<p class="ql-block">May 12, 2025, sunny, 11-20°C
Day 25, Nogaro to Aire-sur-l’Adour, 27.6 + 0.7 km, +230m/-255m elevation change</p><p class="ql-block">After the rain, the sky cleared, and the weather was neither too cold nor too hot—a perfect day for walking. Most people set out at 7:00 AM. I woke up at 5:45 AM, earlier than everyone else, but didn’t leave until 7:15 AM. Not walking with the group today was a mistake. They took the highway out of town, while I followed the hiking route. The heavy rain from yesterday and last night turned the forest path into a muddy quagmire. From the 3-kilometer to the 4.5-kilometer mark, there was also a small hill. The up-and-down path was tough to navigate. I walked slowly but still slipped and fell twice. Once out of the forest, the path was much drier. I arrived at the guesthouse at 3:00 PM.</p> <p class="ql-block">The road out of town.</p> <p class="ql-block">Bid farewell to Nagaro 。</p> <p class="ql-block">A sunny day.</p> <p class="ql-block">At the 8-kilometer mark, Église Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul in Lanne-Soubiran. According to the description, this church was originally built in the Romanesque period but was renovated in the 17th century, incorporating Gothic architectural features.</p> <p class="ql-block">Inside the church, the ceiling is flat, not the usual arched design.</p> <p class="ql-block">Center-pivot irrigation.</p> <p class="ql-block">The irrigation system was made in France.</p> <p class="ql-block">At the 10-kilometer mark, I spotted Matt in the distance.</p> <p class="ql-block">Matt saw me. He had taken the wrong route out of town and ended up on the highway. Seeing me covered in mud and looking disheveled, he was very glad he’d made the mistake.</p> <p class="ql-block">Farmland. The farmland Matt photographed is prettier than this.</p> <p class="ql-block">A chapel at the roadside.</p> <p class="ql-block">At 3:00 PM, I arrived at the guesthouse, A La Maison, a warm and welcoming place. I had booked a single room, but the host made a mistake and accepted two single-room bookings. Since there was only one single room available, they gave me a double room to stay in by myself.
My second fall today was a sideways tumble, and I probably twisted my waist. In the last two kilometers, my waist started to hurt. Tomorrow’s route is 33.8 kilometers, so I decided to arrange for my backpack to be transported. It’s very convenient to organize transport here—just fill out a form and leave the bag at the designated spot inside the guesthouse door before 8:00 AM.</p> <p class="ql-block">Aire-sur-l’Adour is a city with a population of 6,130, considered a large place on the Le Puy route. After settling into the guesthouse, I went to explore the town. According to the information, its history dates back to Roman times.</p> <p class="ql-block">Saint-Jean-Baptiste Cathedral. Originally built in the 12th century, the current structure was rebuilt in the 19th century.</p> <p class="ql-block">Inside the church.</p> <p class="ql-block">I met some French road companions and had a beer with them.</p> <p class="ql-block">A bridge over the Adour river.</p> <p class="ql-block">Medieval pilgrims’ equipment.</p> <p class="ql-block">I prepared dinner at the Gite.</p>