Conques to Livinhac-le-Haut 23.7kms (234.5kms) 772m up

In Conques we said goodbye to our French 4some (one I nicknamed Henri Leconte because he played tennis and was mischievous) and 3 Polish brothers who we had walked with for days before getting to know them.
This was our drinking hole, opposite the Abbey, where we could listen to the choir. The only flat place in the whole town.
We ate breakfast from the unlocked fridge, in the dark  before the staff arrived. We needed an early start for a gruesome walk on a hot day.
Just after 6am we headed down the cobbled paths through town to the river.
Then we went straight up for 400m along narrow, rocky, slippery and dark paths. About half way up, in the middle of the forest, we came across a tiny church, with a bell for us to ring.
The rest of the day was long but pleasant,
until the last 4 kilometers. With  Livinhac-le-Haut almost in sight, we walked up two hundred metres then back down again.
We reached the town square and our hotel and saw 4 fellow pilgrims sitting under umbrellas, with NO drinks.
After 24kms, 600m and 29°!
"Everything is closed they called".
We thought it was siesta till 4 or 5, but no. The town was closed on Mondays!
The  bar, the cafes and our hotel.
Our host advised us that our breakfast and dinner was in the fridge, then left!!!!

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