Walk, Eat, Repeat
 
Lauzerte has always been a town of walkers:  people walking their dogs around town, pilgrims making their way along the St. Jacques de Compostella route, and villagers going down to the lower village to shop or just to get some daily exercise.    The fact that so many people live long and healthy lives in our village is probably a tribute not only to their diet but also to this habit of walking.  When Camp Biche came to town reinforcing the virtues of walking, many of us finally took it up as a means of maintaining our health and weight.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Although some people do their walking as a solitary pursuit, it is probably best as a social activity among friends who provide company, conversation, and encouragement; in fact, the walking time and distance can literally fly by when you are having fun.  So when Michael proposed that we do an entire day of walking, he had a lot of takers.  He settled on the lovely town of Bardigues  not only because it has two circular walks beginning and ending in the village but also because it has one of the best restaurants in the area.  So we decided to do a morning walk, followed by lunch, and then another walk.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
It was a spectacularly warm and sunny February day when we started our walk.  Led by our guide Michael, we enjoyed  quiet country roads and beautiful vistas along the way.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
It was obvious we were among professional walkers because we covered the roughly 7-kilometer distance in record time, returning to the village for an earlier lunch than planned.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
But no one complained because we had worked up an appetite for the tasty and inventive dishes that are the hallmarks of the Auberge de Bardigues.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A tuna tartare starter, followed by filet mignon de porc, a fruit salad infused with cumin seed, and a glass of champagne -- a satisfying and restorative meal.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
It was then time for our second walk (sans Bosco et moi -- he was too tired :-) that aided the digestion and continued the camaraderie that had been developing all day.  Tom and HK said it was the most fun they had since coming to France.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Orr d’oeuvres
Sunday, March 1, 2009