Walking the Camino Le Puy - Day 28

欣然 密州

May 15, 2025, Overcast, 13-19°C


Day 28, Pomps to Argagnon, 17.8km

Originally, I planned to stay in Maslacq, which is a bit farther, but I couldn’t book a bed. Even the two Gites in Argagnon, which isn’t an ideal location, were fully booked. The owner of the second Gite (Arret et Aller) told me over the phone that I could call Mrs. Bernad, who lives across from the Gite. When the Gite is full, Mrs. Bernad sometimes takes in pilgrims. With no other options, I left it to fate. I called Mrs. Bernad and I’m staying at her place tonight.

Today’s route was short and easy to walk. It was overcast but didn’t rain in the end. At the 9.5km mark, there’s a small town, Arthez-de-Béarn, with an open bakery where everyone stopped for coffee and snacks. I stayed there for an hour and met lots of fellow pilgrims. On this section, there are more people doing long-distance hikes.

I arrived in Argagnon at 1 p.m.

Chapelle de Caubin: Originally built during the return from the First Crusade.
The Caubin Chapel is a 12th-century Romanesque church, listed as a historical monument. It was initially part of a commandery established in 1154 by the Knights of Malta, commissioned by Gaston IV (le Croisé). This chapel is a stop along the Le Puy Route.

The chapel’s architecture is distinctive. Its features include an almost flat roof, a single-nave layout, a carved portal, and a bell wall. Inside the chapel, there is a Gothic niche (enfeu) containing the recumbent effigy of Guillaume Arnaud de Monein, a 14th-century knight and local lord, depicted in chainmail holding a longsword. The chapel’s structure includes a semicircular apse and white stone walls, with some of the original ceramic flooring preserved.

This is a piece of stone from the original construction.

At 10:30, I arrived in Arthez-de-Béarn, population 1,860. This is the official ending point of stage 25. There’s a fairly large bakery here. Fellow pilgrims stopped to rest. I met many familiar faces. I had coffee and ate a croissant here.

The town’s World War I monument.

A church in the town.

The interior.

I arrived at the small village where I’m staying today at 1 p.m. The Gite is 0.6 km off the pilgrimage route. I waited in the courtyard until 3 p.m., then nervously went across to Mrs. Bernad’s house.

The room Mrs. Bernad prepared for me has clean bedding and a large bath towel. So luxurious! Gites usually don’t provide towels, and everyone brings their own quick-dry ones.


I met an angel on the pilgrimage route. Mrs. Bernadis incredibly warm and treated me like an honored guest. She checked on me constantly, making sure I had everything I needed.

In the evening, pilgrims from the gîte across the street also ate at Mrs. Bernard’s house. There were six guests today. Originally, there were supposed to be nine, but unfortunately, three guests didn’t show up at the gîte.

Mrs. Bernard brought out her beautiful gold-rimmed plates, which she only uses for special occasions. She said they were a wedding gift. She was busy cooking, setting the table, and serving the food. I had mentioned that I can’t eat high-carb foods, and she checked with me about every dish.

The next morning at 6:30 a.m., I got up, and Mrs. Bernard was already preparing breakfast. Bottom left: She made me a low-carb breakfast with eggs and ham, things you don’t usually see at gîte breakfasts. Bottom right: One of Mrs. Bernard’s collectibles. She said it was a water-carrying container that used to be balanced on the head.

I was very grateful and gave her €50, telling her to keep the change. She insisted on only taking the agreed price of €40, which covered lodging, dinner, and breakfast.

There’s a famous saying on the pilgrimage route: Camino provides. Staying at Mrs. Bernard’s house gave me the privilege of witnessing this magical moment.

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