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| Le Halle Circulaire in Auvillar |
Before leaving Montauban this morning, we picked up a few items for breakfast at a Carrefour. Then we headed northwest. It was foggy, with rolls of mist reducing visibility during the first part of our drive, but this just added to the ambience of the countryside.
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| A row of trees in the mist |
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| Le Pont Cacor Canal |
Just before we arrived in Moissac, our first destination, we spotted a stone bridge. Of course, we had to stop to get a closer look. This is le Pont Cacor Canal, which is actually an aqueduct, allowing navigation over the Tarn River via the Garonne Lateral canal.
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| Another view of le Pont Cacor Canal |
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| L'Abbaye de Saint-Pierre |
It is constructed of Quercy stone and that pink brick we had seen so much of in this part of France. We enjoyed photographing it, because of its ethereal look when seen through the trees, and with the mist rising from the water. Shortly afterwards, we parked our car in Moissac and walked to l'Abbatiale de Saint-Pierre, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
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| The Romanesque Porch |
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| Side portion of the porch |
Like so many other important churches in the southwest of France, this one was a stop on the route to Santiago de Compostela. Our visit began with a close look at the Romanesque porch below its bell tower. Sculpted between 1110 and 1130, its tympanum depicts Christ in Majesty. The condition of this ancient entranceway is remarkable.
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| Inside the church |
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| One side of the church |
While the portal is the original, much of the rest of the church, including the vaulted nave, was rebuilt after a fire. The interior is well lit with large windows letting in the sunshine. I enjoyed the play of light on the walls, created by the stained glass windows in the choir.
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| The choir |
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| Reflections |
There are many notable treasures here. Among them is a 4th century Merovingian marble sarcophagus, housed in a niche in the nave. Much newer is the organ, designed in 1864 by of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, but still classified as a historic monument.
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| Sarcophagus from the 4th century |
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| Cavaillé-Coll organ |
Even more precious is a polychrome stone piéta, Vierge de Pitié, carved in the 15th century. It is remarkable for the quality of its craftsmanship, as it brings to life the anguished expression of Mary on the loss of her son. Its colour is still vivid to this day. Similar in age and vividness of colour is the walnut wooden sculpture of the Burial of Christ, with its eight life-like figures.
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| Vierge de Pitié |
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| Wooden sculpture of the Burial of Christ |
As much as we appreciated the beauty of the Abbatiale Saint-Pierre, we had not yet arrived at the highlight of this historic abbey. In order to enter the cloister, we made our way to a separate entrance and paid admission. We were happy to do so since it is one of the most beautiful cloisters in Europe. |
| The cloister |
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| Columns and capitals |
What sets this sacred square apart is its age, its variety, and its condition. It was created at the same time as the abbey church–in the 12th century–making it the oldest cloister in the west. There are 76 sculpted capitals here, all different, and most, undamaged by time.
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| Saint-James |
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| Saint-John |
As soon as we entered the area, we were struck by a square column in one of the corners. Here was a pier relief with an image on one side of Saint-James, carrying a staff and wearing a long robe. Saint-John is depicted on another side. His appearance is more youthful and more casual. Note his bare feet.
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| Lions and a king |
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| A pair of capitals in a corner |
The capitals provide a window into the beliefs of the era during which they were sculpted. They relay Biblical stories while honouring the natural world through their decor. Humans, animals, and plants are all represented, sometimes all three at once.
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| Beautiful details on this capital |
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| Flowers above, symbolic shapes below |
It is worth mentioning that this was the first cloister to combine biblical stories and other scenes. You can see in the two examples above that these capitals are not just telling stories, but rather using shapes, plants, and animals as symbols.
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| I stand inside the oldest cloister in the west. |
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| Lebanon cedar |
The square itself is lovely. It has all the features that we have come to expect from these spaces: symmetry, beauty, and a sense of peace. What was unique here was the ancient Lebanon cedar tree which grows on one side, providing more shade to those who walk its galleries.
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| The trumeau |
After we exited the cloister, we passed by the church one more time, and then followed the street east of it as we made our way back to our car. Bob took two photos. The first was of the trumeau (the central pillar of the entranceway) of Abbatiale Saint-Pierre. Here was a magnificent representation of the prophet Jeremiah, created 900 years ago. The second shot is of a modern metal installation by French sculptor Charles Stratos. It symbolizes the relationship between a mother and child. Both are beautiful artworks, symbolic of their times.
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| Red brick arches |
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| Three storey and two storey arcaded houses |
From Moissac, we travelled for about half an hour before we arrived in Auvillar, yet another of "les Plus Beaux Villages de France". In fact, this place was entered into a national competition where the French people voted for their favourite among 14 selections. Auvillar placed fourth. Not bad at all.
