{"id":6247,"date":"2025-06-27T17:27:06","date_gmt":"2025-06-27T17:27:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/?p=6247"},"modified":"2025-12-24T21:50:53","modified_gmt":"2025-12-24T21:50:53","slug":"5-gondrin-and-the-gers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/?p=6247","title":{"rendered":"5. GONDRIN AND THE GERS."},"content":{"rendered":"

Well, well!\u00a0 We did get into France no problem!\u00a0 I really don’t see what all the problems were about last year.\u00a0 Same credit card.\u00a0 Same payage lane, (I’m pretty sure).\u00a0 Five seconds and we were through.\u00a0 Well, maybe twenty!\u00a0 Not even enough time to renew friendships with the border guards who were still indifferently poking their mirrors and cameras on sticks under vehicles as they emerged from the barriers.<\/p>\n

Anyway it’s now May 31.\u00a0 We notice that it’s forecast to be a bit breezy!\u00a0 But that’s OK.\u00a0 We are in France not the UK!<\/p>\n

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Our trip out of Spain was, truthfully, a bit tedious.\u00a0 No exciting wind or rain.\u00a0 Just sunshine.\u00a0 Oh, and difficulties with the navigator’s back (for “back” read neck, shoulders, back, hips and knee).\u00a0 What we really needed was a sensible doctor’s appointment before we left home to diagnose bursitis (already identified by the osteopath at home) and give a cortisone injection.\u00a0 That was what should have happened.\u00a0 \u00a0In the event she was offered an appointment ten days after we arrived in Spain.\u00a0 I was going to witter on about the failings of the NHS and our doctors’ practice in particular.\u00a0 However, as a response to our telephoned “comments” on the usefulness of that late appointment, we have today, out of the blue, received notification of a new “face-to-face” meeting with a doctor a week after we get home.\u00a0 So there is a glimmer of hope there.\u00a0 Still, I bet there will then need to be a MRI scan (two months wait???) and then a hospital appointment (another three months in limbo???).\u00a0 We could be back in Australia before the process wends it’s way to a conclusion.\u00a0 So I can witter!\u00a0 A second call postponed the appointment!\u00a0 Although only for 30 minutes!<\/p>\n

As a result of the difficulties of travelling long distance by car, we failed to reach our target campsite.\u00a0 We just hauled into the nearest available place.\u00a0 It had three things going for it.\u00a0 It was close to our route, the owners were very friendly and the swimming pool was lovely and warm!\u00a0 Enough said!<\/p>\n

The-windy-day-forecast-for-the-UK saw us complete our journey to Gondrin and the Camping La Brouqu\u00e8re.\u00a0 We have pitch 13 for 9 days.\u00a0 Excellent.<\/p>\n

It took three hours to put the awning up.\u00a0 And that was with help from Henk-the-Dutchman on the pitch behind us.\u00a0 The access point on the caravan track is way too narrow for comfort – and certainly too narrow to get the awning bead into!\u00a0 It took ages.\u00a0 Millimetre by millimetre.\u00a0 Well, we are in France and they don’t use inches – or twelfths of inches – here.\u00a0 Management decided that it was a waste of time putting the awning up.\u00a0 But Henk and I knew better!\u00a0 The bloody thing WAS going up – and that was that.\u00a0 The compromise agreed was that when it came down it was staying down for the rest of the trip!<\/p>\n

Following several treatments at Glenda’s osteopath in Paignton and a long and tedious car trip, we decided that a visit to the local practitioner was called for.<\/p>\n

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Two trips to Esther van Ballegoouen about 5 km from camp may have, or may not have, done some good.\u00a0 At least she agrees with the bursitis diagnosis.\u00a0 So that was something.<\/p>\n

John and Freda are staying at La Romieu a few kilometres NE of Condom.\u00a0 Not a million miles away.\u00a0 They came over for coffee at the caravan followed by lunch at the Fal\u00e8ne Bleue in Lannepax.\u00a0 Really nice food.\u00a0 Exceptional presentation.\u00a0 Lovely ambience.\u00a0 Sadly, about to close for several weeks of holiday.<\/p>\n

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The notice on the mixed toilets is sending out confusing messages!\u00a0 Not sure whether that’s an instruction or a warning!\u00a0 Oh well, whatever!<\/p>\n

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The campsite is on a very alkaline soil.\u00a0 Neat limestone under a few inches of very poor soil.\u00a0 Just right for orchiculture.\u00a0 There are purple and pyramid as well as lizard and bee orchids.\u00a0 To name but a few.\u00a0 All on the property.<\/p>\n

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There were also lots of (probably) heart shaped tongue orchids.\u00a0 But the flowers were finished and not photographed!<\/p>\n

The problem with limestone areas is that the local drinking water is very hard.\u00a0 And the problem with that is that kettles fur up.\u00a0 And, in our case, switch off before boiling point – and stay switched off till everything cools down.\u00a0 So we need a remedy.\u00a0 My “I-need-something-to-remove-the-calcium-stuff-from-my-thing-that-boils-water” took some understanding by the supermarket duty manager.\u00a0 But eventually, against my manager’s advice I did purchase enough liquid to do the job several times over.\u00a0 Glenda wanted to invest about the same money to buy a new kettle!\u00a0 So far my remedy\u00a0 has been used four times.\u00a0 Once on John and Freda’s kettle in return for it’s short term loan and three times on ours.\u00a0 Lucky I bought the big bottle!\u00a0 Bargain!<\/p>\n

