Ken's ancestral tour through
South-West France - 3 - Tours from Fourcès 1

Thursday 26th June 2003

I have a somewhat gyppy tummy but not Avis, who has eaten identical things. Don said he would check about Queen Margot & Eauze. Breakfast included croissants - diet death (10 weight-watchers points each). We went into Fourcès for a photo shoot, even though it was dull & set off for the Seviac Roman Villa near Montreal. This was quite impressive, especially for the mosaics, which were mostly covered by roofing. Then, to Larressingle, the 'Carcassonne of the Gers': dream on, but very well looked after, though hard to photo, as all too close.

Then, via Condom (this site in English) to Auch (this site in French) (rhymes with gosh), quite a trip & not really worth while, as there is a small 'old town', a big cathedral, a view over the Gers River & not a lot else. This is the traditional capital of Gascony. We had lunch in a rather too expensive café & I got money out of the wall, as the Carters do not have credit cards.

We went back to Castel Verduzan & off to St Puy by a green road, where the sun finally came out. This was worth it, a charming place on a hill with a view. Possibly better still, we stopped in Condom this time & went round it. Lots of narrow streets, a certain traffic problem & a cathedral with some light in it. Most others round here are very gloomy inside. The river Baise has to be pronounced correctly (Baiyeez) for obvious reasons! (We did not visit the Musée des Protectives - condom museum - but they have one). I left Avis on the quayside & walked back to the car round the outside of the hill, with some trepidation, as like many very old towns, the streets are a jumble.

Driving back to her involved going into the centre, where the roads are tiny & medieval. Back on another road to Fourcès, the sun came out so I dashed into the Bastide & took photos again. Then, we went into the tiny Mairie &, while Avis read a guide outside, I bought another copy of the guidebook for Patrick & made the man look it up on our web site. He was tickled pink & ignored the breach of copyright implicit but went down my family tree from Bernard I to me & took my card. We bought cards & stamps & wrote them in the garden of the Garros. The Carters were out & I played Beethoven on their hi-fi (this is part of the deal). Anne made us tea & invited us to meet some Professor of Psychology & wife this evening. These were Jack & Doreen Duffy. He was very quiet & she not much more so. It would appear that we were to help provide the cabaret, which I suppose we did.