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A Tale of Two French Towns |
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Moustiers Sainte-Marie and Rocamadour
In every
European country, when you are travelling through the
countryside, you will often come across a small little village:
and quite often, when you decide to linger a few hours, you soon
realise that you have found a jewel not to be missed!
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In the
Haute-Provence region of France, not far after leaving behind
the Gorges du Verdon, the picturesque town of
MOUSTIERS
SAINTE-MARIE
greets the visitor. This region full of poetry, art and legend
set high up in an oasis of springs, sun and colourful
vegetation, welcomes the traveller arriving after an exhausting
day. At every curve the curtain rises to the splendid spectacle,
which reaches its climax in the late afternoon, when the
mountain wall behind the town starts to cast long shadows over
the landscape.
But this is only
after you have experienced the greatness of the Verdon. The magical
canyons of sheer rock face, plunge on both sides of the valley down
to the twisting ribbon of cascading water. On the sinuous cliff top
road a succession of hairpin curves offer amazing views into and
across the deepest and most impressive river gorge in Europe. After
driving the 30 kilometres along the Corniche Sublime on the
southern side of the gorge, you eventually reach the expanse of Lac
de Ste-Croix, an emerald-blue lake. |
But this is only
after you have experienced the greatness of the Verdon. The magical
canyons of sheer rock face, plunge on both sides of the valley down
to the twisting ribbon of cascading water. On the sinuous cliff top
road a succession of hairpin curves offer amazing views into and
across the deepest and most impressive river gorge in Europe. After
driving the 30 kilometres along the Corniche Sublime on the
southern side of the gorge, you eventually reach the expanse of Lac
de Ste-Croix, an emerald-blue lake.
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Protecting
the small town square on the mountain side, and next to the
little bridge over a mountain brook, is among other
stucco-plastered buildings, the Hôtel Le Relais. The
Eisenlohr-family runs this simple, no frills establishment for
the past 45 years.
The hotel
entrance is very unconventional through the cosy bar! A charming
country restaurant offers meals en pension to both locals
and visitors alike. Our favourite room is on the second floor,
facing the bridge and square and capturing the panoramic view of
lavender fields and twisted olive trees.
From the
square as focal point of the town, narrow cobbled streets lead
to the main places of interest: small shops selling earthenware
and artistic souvenirs, picturesque houses with vaulted cellars
and rustic shutters and the ever presence of the tolling bells
of the Church of Sainte-Marie. Going off the beaten track, one
comes across charming and poetic sights: olive groves, houses
with geraniums in bloom, old and mysterious alleyways,
unexpected prospects of environing landscape, finely carved
doors and attractive fountains. |
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Long famous
for its ceramics and lavender, Moustiers is well worth a stroll,
even more, a stay overnight, to really experience the serenity
of the gilded star on a chain, hanging across the ravine behind
the pilgrims chapel; but who put it there and why has almost
been forgotten! The star, now shining in the blue sky, was put
up in 1957, in replacement of the one that fell off some time
earlier.
The
Notre-Dame de Beauvoir chapel is reached by means of a
step-path. As one draws nearer the chapel high up in the small
valley, the scenery seems to sink into the valley. |
Notre-Dame de
Beauvoir speaks to you of the time of the great pilgrimages; when
men came to you in search of love and hope. They hear your voice no
longer and know not where the path is that leads to the star. But
there you are, between heaven and earth, awaiting still the child
who will ascend the steps leading to the sun.
Some 500
kilometres west of Moustiers, in the south west region of France,
one will find ROCAMADOUR. Vast stretches of rock, a
river almost dried up, flowing along the floor of a remarkable
canyon, and there, clinging to the cliff, as if suspended from and
forming part of it, an extraordinary medieval village, rolling out
its single street and concealing in its heart a series of
sanctuaries.
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Rocamadour’s
setting is irresistibly dramatic, particularly early or late in
the day, when the light is indirect. When approaching the
village from the south, the first sight of this sheer limestone
spur rising from a dry canyon, is best experienced from
L’Hospitalet across the valley of Alzou.
Close up the
fortified village loses some of its magic in an undignified
scuffle for parking and the clamour of kitsch-like tram trains,
transporting inquisitive travellers up and down the single
cobblestone path.
Worth
visiting are the modern tapestries by Lurçat in the town hall,
the château dating back to the 14th century, the
black Virgin discovered only in the 17th century as
well as falcon displays over weekends. The history of this
village is just as extraordinary as its site. There are no clues
to reveal why pilgrims visited Rocamadour already in the 9th
century.
For the tired
feet after walking the steep cobbled pathway, nothing is more
relaxing than sipping a glass of cold Chablis white wine at a street
bistro, overlooking the valley below. However, it is only late
afternoon, when all day visitors have left, and the village return
to normal silence again, that one starts to experience the peace,
pilgrims of days gone by must have sensed. |
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If you are
privileged enough to overnight at the Domaine de la Rhue, you will
be offered a rustic, but luxury room in a converted stable, in the
shadow of its regal, ivy-clad château. The caring hosts, Christine
and Eric Jooris, converted the original stables, retaining the old
world character by preserving the weathered beams and implements.
Our room enjoyed an outside entrance off the garden; an ideal spot
for the farm style breakfast prepared by Christine the next morning,
before departing to our next destination in the Bordeaux region.
- Johann Beukes
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