Well traveling here was quite uneventful. My first train was a TGV, which was very nice because it lopped of some time, but from Saint Etienne I had to take a bus. The terrain becomes very hilly there, with some small mountains, and continues all the way to Le Puy en-Velay.
When I arrived, the reception at the gîte was closed until 2 pm so I ate lunch and walked to the Cathedral to look around. The Cathedral bookstore was unfortunately closed until 3 pm so I headed back to the gîte to register. The Gîte des Capucins is on the Chemin de Compostelle itself so at least I'll start in the right direction. I decided to take the demi-pension because I was so tired from jet lag and days of sleep deprivation that I thought this would be easier. Rather pricey, though, at EUR 39. I won't be able to carry on at this rate for long and I need an ATM.
After registering I revisited the little church perched on the summit of a volcanic peak, built by the bishop Gothescalk of Le Puy in the 10th century after his pilgrimage to Santiago, Saint Michel d'Aiguilhe. It is my understanding that it was built around the same time as another Saint Michel church and abbey--the famous Mont Saint Michel--built on an island promontory between Normandy and Brittany.
After registering I revisited the little church perched on the summit of a volcanic peak, built by the bishop Gothescalk of Le Puy in the 10th century after his pilgrimage to Santiago, Saint Michel d'Aiguilhe. It is my understanding that it was built around the same time as another Saint Michel church and abbey--the famous Mont Saint Michel--built on an island promontory between Normandy and Brittany.
It turned out that dinner was at a restaurant, La Trifolle, the for which I received a voucher. Nothing to write home about.
Someone from the American Pilgrims on the Camino website posted a list of appropriate Bible selections for the Camino called Forty Days, put together by Gary T. Johnson in 2002. I thought it might be good to reflect on some of them in my daily postings.
Selection for Day 1:
(Psalm 121) I lift up my eyes to the hills-- from where will
my help come? 2 My help comes from the LORD, who
made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot be
moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 4 He who
keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The LORD is
your keeper; the LORD is your shade at your right hand. 6
The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your
life. 8 The LORD will keep your going out and your
coming in from this time on and forevermore.
The setting here makes this Psalm seem more apt, and walking up the steep cobblestone slope to the Cathedral and back certainly made me want my feet to be kept from moving in any awkward ways lest I would fall. . . It is good to know that someone is going to watch out for me on this journey as well. . .
Well I can't figure out a way to label or move my images around, so it looks like I'll have to do some editing when I return to Paris and can use a real computer. Pictures include the board displaying my departure train, the mileage to Conques from LePuy, a view of the city from the Cathedral portal, the black virgin and the statue of Saint James inside.
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| The chapel of St. Michel d'Aiguilhe |
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| Statue of St. Jacques in the Cathedral |
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| The "Black Virgin" in the Cathedral |
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| The Cathédrale de Notre Dame in Le Puy-en-Velay |
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| View from the chapel St Michel d' Aiguilhe showing the statue of the Virgin and child overlooking the city |
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| The scallop shell was ever-present |
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| The mileage to Conques speaks for itself |
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