<p class="ql-block">May 16, 2025, 12-20°C, Cloudy turning sunny
Day 29, Argagnon to Navarrenx, 25.5km, +475m/-450m</p><p class="ql-block">At 8:50 a.m., I said goodbye to the warm-hearted Mrs. Bernard and set off full of energy. Along the way, farmland gradually gave way to pastures. There were often livestock by the roadside—I saw cows, horses, donkeys, and sheep.</p><p class="ql-block">At the 11km mark, I met Mona from California, USA. We stayed at the same gîte two days ago. Mona is 72 years old. She started walking pilgrimage routes in 2017 and has completed several. She’s walked the French Way in Spain three times, the Via Francigena from Switzerland over the Great St. Bernard Pass to Rome, and the Le Puy Route once. This time, she started from Moissac and is heading to Santiago, Spain. We walked and chatted, arriving in Navarrenx together at 2:30 p.m. The morning was very cloudy, as if it might rain, but the afternoon gradually cleared up, making for another great day for walking.</p> <p class="ql-block">Two kilometers away in Maslacq, there is a castle built in 1774.</p> <p class="ql-block">On the way.</p> <p class="ql-block">Handsome horses.</p> <p class="ql-block">A stranger on the trail asked for a photo with me; I’ve become a celebrity!</p> <p class="ql-block">Beautiful scenery along the road.</p> <p class="ql-block">Eleven kilometers away in Sauvelade, there is a church founded in 1128. It was ransacked by Protestants in 1569, restored in 1630, and faced hardship again during the French Revolution. There is a video in the church explaining this history.</p> <p class="ql-block">The interior.</p> <p class="ql-block">The video projected on the vaulted ceiling introduces the historical story of the church.</p> <p class="ql-block">Mona and I took a photo with the restaurant owner, who is an artist, in front of the restaurant she recommended.</p> <p class="ql-block">I had lunch here.</p> <p class="ql-block">On the road again.</p> <p class="ql-block">A rest stop built by pilgrims. The sign reads, “Another world is truly possible.”</p> <p class="ql-block">At 2:30 p.m., I arrived in Navarrenx, 25km away, a town with a population of 1,050. It’s one of France’s most beautiful villages, famous for its well-preserved 16th-century fortifications. The town’s history dates back to the 10th century.
I saw quite a few tourists in the town.</p> <p class="ql-block">The map of the town. The city wall is well preserved.</p> <p class="ql-block">The Saint-Germain church, built in the 16th century.</p> <p class="ql-block">The interior.</p> <p class="ql-block">The government-run gîte is in this building. I’m staying here tonight.</p> <p class="ql-block">After dropping off my backpack, I went to explore the town’s walls. The walls here look very sturdy.</p> <p class="ql-block">The narrow staircase leading up to the city walls.</p> <p class="ql-block">The city gate.</p> <p class="ql-block">The underground tunnels in the town were used to detect enemy digging activities.</p> <p class="ql-block">The 16th-century powder magazine in the town.</p> <p class="ql-block">The town has a museum about medieval knights, showcasing the clothing and symbols of different knightly orders.</p> <p class="ql-block">The black cloak is part of the Maltese Knights’ attire.</p><p class="ql-block">The Knights of Malta (Knights Hospitaller / Order of St. John) was founded around 1099 in Jerusalem, initially as a hospital organization to care for pilgrims. Early on, it focused on charity (tending to the sick and pilgrims) but later became a military order, defending Christian territories.</p> <p class="ql-block">Dinner at the gîte was pasta. My healthy dinner was a boxed salad with delicious smoked trout.
This government-run gîte is very crowded, with bunk beds and limited bathroom facilities. Not recommended.</p>