Today is the last day of our hike. We walked 11.1 miles (18 kms) from Montreal to Eauze, France in just over 4 hours walking time. The terrain was vey flat, but the sun was out and the temperature was in the mid-80s. My watch says that I walked 27,200 steps, climbed the equivalent of only 10 flights of stairs, and burned 1,321 calories.
The day began in Condom and a visit to the Cathedral St. Pierre de Condom. This gothic structure was completed in 1533. It has sevrral flying buttresses and an incredible ceiling, some 85 ft. above the ground.
Outside the cathedral, there is a statue of D’artagnan and the 3 Musketeers. This was the perfect backround for our last day photo shoot.
Before we left Condom, we stopped by the tourist office to get a stamp in our camino passbook. The shop also so regional knick-knacks and …. Condoms from Condom! Only 3 Euros. You gotta love marketing.
Given that we got a late start, we called a taxi to take us a few miles outside the city to begin our final hike. Once on the trail, we were surprised by the greener vegetation. The previous hills and valleys were parched and yellow from the long heat spell. One local farmer told us that this region had not seen a heavy rain since May! Today’s hike was at a lower elevation and filled with rows and rows of vineyards. Some of the vineyards in this area produced wine, while others produced Armagnac (a local brandy).
Since we had gotten a late start, JP announced that we were not allowed to stop for lunch until we had hiked 5 miles (about 8 kms). We had purchased some sandwiches in Condom which we were planning to unwrap under a tree on the trail. As we neared the 4 mile mark, we came upon a house with a beautiful front garden and stone patio set. It would have been the perfect place to eat lunch. But the owner had placed a large sign on the property informing pilgrims that this was private property and he didn’t want anyone sitting in his garden. We thought that was quite rude. About 50 yards later, we came upon a small house with a wooden porch and a sign that encouraged pilgrims to sit and rest. Stephen and I told JP that we were going on strike and stopping for lunch here, even though it wasn’t 5 miles.
When we got closer to the porch, we found a small refrigerator stocked with cold soft drinks and beer, along with bags of snacks, and fresh fruits. There was also a donation can to leave what you could. (What an amazing person to be so generous and thoughtful.) We drank a beer, cola, and iced tea, sat comfortably at the table and chairs, under the shade, and had our lunch. We left 20 Euros and a thank you note. So different from just a couple of feet away.
The last few miles of this segment were under the trees, along an old railroad track that was now a bike path. The shade from the trees lowered the temperature about 5 degrees and made the late afternoon hike quite bearable.
Somewhere around 4:30 pm, we arrived in Eauze, France and took our celebratory picture. We have hiked 172 miles (275 kms) in the last 12 days. Not bad for some old guys.
A kilometer later, we arrived at our hotel in the center of town.
The hotel was staffed by a very nice family who welcomed us to their home and business. Since we were quite tired, we decided to have dinner at the hotel later that night.
While at dinner, we ran into a couple from Cupertino, California, whom we had met last year on the Camino. We met these folks at the B&B with the abusive french lady who got mad because I didn’t want to share a room. (See Sept 16, 2025 blog, French Camino Day 3) We found out tonight that this couple thought she was just as nasty as we did.
The evening ended with a fiery splash , as Stephen and JP finished their meal with an Armagnac crepe flambe.
Epilogue
The next day we boarded a taxi and 2 trains to return to Paris. I will fly to Cincinnati the next morning.
I have to thank my traveling companions (Stephen Squire and Juan Pablo Cavelier) for another great hike filled with adventure, challenge, and a lot of laughs. Some people hike the Camino for the physical challenge. Some hike to relinquish a burden. But I hike for the camaraderie and fellowship that these guys give again and again. Amen
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