Via Podiensis: Loving Le Puy

I slept like a rock. After a breakfast of black coffee and fresh bread in the refectory, my first stop was the cathedral.

There I gave thanks for having safely arrived in Le Puy, prayed lauds, and then the morning Mass. It was celebrated simply but beautifully, and since we sang the Latin Mass parts I could sing along.

The cathedral feels small and intimate, but it sure packs in a lot of people. The building itself is simply stunning. It appears to be Romanesque with odd influences from the Byzantine east, including a dome over the sanctuary. I probably took a hundred photos.

Afterwards, I climbed the 268 crazy steep stairs up to the chapel of Saint-Michel d’Aiguilhe (St. Michael of the Needle). It was built on a volcanic pillar of rock in the middle of the 10th century by Bishop Godescalc upon his return from Santiago. He was the first non-Spanish cleric to make the pilgrimage.

This place has to be seen to be believed, ancient and holy, and photos don’t begin to do it justice. I prayed a while up there, including of course the Saint Michael prayer, which is dear to my heart.

Then I spent a couple of hours exploring the center part of the town. I’m kind of in love with Le Puy: a marvelously preserved vibrant old medieval city full of antique shops, used bookstores, and restaurants.

We had a very spectacular 10-minute thunderstorm, and then it was time for lunch. For my first real meal in days, I popped into a local restaurant and had my first pilgrim meal, or “assiette de Compostelle”. It was delicious. If this is typical of pilgrim meals in France, I just might end up gainingweight. 

It was beastly hot in the afternoon, but fortunately there was plenty of shade in Le Puy’s narrow winding medieval streets. After a great deal of wandering, I ended up sitting for a while under the cathedral portico, just taking in the place and watching the people.

This evening I am planning on attending a salon held by the French pilgrim association.

And tomorrow, the long walk begins.

Date: 17 August 2023

Place: Le Puy-en-Velay (Prefecture of Haute-Loire, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France)

Today’s Photos