Walking the Camino de Santiago
I left Saint-Chély-d’Aubrac before dawn on the 24th of August. The Camino crosses a medieval stone bridge over a narrow river with the rather grand name of Boralde de Saint-Chély-d’Aubrac. The bridge itself is called the Pont des Pèlerins (Pilgrims’ Bridge), and it features a bas relief of a pilgrim with his staff and cape. The image is extremely weathered, […]
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This was the gîte recommended to me by the Tourist Office, and it was great! Very welcoming, clean, and well-organized. By the time it opened at 3pm, it was already 97° F (36° C) outside. In the lobby, I ran into Delphiné from Brittany, who I first met way back at Domaine du Sauvage. She helped with some translation issues […]
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After visiting the church, I went back to the village square. I grabbed a seat at the outdoor café there and ordered myself a refreshing beverage. The beers I encountered in France tended to be on the light side, which was perfect for the hot weather. In fact, blondes and whites were by far the most common local beers I […]
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One final photo from the church of Notre-Dame-des-Pauvres de Saint-Chély-d’Aubrac. The rear of the church features a curious two-tiered gallery. Based on the existence of a rotating music holder with chant book in the top gallery, this was where the choir sat. If you zoom in, you can see that the book is set to the Pater Noster. I’m not […]
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Four photos in one! The church of Notre-Dame-des-Pauvres de Saint-Chély-d’Aubrac has four side chapels: the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Saint Joseph, and our Lady of Lourdes. This last was originally a Rosary Chapel. Indeed, the altar features a painting of the Virgin Mary gifting the rosary to Saint Dominic, and on the central statue of Virgin […]
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I made my way to the church of Notre-Dame-des-Pauvres (Our Lady of the Poor). This 11th century church was entirely rebuilt during the Hundred Years War. From the outside it doesn’t look at all remarkable, but the instant you walk in the door you are assailed by sign and symbol and beauty. Much of the interior artwork appears to be from […]
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It was 11:30, and my gîte didn’t open until 2PM. So I set about to explore the little village of Saint-Chély-d’Aubrac. I soon found myself in the main village plaza, featuring the usual monument to the fallen in the Great War, the Mairie (village hall), and a café. I made a mental note to return here for lunch and then […]
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In many of the larger towns and villages – and even some of the smaller ones – you will find tourist offices, like this one in Saint-Chély-d’Aubrac. They are absolutely invaluable. If you’ve been following along, you know that I reserved eight of my first ten nights in advance at various gîtes and hostels and monasteries. But Saint-Chély was the […]
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I arrived in Saint-Chély-d’Aubrac just after 10:30 AM. I ran into Alex walking down the main street, and together we ducked into a shop and then this boulangerie to procure supplies for second breakfast. (Possibly third breakfast, if you count our snack of cookies and grapes in Aubrac.) We ate together, sitting on the concrete lip of a bubbling fountain […]
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After Belvezet, the Way continued winding down off the Aubrac plateau into cool, green forest lands. I crossed over this rushing mountain stream, where I was tempted to soak my feet. Along the path now there were moss covered tumbledown rough stone walls. I could occasionally smell blackberries. It was all a stark change from the bare, windswept plateau of […]
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