After an 11 hour sleep, we rolled out of bed, had a breakfast in one of the cafes along the Capitole plaza, and waited back at the hotel for our friend Bénédicte.

We first met Bénédicte after Pat discovered her business of arranging itineraries for Americans hiking France’s Grande Rondonées—the long-distance hiking trails that crisscross the country. Once you’ve decided where in France you wanted to explore, she picked an itinerary and made arrangements for lodging and transportation for your luggage. We went on one of her trips and liked it, and liked her. On a repeat tour, she said there would be no charge. We pointed out that was not a good business practice (especially since we were her only clients). She decided she wasn’t so interested in the business, but stayed in touch with us, and we’ve had many visits—and even some hiking—with Bénédicte over the years.

But we last visited her in 2016, shortly after she moved to Toulouse. We were happy to see each other again. We headed off to lunch at La Santine, not far from the hotel.

After lunch, we spent the afternoon strolling along the Garonne, catching up with our news of the past decade.

After resting at a café, we ambled back to the hotel, stopping along the way at Bénédicte’s favorite church, the Church of the Jacobins, a well-preserved example of early French Gothic architecture. Built and expanded between 1230 and 1341, the church is divided down the middle by a row of tall columns, creating a double nave where the friars were separated from the congregation by screens between the central pillars.