St. Lizier, Castillon

Mas d'Azil to St Lizier: 21.7 km

St Lizier to Castillon: 18.8 km

 St Lizier is a fifth century roman/Gallic city with a Bishop's Palace built at the city's tippy top. The cathedral is from the 11th century and has an intact monastery....up to now, I've only seen these in museums. The city is stunning, built upon a hill with tiny cobblestone alleys. It seems the city was entirely historical and barely lived in because there was one tourist office, one restaurant and one boulangerie and no grocery store and no pharmacy aside from the 17th century pharmacy that required a tour.

The cloisters in St. Lizier's ancient church

A street in St Lizier

We were housed by the tourist office just underneath the pharmacy where 15 euro each bought us an apartment. There was a full kitchen partly provisioned, so we were able to cook our meals each night and eat them at a round table in a different room! One of the reasons we cook is becase dinner in France begins at 7:30 and we like to eat earlier.

I woke up sick on the day we were planning to hike to Castillon, which is why we stayed two nights. This gave us the opportunity to go on a French-speaking tour of the old pharmacy featuring a bottle of Thieves Vinegar. I understood one or two words of the one hour tour!

Old pharmacy

Thieves vinegar

After healing from my illness, we set out Thursday for Castillon through several tiny medieval villages. We passed by a huge water trough that we believe fueled an old paper mill. There was a marble quart and close by an ancient marble bridge. And ho hum, we went past several pastures of lovely cows and sheep.

Pigeon house

Our lodging in Castillon was also courtesy of the tourist office high offers cheap lodging to pilgrims 10.0 Euro to stay in a converted pigeon house where the main floor is a bench and loft with a hot plate for sleeping and the bathroom and shower are downstairs, but require a 100 yard walk outside and a key! Much effort was put into the wood and tile, so I am confused why the strange design.

I was quite intrigued that there was ever such a thing as a pigeon house. I looked it up and indeed, they are/were homes for pigeons, and I just learned from Darryl that they were kept for fertilizing crops! I must round up the pigeons in my neighborhood and enslave them for their excrement!

We also climbed to the top of the town to visit their 11th century church which is no longer in use. We were surprised when the office of tourism gave us a giant skeleton key to the church. Unfortunately, we were unable to re-lock the door afterwards. Nothing like leaving an ancient artifact open to marauders, although any valuables the church may have contained were long gone.

What is this doggie in the window?

On way up to church, Warren of houses

The abandoned church with the broken lock

We actually went out for dinner, but somehow ended up with the same meal we seem to always get...steak and salad. Don't get it.

Public washtub