“If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you, how will you compete with horses? And if in a safe land you are so trusting, what will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?"
Jeremiah 12:15 (ESV)
Sauvelade
As I mentioned, Arthez de Béarn afforded me my first view of the Pyrenées. Suddenly there was a different feeling to the region. It wasn't all cornfields and geese to be fattened, there was a whole new frontière out there.
In addition, something I learned from my guidebook, the infamous Miam Miam Dodo, was more of the unfortunate story of the Cagots. Although much is not known about them and why they were discriminated against, it was interesting to learn that they were likely lepers at first who were made to live separately from the rest of the population for fear of contamination. Unfortunately, even after leprosy disappeared from the community, they were still considered "unclean" and required to live apart. In passing through Arthez I walked by places reminiscent of this history. They had to live outside the city walls, drink from their own fountain, and wear on their clothing a sign of their heritage. It wasn't until the French Revolution that these practices were stopped.
My gite at Arthez de Béarn had been full. It was owned by the local baker, and the rooms were thoughtfully appointed. I shared mine with two others. Most left early, though, planning the long 30+ km trek to Navarrenx. I, instead, broke it up into two days.
As I left, I stopped again to have another brief look at the Pyrenées near the church. As I was leaving town I noted a sign from a group called Emmaüs offering a Christian welcome. I stopped and chatted with Stephen from England who was staying at the house. He gave me a little postcard with a reproduction of The Supper at Emmaus by Caravaggio and pointed out, interestingly enough, that Saint James was present there at the supper in his paining. Also that the figure of Christ was androgynous, meaning that "in Christ there was neither male of female" (Galatians 3:28) or possibly the passage in Matthew 22:30 saying that "in the resurrection they [i.e. people] neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven."
Today's walk was singularly tedious with rows and rows of corn for miles. It was my first day of sunshine, and after the cool of the early morning, the heat started to get to me. Early on before Maslacq, I was able to take photos of the curious Béarnais architecture. The small smooth round stones I had encountered early on in my treks through the forested portions of this year's walk showed up in the walls of the houses, occasionally interspersed with bits of terracotta. From time to time there is new construction, and while modern, it is very encouraging. Restoring or renovating old buildings would likely be too expensive, but I would hate to see some of these villages die out completely.
Finally finding a rest stop just before Sauvelade, with a fountain of drinkable water, a local came by with her two dogs to collect her mail at a box nearby, and we had a nice chat. I finally made it to the Abbey, which is lovely (and my gite nextra door.)
As I mentioned, Arthez de Béarn afforded me my first view of the Pyrenées. Suddenly there was a different feeling to the region. It wasn't all cornfields and geese to be fattened, there was a whole new frontière out there.
In addition, something I learned from my guidebook, the infamous Miam Miam Dodo, was more of the unfortunate story of the Cagots. Although much is not known about them and why they were discriminated against, it was interesting to learn that they were likely lepers at first who were made to live separately from the rest of the population for fear of contamination. Unfortunately, even after leprosy disappeared from the community, they were still considered "unclean" and required to live apart. In passing through Arthez I walked by places reminiscent of this history. They had to live outside the city walls, drink from their own fountain, and wear on their clothing a sign of their heritage. It wasn't until the French Revolution that these practices were stopped.
My gite at Arthez de Béarn had been full. It was owned by the local baker, and the rooms were thoughtfully appointed. I shared mine with two others. Most left early, though, planning the long 30+ km trek to Navarrenx. I, instead, broke it up into two days.
As I left, I stopped again to have another brief look at the Pyrenées near the church. As I was leaving town I noted a sign from a group called Emmaüs offering a Christian welcome. I stopped and chatted with Stephen from England who was staying at the house. He gave me a little postcard with a reproduction of The Supper at Emmaus by Caravaggio and pointed out, interestingly enough, that Saint James was present there at the supper in his paining. Also that the figure of Christ was androgynous, meaning that "in Christ there was neither male of female" (Galatians 3:28) or possibly the passage in Matthew 22:30 saying that "in the resurrection they [i.e. people] neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven."
Today's walk was singularly tedious with rows and rows of corn for miles. It was my first day of sunshine, and after the cool of the early morning, the heat started to get to me. Early on before Maslacq, I was able to take photos of the curious Béarnais architecture. The small smooth round stones I had encountered early on in my treks through the forested portions of this year's walk showed up in the walls of the houses, occasionally interspersed with bits of terracotta. From time to time there is new construction, and while modern, it is very encouraging. Restoring or renovating old buildings would likely be too expensive, but I would hate to see some of these villages die out completely.
Finally finding a rest stop just before Sauvelade, with a fountain of drinkable water, a local came by with her two dogs to collect her mail at a box nearby, and we had a nice chat. I finally made it to the Abbey, which is lovely (and my gite nextra door.)
Sauvelade is known for its abbey. In 1127 the Viscount of Béarn, Gaston the Crusader, offered the Benedictine monks a forest so they could build an abbey in honor of the Virgin Mary. It briefly bore the name of St. James during the thirteenth century, when it was run by Benedictines for pilgrims. It was later taken over by the Cistercians who were less interested in pilgrims and relics and the abbey’s name reverted to Notre Dame. Their abbey was later burned by the Protestant army who was in the pursuit of the Catholic army of Catherine de Medici. The abbey, however, was preserved and restored to serve the Protestant worship until 1611. Following the French Revolution, part of the Abbey Church, was recovered by the state while other parts were sold as national property. What remains is currently being restored.
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