. It’s been an absolutely fantastic four weeks, and I would love to continue. But other projects are calling as well and they too require my time. I have the feeling that this is not an adieu, though, just an au-revoir. The path is too beautiful, and I have loved it so much, that I cannot imagine not coming back some day.