Day 33 - June 10th: On the Road Again

Toulouse to Cuq-Toulza: 30.05 miles / Total: 861

The “day off” yesterday wasn’t really a day off. I just didn’t run. Christina and I were busy from 8 a.m. until lights out at 9 p.m. After breakfast, she headed to the local Hertz office. The swap she made in Spain after the windshield incident gave us a decent car—but with tires that didn’t have much tread. With over 3,500 km ahead of us and 5,000 more coming back, we needed something safer, especially if we hit rough weather or off-road patches. where she might need to rescue me.

The French Hertz agent wasn’t thrilled. He argued the €650/month unlimited mileage rate was “too good” and claimed it was only valid for one month. Christina stood her ground. After some back and forth and a threat to impound the vehicle, she finally got Fernando—our original Portuguese contact—on the line. He clarified the 4-month agreement but she got out of there as quickly as possible. Hopefully Fernando can pull through again and help us swap out in one of the future towns.

Meanwhile, I spent the morning reworking the upcoming itinerary. Monica flies into Nice on June 20. Peter and Laura have just arrived and will tour for a while before meeting us in Arles, where we’ve rented a place for three days. At my current pace, I’d arrive in Arles four days early—then pass it by over 120 miles. Coming back for a one-day stage wouldn’t be practical, and I can’t afford a three-day break. Too risky. My body would shut down. Monica suggested a workaround: two days before we reach Arles, Christina and I drive ahead to a point from which I can run back into Arles over four days. That way, we arrive on foot, take a rest day, and then continue forward by connecting the gap. Complicated and confusing? It is—especially when your brain’s running on fumes but I think I have it figured out. If you are interested in the planning, you can see the worksheet on “Itinerary” in the menu bar under Europe. There is the “Plan” tab on the sheet and then there is the “Actual.” I updated the actual tab daily with the data and then use it to refactor moving forward.

The rest of the day was logistics, groceries, laundry, and a proper Thai massage right across the street. Honestly, I don’t know how I’ve had the energy to get up and run each morning. Yesterday I was wiped. The shin/tibia is 100%. Blisters I can deal with. But I needed that pause to help with the upper respiratory stuff. I woke up thinking I might be in trouble, but the anti-inflammatory meds I’d stopped taking for the shin helped almost immediately. Lisa advised me to walk today and limit the pressure on my lungs, which I stuck to. Ted—be glad you cleared out when you did!

It was a national holiday in France yesterday, so Toulouse was a ghost town. Most shops and restaurants were closed, but we were both happy to return to Jiao Zi Guan, our go-to Chinese spot. The food was just as good the second time. This time we got to talk with the staff. The man on the left in the video is one of the owners. The woman beside him is the Master Chef—calm, focused, in total control all night. The other owner, his wife, ran the front —waitressing, bussing, processing orders. They told us they just opened a second location. We wished them bon chance before heading back.

France is heating up. I had a couple of 90+ degree days in Spain, but there were pilgrim water stations every 5–10 km. Here, there are none. Christina and I will need to stay sharp about water access—for both me and Jax. Spain had streams, rivers, and fountains everywhere. France, not so much.

Jax and I left Toulouse at 7 a.m. on a clear, hot morning. Within a few kilometers, we were out of the city and into the suburbs—busy with post-holiday traffic. After about 10 km, we finally hit countryside again, though the road narrowed to two lanes with no shoulder. Yesterday, we decided to leave the Arles Way Camino, which loops northeast and back southeast toward Castres, in favor of a more direct route east. It saves 40–50 km, but the tradeoff is more paved road, more traffic.

Google Maps teased me with a dirt road near Mons, but it quickly dumped us back onto the narrow shoulderless highway—this time with more trucks. We moved through Drémil-Lafage, Vallesvilles, and Saussens. Much like the western approach into Toulouse, this eastern stretch had big trees lining the road, at least giving us some shade.

Around the 33 km mark, I saw Jax licking his front left paw. Quick call to Christina—she was en route—and she pulled over and picked him up. Good timing.

I kept going through Cambon-lès-Lavaur, then into Cuq-Toulza, where we’re staying. I added another 5 km past town to even out tomorrow’s distance. The road mostly skirted the villages rather than running through them. No real stops. No real scenery. Just cars, trucks, and the rising heat.

Cuq-Toulza where we are staying, like many of today’s towns, has deep roots. It sits in the historical region of Languedoc, once part of the independent County of Toulouse before being absorbed by the French crown in the 13th century. This was Cathar country—villages like Saussens, Vallesvilles, and Cambon-lès-Lavaur that I passed around were part of the broader Occitan region that resisted the Catholic Church during the Albigensian Crusade.

Today wasn’t memorable, but it got the job done. A point-A-to-point-B kind of day. No aches. My body felt great. Once the lungs clear up, I’ll be back in machine mode.

When I got back, Jax was waiting—excited, tail wagging, but clearly limping. I checked his toes—no issues. But when I pressed on the big pad behind his toes, he yelped. We’ll see how he does after a good night’s sleep, but with temps expected in the high 90s tomorrow, a day off will probably do him good.

Time to recover.

Thanks for the support.

Cheers,

David