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| Metal cross in front of some of the arcades |
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| Arcade path |
There is a lot to like here. The town is very attractive, combining regional features with its own unique touches. Red brick is the principal building material, similar to so many other towns nearby, but Auvillar is closest in style to Montauban, since it has timber-framed arcaded houses in its centre. These passageways create a grandeur that elevates this village above many others.
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| Enter here |
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| Some visitors in front of the clock tower |
This is a "Jacquaire city", one of the 300 stops on the route to Santiago de Compostela. Pilgrims making this journey would enter the village under the clock tower which has stood here since the 17th century. The combination of red brick and white stone makes for a very pleasing effect.
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| L'Église Saint-Pierre |
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| Church choir |
Those same pilgrims would have visited l'Église Saint-Pierre next. Built in the 12th century, it suffered extensive damage during the Middle Ages, and has been reconstructed and restored many times since, so much so that plaques inside the building indicate when certain parts were added.
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| Ancient altarpiece |
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| Lovely stained-glass window |
Inside the church, we were particularly struck by a collection of paintings against one wall. Once an altarpiece, the central image depicts the crucifixion, but the surrounding works are not identified, although they likely represent bishop saints and Biblical characters. Clearly, the flower-shaped stained-glass window is much more modern, but lovely nevertheless.
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| Gravestones beside the church |
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| The Bell Tower |
After exploring the interior of Église Saint-Pierre, we walked around to the side of the building where the cemetery is. Here, surrounded by grave markers spanning centuries, we enjoyed a good view of the church's bell tower and its stone walls.
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| Looking down the Garonne river. Espalais, a nearby village is on the right. |
The town's location is yet another reason to visit it. It is situated on a hill above the Garonne Valley. Bob and I made our way to a viewpoint whence we could appreciate a panorama of the river and nearby village, Espalais, on the other side of the river.
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| Le Halle Circulaire |
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| The central portion |
During our time in the village, we began and ended our visit at le Halle Circulaire, the highlight. This beautiful market building, erected in 1831, stands in the centre of Auvillar's triangular main square. Twenty doric columns support its exterior portico, above which is a terracotta roof, reminiscent of Tuscany. The centre of the building is slightly elevated and contains measuring instruments from the days when this was a grain exchange.
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| I stand in the main square. |
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| The main square again |
While we were there, a local guide was leading a small group through the market building. This was the first time we had seen a collection of tourists in any of the beautiful villages that we visited on our road trip, a strong indication of the special nature of this town. A photo of the group inside le Halle Circulaire begins this post. As for us, Bob made sure that my presence in Auvillar was recorded by having me pose near the old market hall a couple of times.
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| Pujols from below the town |
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| Our Pujols restaurant |
It was well past midday when we left this lovely village and close to 2:00 pm when we arrived at Pujols–you guessed it–another of "les Plus Beaux Villages". From below the town, we stopped to take our first photo of it, then we hurried up the hill to find a place to eat. Luckily for us, although it was nearly closing time, the staff at Lo7daqui agreed to serve us. This was the second time that we were the recipients of a restaurant's generosity. We were very grateful for that kindness.
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| Halle de Pujols |
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| Another angle |
Lunch was a delicious goat cheese salad, followed by dessert. Afterwards, we had plenty of time to roam around this pretty medieval village. Its appearance was quite different from Auvillar, since most of its buildings are made of grey stone, but it shares some similar features. One of these is an interesting market place in the main square, the Halle de Pujols, where on Sundays, traders sell their wares. It is simpler in design than its counterpart in Auvillar, but it is embellished with hanging flower pots.
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| Bob walks beside local houses adroned with flower boxes. |
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| A shop window |
I have read that flowers are a common theme in this immaculate village, but in early October, there were few of them in bloom. Still, there was lots of evidence of this feature, with large planters aligned in front of the houses and, in one shop, fake blooms for sale.
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| The English Gate |
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| La Porte de Ville |
For centuries, Pujols has been a fortified town, The original walls were built in the 12th or 13th centuries, then destroyed during the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars, then rebuilt in the 14th century. Of those fortifications, the only remainders are the English gate and la Porte de Ville, the bell tower gate, both shown above. The latter is the only entrance to the village.
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| Collégiale Saint-Nicolas |
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| Side view of the church |
The town church, Collégiale Saint-Nicolas, is attached to the gate, essentially sharing the bell tower itself. In fact, its outer wall is part of the fortifications. Dating from the 16th century, the church is gothic in style. Of course, we had a look inside where we discovered a stark stone choir adorned by stained glass windows.
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| The choir and stained-glass windows |
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| Église Saint-Foy-le-jeune |
In another part of this small village, we came upon a second church, Église Saint-Foy-le-jeune, similar in age to Saint-Nicolas. Since the time of the French Revolution, it has been deconsecrated, and used for other purposes. Today, it is an exhibition hall but it was closed when we visited.
