Pilgrims on the Way

More exploring Saint-Sauveur church. Here is another of the numerous side chapels, this one dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I lost track of how many side chapels and shrines are in this magnificent Gothic achievement. The altars at the side chapels appear to come from many different architectural phases and refurbishments. The whole place was overwhelming, but it […]

I spent some time exploring the vast interior of Saint-Sauveur. The place had numerous side chapels, including this beautiful one dedicated to Our Lady of the Holy Rosary. This was originally designed as a pilgrimage church, similar in size and scope to others along the Camino – such as those in Le Puy and Cahors – where various routes converged. […]

The interior of the abbey church of Saint-Sauveur has undergone numerous restorations and rebuilding over the centuries. Indeed, the vaulting we see here was only added in 1830. Then, in 1917, the dome of the crossing collapsed, bringing down the vault of the eastern bay of the nave and that of the first bay of the north arm of the […]

The abbey church of Saint-Sauveur has a long and troubled history. The abbey was founded in 838 by King Pepin I of Aquitaine at the request of the Abbey of Sainte-Foy of Conques. The two abbeys were independent but had a common abbot. The monks of Figeac could not stand this authority of the Abbey of Conques, and they were […]

Figeac is an ancient settlement; that much is clear. Exactly when this area was first settled is a bit of a mystery. Evidence of humans here dates as far back as the Middle Neolithic. The Gauls had settlements in the area, if not exactly on this site. A Roman road crossed the river here, but evidence for permanent habitation is […]

Nina and I might have had some challenges making our way through the city of Figeac. As you can see by the red and white blaze on the post, we are definitely on the route. The challenge was finding Nina’s gîte, where I hoped to stay as well. In the background on the right, you can see the glorious Church […]

It was a beautiful day for a walk, and the kilometers flew by. The terrain and walking surfaces were very similar to the morning, although one bit of downhill roadwalking was steep enough that I questioned its suitability for motor vehicles. At about 2:15, Nina and I caught our first view of today’s destination: the city of Figeac. Date: 29 August […]

As Nina and I walked on, we were met by these two fuzzy pilgrims, who were apparently walking the Camino backward. Perhaps they were heading home after a long adventure. They said not a word to us as they passed, though I did greet them with a bon chemin. This is probably one of my favourite Camino critter photos of […]

As Nina and I chatted, the kilometers flew by. Almost before I knew it, we were in the village of Saint-Jean-Mirabel. Here, we found a plinth in the middle of the road with this larger-than-life-sized statue of Saint Joan of Arc. Just around the corner, there was another piece of public art, a giant red bicycle. It looked about the […]