Walking the Camino de Santiago
After getting myself un-lost, I wandered into the little village of Couzou. I was looking for somewhere to refill my nearly empty water bottles. I decided not to stop here. Call me crazy, but the flag dissuaded me. Fortunately, there was a village water pump in the little yard outside the church. More on that tomorrow, perhaps. Date: 02 September […]
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This was the exact moment I suspected I was lost. I was walking a gentle forest path, and I had been lost in contemplation. When I came upon this structure, I briefly paused as I didn’t remember it being mentioned in my guidebook. Just a dozen meters or so beyond, I came to a fork in the road and could […]
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As I climbed up out of the Alzou river valley, I didn’t see any bees or wasps. To be fair, it was about 7 AM, and they’re not known for being up and about at that time. I absolutely love the sign, though. Date: 02 September 2023 Place: Leaving Rocamadour, Lot Département, Region of Occitanie, France Maps! The site I’ve […]
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As I crossed the stone bridge over the Alzou with its old watchtower, I looked longingly back at the cliffs of Rocamadour. I had an actual paper map, which made finding the GR 46, my new road of choice, much easier than it otherwise might’ve been. I was out of town by 7 AM, once again in an effort to […]
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The next morning, I began my Camino day with the descent from Rocamadour. The stone steps were a little slippery following a nocturnal thunderstorm, so I took my time, gingerly exploring each step and hanging on to the stone wall at the left as best I could. After the great crush of tourists yesterday, it was eerie to see the […]
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After dinner, we headed back to the gîte and beheld Rocamadour. I wish I had a better camera – I had to zoom pretty heavily to get the image. You can clearly see the three levels of the place: the medieval village at the bottom, the sanctuary district in the middle with its basilica and shrine to the Black Madonna, […]
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After walking the Way of the Cross, I returned to the sanctuary of the Black Virgin to find Vespers already underway. I joined in with many other pilgrims there. Afterwards, we prayed the Angelus, and then the priest gave us all a blessing, as well as a holy card with the Memorare in French and a medal depicting Our Lady of Rocamadour. […]
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From the top of Rocamadour’s Way of the Cross, you can see the château that once guarded the top of the cliff. It dates from the 13th century, though the actual fortifications were demolished sometime after the Revolution. Nowadays, it’s the residence of the folks who work in the Sanctuary district, as well as being a swanky hotel. Date: 01 […]
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Rocamadour’s Stations of the Cross end at this grotto, which contains a life-sized sculpture of Christ being laid into the tomb. I’m posting two photos today, one of the approach and one of the actual sculpture. Hopefully, from this, you can get a feel for the immensity and power of this final station, very near to the top of the […]
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Rocamadour’s Sanctuary district is only halfway up the cliffside. From here, you can walk a winding path built of switchbacks to the top of the cliff. All along the way, there are little shrines with the Stations of the Cross. I’ve included a representative view of the path with one of the stations. I walked the Way and prayed at […]
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