Sauveterre-de-Béarn welcomes you with a river and an old bridge. You put your rucksack down, your legs heavy in that pleasant way. Some 23 kilometres lie behind you, and it has felt like one long swing: up, down, and up again.
In Orthez the day still began with the sounds of the town. Soon it went quiet. Little lanes, fields, a farm here and there. Nowhere is it really steep, but the hills never let go of you. Around 7 hours of walking adds up, even if each stretch on its own is easy enough. Behind you the maize fields and meadows stay where they are, hill after hill, slowly fading in the late light.