Our Moveable Feats

Sept 6 & 7, 2024

Circadian havoc struck again with a surprise sleep-in… thus a scramble to tidy, re-pack, check out and off to the gare for yet more railing to St. Etienne. A 12 minute transfer window ballooned to nearly an hour for ‘maintenance’ to “le Puy on Delay” train. This annoyance was soon forgotten as the route snaked through forested mounds, ever-increasing in height and pitch, with an intermittent gorge or stone bridge.

On this transfer, we met our first fellow pèlerine, a serene solo Australian, and shared our coinciding backstories and plans. It’s a comfort to know we’re not that unusual!

It’s been more than a minute since a new place startled us with the effervescent energy of Le Puy-en-Velay.

The only flat area is the town square – otherwise we’re vertical. And a handful of volcanic spires (puys) have been crowned with stolid divine works – a chapel, several statues and the cathedral, where the first steps begin.

angelic light

Of course, the vistas are amazing:

The Pilgrim’s Mass, held in the storied Cathedral at 0700, was a challenge, even as one of us is Catholic and understands French. The priest read the crowd, sprinkling, rather than dousing, the orthodoxy. One translation that rhymed:

“May you discover beautiful things on your chemin, both without and within.”

Tomorrow, we go in peace.

(may we not return in pieces!)