YES, YES, YES. ME !!!!!!!
First I would like to thank all the little people who helped me......
Sunday we did a lot of church stuff seeing as how Conques is pretty much the church and the abbey. We had high mass in the morning, a short pilgrimage to Chapel of St: Foy outside of city (1/2 mile downhill, 1/2 uphill, 1/2 downhill, 1/2 up)? vespers at 6:30, dinner in the abbey at 7, followed by the pilgrim benediction in the cathedral. They needed someone to do a reading in English. While I was a bit miffed that I was not first choice (what with my pilgrim emeritus status and all) but THIRD? I accepted none the less. I got to sit up by the altar under the crossing dome while the other pilgrims were in the choir. I did Revelations 22, 4-5. And I boomed it out like Jennifer Houston in Dreamgirls. This was followed by an immediate 10 minutes of silence....I thought I left the padres speechless but it was probably just a prayer moment.
I was so enthralled I decided to sing out loud in my flat voice in fractured French the rest of the songs. Karaoke Camino (Chemin, I should say) indeed. The service ended with a piano and organ concert. Quite nice.
Going out of
Conques, I revisited the Chapel of St. Foy (which was on the way--down 200 meters and up 200 meters) in order to light a candle for my friend Mark who has a special regard for either the chapel or the saint....or both. The chapel is pictured to the left in the morning fog. St. Foy, a biggie on the chemin, was a local saint and cures eye diseases. They have a big procession from Conques to the chapel every fall.
First I would like to thank all the little people who helped me......
Sunday we did a lot of church stuff seeing as how Conques is pretty much the church and the abbey. We had high mass in the morning, a short pilgrimage to Chapel of St: Foy outside of city (1/2 mile downhill, 1/2 uphill, 1/2 downhill, 1/2 up)? vespers at 6:30, dinner in the abbey at 7, followed by the pilgrim benediction in the cathedral. They needed someone to do a reading in English. While I was a bit miffed that I was not first choice (what with my pilgrim emeritus status and all) but THIRD? I accepted none the less. I got to sit up by the altar under the crossing dome while the other pilgrims were in the choir. I did Revelations 22, 4-5. And I boomed it out like Jennifer Houston in Dreamgirls. This was followed by an immediate 10 minutes of silence....I thought I left the padres speechless but it was probably just a prayer moment.
I was so enthralled I decided to sing out loud in my flat voice in fractured French the rest of the songs. Karaoke Camino (Chemin, I should say) indeed. The service ended with a piano and organ concert. Quite nice.
Going out of
Conques, I revisited the Chapel of St. Foy (which was on the way--down 200 meters and up 200 meters) in order to light a candle for my friend Mark who has a special regard for either the chapel or the saint....or both. The chapel is pictured to the left in the morning fog. St. Foy, a biggie on the chemin, was a local saint and cures eye diseases. They have a big procession from Conques to the chapel every fall.I have been having a bit of trouble with a blocked tear duct and figured that my two trips to the chapel (as well as toting a candle from the cathedral for Mark and another for the son of a friend of Anne Marie who had some serious head trauma in a motorcycle accident in Paris recently) might qualify me for just a tiny little miraclette. And I vowed that, while I wouldn't pray for it, I would consider the whole church thing again if the eye thing cleared up. [Note: it didn't.]
The tough terrain of the Central Massiff has given way to more undulating hills. We made it to Figeac today. Annie leaves us. I only have three more days with Anne Marie. Have to get in another group....supposedly there are more hikers after Easter. There were two burly guys yesterday I would not have minded joining. But they were roughing it and sleeping outside. Then there is the guy doing it on horseback. I can see myself getting in the saddle with him.
Today we bought some local cevre from a farm we passed up on the hill and had an alfresco lunch on the trail. They had about 40 dogs of various breeds, goats, pigs; and a donkey. One of the dogs was a big bloodhound that was howling like a banshee. A little puffy thing was screwing a much much larger hairy dog. It looked like a Heironymus Bosch painting. Luckily we saw the spotless chesse facilities and house before the owners came back (with 4 more baying dogs). Otherwise I for one would not have eaten anything from that place.
Today we bought some local cevre from a farm we passed up on the hill and had an alfresco lunch on the trail. They had about 40 dogs of various breeds, goats, pigs; and a donkey. One of the dogs was a big bloodhound that was howling like a banshee. A little puffy thing was screwing a much much larger hairy dog. It looked like a Heironymus Bosch painting. Luckily we saw the spotless chesse facilities and house before the owners came back (with 4 more baying dogs). Otherwise I for one would not have eaten anything from that place.
The Aubrac brown cow
s who have really stolen my heart have given way to Gurnseys and Jerseys with huge udders. We are on the rout de la lait. So I guess I will be having a lot more cheese.
Weather is still fantastic--sunny and mild. But it has got to rain soon.
s who have really stolen my heart have given way to Gurnseys and Jerseys with huge udders. We are on the rout de la lait. So I guess I will be having a lot more cheese.Weather is still fantastic--sunny and mild. But it has got to rain soon.
1 comment:
Dan, I dont know if I miss the explanation about your bags... Did you find it? Did BA find it?
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