une halte jacquaire à moissac

Before arriving in Moissac, the pèlerin walks up and down and up and down but not with much fuss.  The modest roller-coaster walk must be enjoyed now, because the walk south from Moissac will be flat flat flat flat.

Moissac can be a stopping stage as well.  The SNCF (train) stops here, and one can buy a ticket and travel to Bordeaux in one direction or Toulouse in another.  During the Middle Ages it was a major halte jacquaire.

DAY 21 de Lauzerte à Moissac (peut-être 24.5km) sur Le Chemin de Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle.

A major attraction is the Abbaye St-Pierre de Moissac, founded in the 600’s.  It dominates the city.

Above Moissac is a hill with a pedestrian path that leads to a beautiful, panoramic view of the city and the Tarn River.  In addition, one can see the Abbaye St-Pierre de Moissac and its monumental presence in Moissac.  (Click on any photo to see it larger and in more detail.)

Up close the Abbaye is huge, beautiful.  Where does one begin take its measure?  It reminds me of the parable of the blind men and the elephant.  (Click on any photo to see it larger and in more detail.)

Even if the Abbaye is closed, which I experienced, the columns and sculptures on the outside are sublime for examining up close.  For example, the portal, constructed between 1115 and 1130, is famous for its trumeau column.  (Click on any photo to see it larger and in more detail.)

I mentioned that a path climbs above Moissac where one can see the valley and rivers that surround Moissac.  The Tarn River is there, and if you look closely you will see Le Pont Napoléon Hôtel, where I slept in a first class room with a first class shower (which is very important for a pèlerin).  (Click on any photo to see it larger and in more detail.)

In addition to the Abbaye, Moissac is known for its two waterways, the Tarn River, which flows through it–I mentioned it earlier, and the Canal de Garonne, which is the extension of the Canal du Midi that flows from Toulouse to Bordeaux.  These canals permit a boat ride from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.  (Click on any photo to see it larger and in more detail.)

And . . . after a long day of walking the Chemin, the bed and the meal are terrific ways to end that day.  (Click on any photo to see it larger and in more detail.)