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| On the main street |
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| A collection of stone houses in a small square off the main street |
Pujols is built on a limestone outcrop. As a result, it has one street that extends through the village (and short alleyways radiating from it). We walked its length, taking many photos of the 15th century half-timbered and corbelled houses there. This was a picture-postcard place, with some variety in the building materials used–wood, cob, stone or bricks.
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| Cob house with wooden shutters |
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| Half timber, brick and stone |
Besides the Halle (market place) which stands in the centre of the village, there are two other notable items in the middle of the main street. The first of these is a large tree providing shade near the halle. The other is a well, no doubt at some point the main source of fresh water for the people of Pujols.
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| No shade for me on this day |
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| The town well |
Leaving the main route, we walked outside of the town walls. where at the English Gate we enjoyed a panoramic view over the Lot River towards Villeneuve-sur-Lot on the other side. Behind l'Église Saint-Foy, there is another belvedere looking over la Vallée du Mail, an entirely different landscape, and a place to sit and read if one so desires.
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| Villeneuve-sur-Lot in the distance |
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| A place to relax |
For me, Pujols was a breath of fresh air, a lovely place to wander on a beautiful day. But, after about an hour there, it was time for us to move on, and so we did. Fortunately, we did not have far to go, as our next stop was the town we had just seen, Villeneuve-sur-Lot, a mere seven minute drive away.
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| Au revoir, Pujols |
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| Porte de Pujols |
An important bastide town in the Lot-et-Garonne department, Villeneuve-sur-Lot is larger and less charming than the two villages we had just visited. Nevertheless, its old town is worth a look. As soon we crossed the bridge, one of the two gates of its medieval fortifications stood right in front of us. Known, fittingly, as Porte de Pujols, it was built in the late 14th century. The clock was added in the 18th century.
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| War Memorial |
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| La Chapelle Notre-Dame du Bout de Pont |
We found a parking spot in the town centre and set out on foot to see what this place had to offer. We stopped first by the War Memorial, honouring all the war dead of the 20th century, then headed into the older part of the town. We soon saw a Gothic church, la Chapelle Notre-Dame du Bout de Pont (Our Lady of the End of the Bridge), founded in 1289.
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| 19th century stained glass window in the chapel |
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| The compact interior |
Legend has it that this tiny church, also known as Chapelle Nôtre-Dame-de-Grâce-et-de-Toute-Joie (Our Lade of Grace and All Joy), owes its existence to a statue of the Virgin Mary found in the Lot river that was set up here for veneration by local boatmen. Of the original church, little remains, since flooding and wars damaged it and it has had to be restored frequently over the centuries.
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| Canoe and kayak club on the right bank of the Lot |
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| Pont des Cieutats from the west |
We were now beside the Lot River, the lifeblood of this town. We made our way to the left bank and walked northwest a little in order to find an ideal spot to photograph le Pont des Cieutats, the oldest of the three bridges that span the river here. The original, erected in 1289, had three towers, one at each end and one in the middle, but these disappeared as a result of flooding in the 17th century. The current bridge dates from then, and has an unusual appearance because of its three unequal arches.
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| Pont des Cieutats from the east |
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| Ancient homes |
We retraced our steps to have a look at the bridge from the east. It is worth noticing the tall houses on both banks that seem to plunge into the water. Some of these were built at the same time as the first bridge and are part of the original bastide design of the town.
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| Église Sainte-Catherine d'Alexandrie |
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| The bell tower |
Our walking tour took us next to Église Sainte-Catherine d'Alexandrie, a recent addition to the town–it is less than 100 years old-but a historical monument nevertheless. When we were there, it was undergoing renovations, so all we could do was admire its pink brick Romano-Byzantine appearance, and marvel at its bell tower, modelled after the one in Saint-Sernin in Toulouse.
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| Porte de Paris |
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| Tree lined street in Villeneuve-sur-Lot |
From here, we walked northeast toward the square where we had left our car. Our route took us under the second of Villeneuve-sur-Lot's medieval gates, la Porte de Paris, which was built to protect the northern entrance to the town during the Middle Ages. Like its counterpart in the south, la Porte de Pujols, it was restored at the beginning of the 20th century.
Soon afterwards, we were on our way again. Our original plan was to stop at Lauzerte. but that town was too far out of the way, so we took a more direct route to our destination, and luckily, we happened upon yet another "Plus Beau Village" on the way. Tournon d'Agenais, a small bastide, was established in the latter half of the 13th century. Its arcaded central square was where we began our exploration of the town. We first noticed l'Hôtel de Ville, a lovely stone building resplendent in the afternoon sun. In a nearby corner stands the 1687 defence tower topped by a belfry. It also sports an interesting lunar clock.
