Walking the Camino de Santiago
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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I found this car in the village of Belvezet simply charming, an echo of another age. In the background, you can see a little more of what this terraced village looks like in profile. The road through the village is essentially one giant switchback. Date: 23 August 2023 Place: Belvezet, Aveyron Département, Region of Occitanie, France Maps! If you’re the […]
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The village of Belvezet is built on the steep slope of the edges of the Aubrac plateau. The buildings are on a couple of different levels, separated by a series of uneven terraces and switchbacked roads. I don’t know that this one is typical, but I enjoyed the old cart wheels and rusting farming equipment. Date: 23 August 2023 Place: […]
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After the brief respite, the path continued downward in the direction of the village of Belvezet. You can tell a couple of things from this photo, taken just before 9:30 AM. It’s bright and already quite warm, the path is an ankle-twisting chute of rocks, and we’re heading downwards at a pretty precipitous angle. Date: 23 August 2023 Place: approaching […]
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In between the rocky descents, the trail flattened out for a bit. And it was just lovely. The green tunnel didn’t last for long, though, and soon I was back to carefully picking my way down a boulder-strewn sloping path. Date: 23 August 2023 Place: between Aubrac and Belvezet, Aveyron Département, Region of Occitanie, France Maps! If you’re the sort […]
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