It was an easy day's walk to Vaylats through more forest, nearly flat, though the day became very warm by lunchtime.There was another dolmen to see, just a little off the track.....
And in the village of Varaire there was a 'lavoir' to view, where you could almost imagine the women of old slaving over laundry with cold icy hands.
The welcome was very warm at the convent of Vaylats, with a lay hospitalero taking me to my room, very comfortable, all to myself. This was a perk for a solo woman;-) Single men were in a shared dorm downstairs!
There was a view of the interior courtyard, hinting at grandeur from days gone by.
These days, the convent seems to be a large part of the reason for the village. A couple from the US provided some excitement in the afternoon heat when a local farmer delivered them to the convent doors on his tractor!The parish church, unusually for this "Chemin" part of France, was closed when I went exploring briefly, though of course it was a holiday weekend. The afternoon became far too hot for walking and I hid under a shady tree until nearly dinnertime.
Interestingly, these days of early May just before Cahors, were the hottest days I experienced until later in June when I was on the last part of the Meseta....All of us pilgrim residents had a delicious shared meal in the evening. There was a Swiss couple present who were walking to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Their very presence made it a celebration for everyone else. Apparently we would usually eat with the nuns in their dining room, but they were having a 'chapter' with many visiting nuns this weekend. They made us very welcome in the morning though for a hearty breakfast before we started walking again.
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