20^th Day 2018 Morlaas to Marciac

            Another Oklahoma sky!  Not even a hint of cloud in the pale blue ceiling.  Having depleted my food stores with only coffee and nuts left, I am patiently waiting for Express U to open at 9.

            What a joy filled ride today!  The Dutch couple left while I was finishing breakfast.  The terrain was like the hand of a giant with his fingers spread wide, up and over the knuckles and through the valleys between.

            My first stop was at the Tourist Office in Lembeye.  They assured me that there were campgrounds in the next two towns.  The town square is more of a trapezoid.  I picked up a small pizza and an Orangina at a nearby bakery and feasted at one corner of the trapezoid.

            I looked for the Tourist Office in Maubourguet but came up empty.  The signs had narrowed the location to two blocks however no luck.  It has become a thing for me to find the tourist offices even if I do not need one.  Last year the sign pointed in the opposite direction of tourist office.

            The church was open and I set the battery up to be recharged.  When I came back to retrieve the battery two men were rehearsing, one singing and the other on the organ.  They expressed surprise when I stepped up to the sanctuary to pick up the battery.

            Marciac had two campgrounds.  The young clerk recommended the nearer one.  When I first saw it I figured that her dad must run the place.  The campground defined rustic and is part of a once working farm with house, barns, and sheds.  The grass is ankle high and the ground rocky.  No one is around, no proprietor, no camper. 

            I chose a spot near a kidney shape pond.  The surface is covered with “scum” and is undulating like the membrane of a drum.  There has to be something beneath the surface trying to escape.

            There are two sets of iron table and chairs badly in need of a repainting.  The sanitary is housed on the first story of the manor, clean and usable.  Picking a door is like being on “Let’s Make a Deal.”  What is behind this door? A toilet, a shower, a basin?

            After unpacking and a wonderfully hot shower that featured spigots and not those darn push in valves, I headed for the Super U on the other side of town.  The town was establishing in the 13^th century by royal charter.  By decree the streets were organized in a grid worthy of Descartes.  This is quite different from the normal village where the streets dart in every direction.

            Shorty after dinner the owner stopped by to collect a fee, 5 euros.  He is a retired farmer and does the camping as a hobby business.  He spends each winter in Africa.

            There is also a bed and breakfast operation for the upper story of the house.

            I need to contact Isabelle and Marie-Line to find out when they will arrive in Moissac.

Happy trails to you until we meet again!

Much joy!!!
Hardy