Heating up

 Day 19

     Because we had a kitchen, we decided to switch up the usual breakfast menu of bread, jam and coffee.  We made eggs with leftover kebab pork.  It was nice to load up on protein rather than carbs.  The sunrise walk through Cahors was beautiful, crossing the old Roman bridge.  But then it was straight up steep flights of steps for 500 ft of elevation.  Thus began another grueling day in the heat.

     Did I mention that French don’t like ice or cold water.   Restaurants and gites serve room temperature water, often with sweetener syrup.  We stuck our water bottles in the fridge over night and at least had cool water for the first couple of hours of the hike.

     We made it to a town that was pilgrim friendly, with water, toilets and a cool place to rest.  We hung out for an hour or so, eating our bread, cheese and chorizo, and taking a siesta.  The last 3 miles were brutal in the 95 degree heat. 

     We are staying at a farm gite run by a former blacksmith who converted his barn into a gite. We are sharing it with a single man our age and a family of six from the French Caribbean Island of Martinaus.  We do have a separate room.  Dinner was delicious and filling as usual.