Nogaro

An 11th-century Romanesque collegiate church with a beautiful apse and carved capitals. The stonework is warm and golden, typical of the Gers. The carved capitals in the choir depict biblical scenes and fantastical creatures with the slightly naive, deeply expressive style that characterises the best Romanesque sculpture. The church is modest in scale but exceptional in detail. Allow time to study the carvings.

On a clear day, looking south from the higher ground around Nogaro, you may catch your first glimpse of the Pyrenees on the horizon. The mountain chain is still distant, a faint blue line separating earth from sky, but it is unmistakably there. If you started in Le Puy-en-Velay, you have walked across the Massif Central, the causses, and the Gascon hills. The Pyrenees are the final barrier before Spain. Seeing them for the first time, even from this distance, is a significant Camino moment.

Nogaro's restaurants serve the hearty food of the Gers: duck confit, garbure (the thick Gascon soup of cabbage, beans, and preserved meats), and saucisse de Toulouse. The portions are generous and the prices are modest. The local Cotes de Gascogne white wines (crisp, fruity, and inexpensive) make an excellent accompaniment to the richer dishes. A plate of confit with sauteed potatoes and a salad, washed down with a carafe of white wine, is one of the great simple meals of France.

Nogaro is one of the few stops in the Gers with a train station. Services run to Auch (the departmental capital) and Tarbes (gateway to the Pyrenees). If you need to interrupt your walk for any reason, or if someone is joining or leaving you on the route, Nogaro is a practical place to arrange transport. The station is small and quiet, but the connection to the wider rail network is valuable.