Fabian our host put on a continental breakfast of his own home made bread, jams and an apricot tart (made with almond meal) which was great. At breakfast were an American couple doing the GR10 (The GR 10 is a French GR footpath, or hiking trail, that runs the length of the Pyrenees Mountains. It roughly parallels the French–Spanish border on the French side. Hiking the entire route is estimated to take around 52 days for hikers who are in good shape and used to mountain hiking. Some stretches involve a lot of ascending and descending, including a few one-day sections that can climb and then descend 1,200 metres (3,900 ft), but the GR 10 is a hiking trail, and there is no actual mountain climbing involved. The trail covers a distance of 866 kilometres (538 mi), with 48,000 metres (157,000 ft) of ascent and given the coast to coast nature of the route the same descent.) This couple have been doing bit by bit on their annual leave break for the past four years! And may have to take another year to finish! Also at the table was a fellow cyclist, a Belgian, who is going to have a crack at Col de Tourmalet, on his touring bike, which is only able to use the middle chainring! Today’s riding needed all the fuel we could get. We are going across the grain of the country, albeit at lower levels than if we were on the border. We lingered over breakfast as the rain was coming in a steady drizzle. There was unfinished business - we made a detour just a few km along the way to see St Lizier. This town pre-dates St Girons, and while very close, retains a separate feel entirely. During the fifth century the citadel became an episcopal see, the oldest in the Ariège area. Its first bishop is thought to have been Saint Valier. The town is named in honor of its 6th Century bishop Lycerius, canonized as Saint Lizier, a bishop who participated in the Council of Agde in 506. The town has two former cathedrals: Saint-Lizier Cathedral (now the parish church) and Notre-Dame-de-la-Sède Cathedral. We were able to go into the parish church and cloisters. As the town is on a Compostella route, there are lots of references to St Jacques, and to pilgrims within the town and the church. By the time we had finished walking around the old town, the rain had eased, although it returned a couple of times, and the clouds and cool temperatures remained for the rest of the day. Another day of lush meadows, hills with sometimes sharp ascents and descents, though thankfully not long ones! Lots of small towns, chateaux (ruined and restored) and rivers too. For the first time this trip we have seen the crucifixes at minor road crossings. Quite common in other parts of France (and other european countries) but not evident on this trip until now.