Day 4 : Saugues

After yesterday's trek almost by myself, it was fun to hook up with others at the gîte. I started out with Michel, the man from Quebec, a Polish woman who had lived for a long time in the US, Christiane, and a German woman, Alex, who is currently living in Portugal. We had eaten dinner with  Bruno, a man from Le Puy, who planned on doing 30 some kilometres a day, but we didn't run into him again. 

We then met up with two French girls, Oriane and Alix at a small rest stop just outside of Saugues. There, at the house of a woman who ran a little rest stop out of her home, I had a huge sandwich of pâté on country bread, and Michel produced a tiny bottle half-filled with red wine. The others had omelettes with wild mushrooms and berry tartes.

Most of the journey was uphill as we ascended the Margerides. Early on we passed a little chapel built in the side of the rock, the Chapelle St. Madeleine. Later we saw mention of the legendary beast of  Gevaudan, a wolf-like creature that supposedly roamed the region in the 18th century. There was some sort of statue of the beast, which I saw out of the corner of my eye in the distance, when entering Saugues, but we decided to forgo having a closer look as we were tired from all of our walking.

Three of us are staying in La Centre de Margerides, and three others at  La Ferme.  If we meet up again we'll have to compare notes. This place has many amenities but does not serve food, so we are grocery shopping tonight to try and concoct something for dinner. 

I managed to lose yesterday's scripture readings, but today the Selections for Day 4 on the Pilgrimage are as follows:

(Matthew 4) 17 … Jesus began to proclaim, "Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven has come near." 18 As he walked by the
Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called
Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea--
for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, "Follow
me, and I will make you fish for people." 20 Immediately
they left their nets and followed him. 21 As he went from
there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and
his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee,
mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately
they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

(Psalm 85) 8 Let me hear what God the LORD will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to
those who turn to him in their hearts. 9 Surely his salvation
is at hand for those who fear him, that his glory may dwell
in our land. 10 Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
righteousness and peace will kiss each other. 11
Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and
righteousness will look down from the sky. 12 The LORD
will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness will go before him, and will make a path
for his steps.

Cute mailbox decorations leaving Monistrol d'Allier

Semi-troglodyte St Madeleine chapel between Monistrol d'Allier and Saugues

Strange wooden carvings outside of Saugues