A day with cousins

Jean Paul picked us up to go to Le Puy en Velay 123 km south. Le Puy is medieval with volcanic plugs in and around the town.

 

 

It was market day so the town was buzzing. We walked around the markets then up the steep, wide steps to Cathédral Notre Dame. A most unusual building as the entrance steps emerge in the middle of the church as it was extended. Each morning there is a service for the pilgrims who are walking the way of St Jacques de Compostela. Jean Paul was a great guide of the building. Organ and trumpet were practising. We left by a side door and walked back down the hill.

 

 

Up and up and up to St-Michel d'Aiguilhe a tiny chapel perched on a gigantic lava needle. When we arrived there were men singing then humming. Jean Paul joined in some of the singing. The acoustics were great.

 

We drove along the upper reaches of the river Loire to to meet cousin Guy at the door of another romanesque church in Chamalieres sur Loire. The old doors were unusual as they showed moorish influence.

 

 

 Guy then suggested we should stop at of small town of Beauzac on the way to his summer house. Old Beauzac still had part of the town wall and several doors/portes. The church was one third romanesque, one third gothic and one third old house. This was Guy's church so he was our guide for the church and the crypt.

 

Mary Claudine had prepared an aperitif dinatore [finger food] for us. We sat and talked into the evening.  An amazing day!

No don't cut, I will take the whole tile,