Over the nine days at La Brouqu\u00e8re, the pool got progressively warmer.\u00a0 To be fair it started at an interestingly nippy level which kept all but the most enthusiastic at bay.\u00a0 After nine days it remained a bit of a challenge to get submerged but was very swimmable once in.<\/p>\n

In the area there are really a lot of places at which to eat.\u00a0 To be fair, we did try most of them!<\/p>\n

Le Florida in Cast\u00e8ra-Verdusan presented lovely and interesting food, but you had to count on eating another meal later!<\/p>\n

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The Auberge in Forc\u00e8s (France’s only circular bastide) produced a limited menu for the Sunday brocante market day.<\/p>\n

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Still good value and packed out.\u00a0 Lucky we remembered to book!\u00a0 We met Jackie and Robert, two long-term, Scottish residents of the campsite there.\u00a0 When I say long-term, they had been there for two months when we arrived and won’t leave till mid-September.\u00a0 (At La Brouqu\u00e8re, not the Auberge de Forc\u00e8s, obviously!).\u00a0 In Montr\u00e9al, the nearest village, the Auberge de St Jaques started each meal with a tureen of local, traditional soup.\u00a0 Always tasty, and in this case good value.\u00a0 We went three times, just to make sure!\u00a0 But, possibly the best meal all round for food content, price and ambience was delivered at the Restaurante Pas Pareil in Vic Fezensac.<\/p>\n

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It was here, on our second visit, that we ran into two French reprobates.\u00a0 As one of them is (allegedly) being sought by Interpol, we will just refer to them by their aliases.\u00a0 Benedict and Benjamin.\u00a0 We shared a happy hour after our meal with these two excellent English speakers.\u00a0 We got two half life stories, but very limited information about the crimes that may have been committed – or not, as the case may be!\u00a0 Well Ben and Ben, if you are reading this, and you are both still free men, it was a pleasure meeting you.\u00a0 Keep in touch and we will visit you in your soon-to-be new residence.\u00a0 Just let us know whether it’s La Sant\u00e9, Fleury-M\u00e9rogis, (the largest prison in Europe) Fresnes, (the second largest in France), or the ultra-high-security prisons in Vendin-le-Vieil and Cond\u00e9-sur-Sarthe, designed to isolate dangerous offenders.<\/p>\n

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It did transpire that they are both in the hospitality industry, but were unable to supply us with any untested (by us) restaurants to try out!<\/p>\n

We had failed to dine at Angeline’s in La Romieu last year.\u00a0 We had managed to secure a booking for lunch on a Wednesday (the only day of the week that they are CLOSED!)\u00a0 This year we tried a Friday with John and Freda.\u00a0 More successful.\u00a0 However, as La Romieu has been “gentrified ” over the years, so have the restaurant prices!\u00a0 We did get a great view of the p\u00e9legrins walking the Camino Trail which passes the front door.\u00a0 There were dozens of them.<\/p>\n

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Talking of pilgrims, while ambling around Montr\u00e9al another day, we met two Australian hikers.\u00a0 From Melbourne.\u00a0 They might have been called Bruce and Sheila.\u00a0 Or not!\u00a0 They told us that they had just completed 500 kms from Le-Puy-en-Velay.\u00a0 Leaving just another 250 km of the 750 km route to go to reach their target of St-Jean-Pied-de-Port.\u00a0 The Via Podiensis or the Le Puy Route is one of the four routes through France on the pilgrimage to the tomb of St. James the Great in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia.\u00a0 You may have heard the song “These boots were made for walkin”, originally sung by Nancy Sinatra in1966.\u00a0 There is now a new version… “These SOCKS are made for hikin”…<\/p>\n

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I wouldn’t like to have told them that they still have about 350 km to go.\u00a0 I think they must have taken a wrong turning somewhere.\u00a0 We may come back to wrong turnings later!!!<\/p>\n

There are numerous tiny villages scattered about the countryside, hereabouts.\u00a0 Often on top of a hill.\u00a0 Almost always with a magnificent church (mostly unlocked).\u00a0 Usually with free to use toilets and carparks.\u00a0 Generally, there is little or no sign of residential activity – but they all have a defibrillator station!<\/p>\n

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This is Roques about 15 minutes drive SE of Gondin.\u00a0 It meets all the “village criteria”.\u00a0 This one comes with an added feature – a balcony walk with magical views of the surrounding countryside.\u00a0 And there are soooo many places like this in the area.<\/p>\n

It transpires that France has an extensive history of religious architecture, including approximately 45,000 Catholic parish churches and chapels.<\/p>\n

It’s well past time to finish this episode.\u00a0 We’ve got another 44,975 churches to visit – and we have only got four more days in France (as I write this)!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Well, well!\u00a0 We did get into France no problem!\u00a0 I really don’t see what all the problems were about last year.\u00a0 Same credit card.\u00a0 Same payage lane, (I’m pretty sure).\u00a0 Five seconds and we were through.\u00a0 Well, maybe twenty!\u00a0 Not… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6247","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-spain-france"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6247","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6247"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6247\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6280,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6247\/revisions\/6280"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6247"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6247"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tappstravels.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6247"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}