After our two weeks at the gite we are packing up the car and starting a slow tour of far southwestern France and northwestern Spain. When traveling by car we pride ourselves on puttering around and generally wasting as much time as possible.

Our first overnight is at Moissac on the Tarn. This beautiful group of figures is in the large church of the 11th century Abbaye St. Pierre in Moissac. I told Mary that she couldn't possibly take a picture in this dim light. After she went away I took the picture.

We spent one night in Moissac at the little hotel near the Pont Napoleon and ate dinner at their elegant restaurant. We skipped the prix fixe menus and ordered ala carte, which didn't disturb them too much. We also ordered a couple of green salads which were not on the menu. We recommend this place; delicious and not so expensive.

Wandering down the river from our hotel we discovered a large, renovated hotel built partly over the water on the foundations of an old mill. This hotel had just started to provide WiFiX internet connections to their patrons. Although we were not staying at the hotel we tried to use their WiFi by wandering around outside. We attracted a few questioning stares from passersby as we moved and rotated to get the best signal. We could find a fairly strong signal but could not access the internet.

The next couple of nights we are spending in Toulouse, the largest city in southwestern France. Like most large, old French cities, the center of Toulouse is charming; but driving in and out through the newer rings of development is an ordeal.

St. Sernin was martyred in Toulouse in about 250 AD. Soon afterward Christians started gathering on or near this spot. There has been some church here since that time. The present St. Sernin church was started in the 10th century. It is similar in plan to the cathedral in Santiago de Compostelle.

In general, we think French food is wonderful, probably the best in the world. However, too much rich food and drink is beginning to wear on our systems. Therefore we have started searching for restaurants which are vegetarian or, at least, serve lighter food. It is not easy to find such restaurants in either France or Spain. We found a good one in St. Cere, the market town nearest to Puymule. We found others in Toulouse, Villafranca del Bierzo and in Santiago de Compostela.

Now I am sitting in the lobby of Aquensis, an ultra-modern aquatic center built into a Victorian-era shell next to a gambling casino. The town is Bagneres-de-Bigorre located in a steep valley on the French side of the Pyrenees.

The phenomenon of Lourdes is part a profound expression of faith and part a carnival.

From Lourdes we are driving through the rolling foothills of the Pyrenees to St. Jean Pied de Port and the start of the Camino de Santiago.