Before leaving Hotel de Bastard, I was compelled to go back to the bar room to have one last look at the array of Armagnac. I took this photo of the oldest bottle, 1965, a year before I graduated from high school. I love to taste old wines and spirits. Perhaps old is the wrong moniker. Such liquors remind me that youth can mature into something complex and smooth. A metaphor for us all.
Lectoure is an interesting village and well worth another visit. I took several photos as I walked out of the village. The church was re-built in the 15th Century. The fromagerie with its carefully aged cheese; last night, a canvas covered these cheeses. The Cours d’Armagnac reminds us that we are in Armagnac land. The belvedere view looking west; somewhere out there 15 miles afar is Condom. Finally, looking back at Lectoure on the hill.
The countryside was just that, the countryside. I did come across this signpost on the path. It reminded me of Abbott and Costello’s Whose on First. Do I go left or right? I am glad that I had the Buen Camino app to help clarify the situation.
I also want to point out some unique features from this stage. The first is that I have seen beehives before on my walks — but not next to the road. They were placed across from a botanical garden. I am sure those bees had a good pollination field.
Hitting the 15 mile mark, I was getting low on fuel. Another good samaritan supplied goodies for wayward pilgrims. I picked out four Madeleines, yes, four. They may be store bought but at that moment, they were the best in the world.
For only the second time, I had seen the address of a French town named for the day when the village was liberated during WW2, Avenue 21 Juin 1944.
The first was in the village of Pont-de-l’Isère on the Rhône, Avenue 16 Août 1944. Believe it or not, Sharon’s birth date.
Strolling onward for five miles — strolling because the cloud cover reduced the temperature that was in the high 70’s, Condom appeared about 1 mile ahead. The white object towards the right is the Condom Cathedral, St Pierre, of Gothic design built between 1506-1531. The buttresses weren’t flying but they were there reflecting the southern France interpretation of the Gothic.
Just outside the cathedral was a sculpture depicting d’Artagnan, a local count, and the Three Musketeers made famous by Alexandre Dumas. Another pilgrim was nonplussed when seeing these two guys nonchalantly eating their lunches on the sculpture. I wondered if in real life d’Artagnan would have accepted such behavior or taken it as an affront to his honor.
I was almost at my final destination, Hotel Continental, the yellow building on the left. You can’t see or feel it but I was in the midst of Condom’s rush hour. Cars here and there making left and right turns. No honking though and when I crossed the street at the cross walk in front of the hotel, the cars stopped as they do for pedestrians in any crosswalk.
Rather than have my celebratory beer, I decided to trade the beer for an Armagnac after dinner. Alors, I am in the bulls eye of Armagnac country for goodness sake.
This hotel dinner was one of the best I have enjoyed. I opted to dine outside. The atmosphere was tranquil. The tables were fully occupied about fifteen minutes after I took the photo. No music playing; no tables with loud voices. The temperature was around 70F. The servers were attentive and gracious. I started at 7:30 and ended at 10. No fuss, no bill until tomorrow, no rush.
The aperitif had a light orange flavor with effervescence composed of liqueur Pousse Rapière and Vin Sauvage. I’ll be looking for these bottles when I get home.
The entrée was a mousse of eggplant with miniature radicchio leaves radiating outward with olives and Parmesan shavings.
The plat was a duck breast which was presented like a fan. I looked this one up. Indeed, a method of preparing and presenting a duck breast. A first for me. Magnificent.
Finally, the dessert was pommes roasted with Armagnac in a most flakey pastry shell.
The menu was 32€. Imagine that price in New York. Add in the aperitif, a quarter pichet of vin rouge, and the 20 year old Armagnac, the total bill was 52€. My menu was pre-paid. So, 20€ for the boissons. Incroyable!
A short day tomorrow. I thought about going to the Musée d’Armagnac. Tant pis. It opens at 2PM. I’ll be almost at my destination.
