Walking the Camino de Santiago
Finally, we come to the crypt chapel set aside for the reservation of the Blessed Sacrament. It was not majesty here but intimacy. Every inch of the chapel is decorated – and I know some might say over-decorated – to the glory of Christ in the Eucharist. I could feel the presence of Jesus close to me. Great carved and […]
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On our walk in the city of Figeac, we passed this staircase on the side of a house. It was so delightful that I stopped to take a photo. Nina had a bed reserved, but I had not reserved anything. We decided to head to her gîte first to see if there were any openings. Date: 29 August 2023 Place: […]
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After leaving the church, I popped my head briefly into this garden before I continued on my way. The sign indicated that it was the old presbytery garden, though I could see no sign of an actual presbytery – I suppose we would call it a rectory in the United States. Perhaps where you are, it might be called a […]
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The Camino enters Livinhac-le-Haut on this bridge over our old friend, the River Lot. The bridge is mostly for car traffic, obviously, and pilgrims must walk a narrow sidewalk. Not my favourite thing in the world, but also nowhere close to the first time I’ve had to do something like this. I did not have a gîte reserved here, so […]
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This is the entrance of the abbey church of Sainte-Foy. I arrived about a half hour before the Sunday Mass. I was pretty tired from the fast pace I’d done most of the morning – so much so that I barely registered that some of the original polychrome was still visible on the tympanum. I did, however, notice the little […]
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Estaing’s bridge over the River Lot was completed in the early 16th century, and the Camino passes directly over it into the town. The Bishop of Rodez began construction of the bridge in 1490, which is why there’s a church on the left bank. Although you can’t see them in this photo, in the middle of the bridge on one […]
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This iconic view of the town of Espalion features a view of the Palais de Justice d’Espalion (courthouse) and the Pont Vieux (lit. “old bridge”) over the River Lot. The courthouse dates to 1572 and has served a variety of governmental and defensive functions over the centuries. It was converted into an artists’ residence in 1992. The first bridge on this site […]
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Although we saw several different kinds, this was the most common sort of cattle gate. The shell gives it a nice distinctive look. The Camino cuts through many cattle pastures on the Aubrac plateau, so we passed though a large number of gates and other clever ways to keep cows in the correct places and off the roads. Date: 23 […]
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It was a day of stiles and gates. The Camino cuts through many cattle pastures on the Aubrac plateau, so we passed though a large number of gates and other clever ways to keep cows in the correct places and off the roads. This little maze is one of my favourites. It’s actually a little awkward for backpacks, but I […]
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The Way out of Monistrol d’Allier was up and up and up. It was wicked steep up out of the river valley, and the temperature was climbing quickly as well. One consolation was that much of it was under tree cover. Along the way, I passed through this narrow gorge separating two gargantuan boulders. Although I’m sure they were deeply […]
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