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| Arcaded house |
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| Abescat |
We had ample time to walk around this tiny village of about 725 people. It is full of charming medieval houses, some constructed in the half-timber style. Made of stone, Abescat, once the bishop's home, is one of the oldest buildings here, dating from the 13th century.
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| The Boudouyssou Valley |
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| More of the Boudouyssou Valley |
Like Auvillar and Pujols, Tournon d'Agenais sits on a hill, thus providing its visitors a spectacular viewpoint. There is a public garden on the edge of the town, and from here we took the photos you see above of the Boudouyssou Valley. Beautiful countryside.
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| Bob, cobblestones, and stone house |
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| I stand at the gate to the belvedere |
On yet another gorgeous day, we had the village to ourselves. We took photos of each other during our walk. We enjoyed its architecture, and the little touches that add to its medieval character, including on one balcony, a figure in knight's dress.
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| The knight's house |
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| Old ramparts |
Soon, we arrived at the local church, Église Saint-Barthélemy, which was built into the walls of the village. Dating from the late 19th century, it replaced a much older church destroyed by the Protestants in 1561. Behind Saint-Barthélemy stands the village water tower. It is not a steeple, although it appears to be one.
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| Église Saint-Barthélemy |
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| The nave |
Inside the church, we focused on a few of its charming details, including a carved wooden pulpit and soundboard above it, and one of its four stained glass windows. The one below portrays the Holy Family in the workshop of Saint Joseph.
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| Pulpit and soundboard |
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| Stained glass window depicting the workshop of Saint-Joseph |
Our exploration of Tournon d'Agenais was short and sweet. We had a 45 minute drive ahead of us, and we wanted to get to Cahors before darkness descended. We had booked the Logis Hôtel Chartreuse on the left bank of the River Lot below the town. (To visualize Cahors, imagine a peninsula lassoed by a river.)
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| Le Pont de Chemin de Fer |
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| Pont Louise Philippe |
After we checked in, we set out on foot. Coming into town, we had passed the railway bridge (with a small boat underneath it), and we were now in search of a good pedestrian bridge to make our way to the right bank of the Lot where the old town lies. We soon found Pont Louis Philippe, a beautiful entryway into Cahors. It was built in the mid 19th century of dressed stone, and features basket handle arches.
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| Houses on the left bank |
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| Léon Gambetta Monument |
As we crossed the river, we enjoyed perfect light in the east towards a row of new houses on the left bank. The bridge leads to the main street of Cahors, Rue Léon Gambetta, which we followed to Place François-Mitterand, where a monument to Gambetta stands next to a fountain. (Gambetta was a hero of national defence during the Third Republic.)
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| Rue Maréchal Joffré |
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| Carthédrale Saint-Etienne de Cahors |
From here, we turned right, walking along Rue Maréchal Joffré, festooned with pink umbrellas overhead. It had been several days since we had seen those familiar French decorations. We were on our way to Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Cahors, one of the most important landmarks of the town.
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| Portal of the west façade of the cathedral |
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| The choir and main altar |
We made it in time to enter the cathedral but our stay was limited since it would close 10 minutes later. Construction began in the 12th century, but, like most other old churches, it underwent many changes since then. It combines a variety of styles harmoniously.
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| The nave |
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| Inside the dome are el secco frescoes |
The interior of the cathedral was vast, but quite dark (probably because it was about to close). In the few minutes we had there, we focused on taking a handful of photos–of the choir, the nave, and, looking up, of the inside of one of its domes, in which are 14th century "el secco" frescoes.
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| A narrow street |
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| Maison Henri IV |
After we were ushered out, we continued our explorations, heading towards the east side of the old town. Near the river, we stopped beside Hôtel de Roaldès, also known as Maison Henri IV, because that king stayed there during the wars of religion. It is an outstanding example of 15th century architecture, with ornate limestone carvings on its exterior.
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| Carvings above the window |
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| Moulin de Saint-Jacques |
The sun was close to setting by this time, but the light was lovely as we looked again across the river towards the medieval moulin de Saint-Jacques. Then, we stopped briefly beside Église Saint-Urcisse, a classic example of a Romanesque to Gothic church. Although historically significant, it is closed because it is considered unstable.
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| Where we did not eat |
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| Where we did eat |
We were looking for a place to eat and hoped to find a table in a recommended restaurant, La Petite Auberge, but, alas, there was nothing available. Undaunted, we soon found Le Clémanceau, a large establishment where we enjoyed a delicious dinner after a very long day. I had lasagna, while Bob ordered salmon. For dessert, Bob again chose profiteroles; I enjoyed a fig meringue–delicious! Then we walked back to our hotel adding a few more to our 20 000 on this day. It was time for a good night's sleep.
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