Sunday August 19, Moissac
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| The Cloister in Moissac |
There is something good about spending a bit of time in a town and really getting to know it, and in fact some of the people, as we have done in Moissac. It’s been another cracker of a day with temperatures hitting 30 degrees. We walked into town this morning see the market that everyone has mentioned, and it was pretty impressive. Stalls seemed to be filling all the small alleys as well as the main square. Lots of clothing stalls as well as a huge trailer that set up as a shoe store. But the food stalls were great, lots of vegetables and fruit as well as olives, cheeses, meats and fish, and they were really busy. We enjoyed mingling with the people, everyone was very relaxed. Many people had the shopping bags and were buying their food for the day.
We continued on to the Abbey just on the edge of the square. This is what makes this town famous and it welcomes pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. We were greeted with beautiful singing as we entered the abbey, Sunday service was underway. This Romanesque Abbey dates from the 11th century. We visited the cloister behind the abbey which is the oldest in the world, and really impressive. The stone carvings are just exquisite. History is everywhere, and we certainly felt it as we wandered through the rooms and climbed narrow staircases to the upstairs floor with views down into the abbey.
Stopped off for a coffee in the market and met up with Michael (the English guy who lives on a barge) and his dog Tully. After browsing through some of the many small art galleries in town, we picked up a loaf of bread and back to camp for a late lunch…and a wee siesta!!! Later on, we set off again on our bikes to ride a bit on the canal in the other direction. We were just passing by the hotel beside the river when we heard a voice “hey Kiwis”…it was Michael who was having his afternoon beer and invited us to join him, and how could we refuse!!! And just about to head off again and some more greetings to the kiwis, from a couple from Tauranga who had spotted the flag on Ian’s bike. Murray and Gay are cycling the canal from Bordeaux to Set, and not on electric bikes either. They called around to see us at camp after we came back from our 20km ride and it was great to have a chat and share our French experiences. It has been a great day, and will be sorry to leave Moissac, it is a great village with lots going on.
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| Street scenes at the market |
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| The cloister |
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| Lots of art around the town. |
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| Sunday morning |
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| A beer with Michael |
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