The area we're in now is hilly. There are small hills surrounding us, especially in Puy where we drove today, and those hills are actually volcanic cones. It's cool out, which is a nice change from the muggy heat we've been wading through. Most of the landscape is either farms (spotted a few ancient stone farmhouses here and there) and grazing or deciduous forest; the stone buildings, as we drove south out of Burgundy and through a few other regions, changed from peach and soft yellow to that mixed with black (volcanic). For that reason, the cathedral here in town pops up in the skyline a dark, somber black. It fits the newest incarnation of the word Gothic, with tall, toothlike spires and lots of elaborate decoration. The inside was dark and cavernous and lit by beautiful stained glass. The roses in the north and south walls of the trancept, where the authentic Gothic-era building ends (the rest remained earlier, Romanesque until money was raised again in the 19th century) are 13th or 14th century, which astounds me. Glass, we think, is so brittle. And that glass has just been there, exposed to the elements, for century upon century. Anyway, let me step back and describe the trip so far.
The main sites we've been to (but not the only) include:
- the Vezelay cathedral, traditionally one of the origin points for the pilgrimages to St. Jacques de Compostele
- the Saint Lazare church in Autun
- a museum, Roman ruins at the Temple of Janus and the (largest known) Roman amphitheatre, also in Autun
- a site in Berze in the country which was once a monastary but is now a farm, which features a chapel with Romanesque wall paintings
- the Church of Notre Dame du Port (the giant black cathedral of doom)
- Le Puy (which I've wanted to visit every since I saw a picture in a book years ago)
- several small, charming Romanesque churches on the way
I wish I could have written more each day. It's always a good idea to keep notes (especially when you're compiling field notes!) and I need to catch up. When I arrived in Paris I was still sick, so I've felt a lap behind. My first priority, of course, will be to catch up and keep up in my notes. We're supposed to be compiling field work (notes, pictures) for a long paper, and I'm just now learning what that really entails. It's good; it's just a different kind of study and I had never done it before. There are some things I wish I had taken note of, particularly on the first couple days when I was still in a daze with the newness around me.
Some highlights:
Food. An amazing chocolatier in Cluny: marzapan with pistachio, jasmine chocolates, pretty little works of art all lined up, sweet on the eyes and the tongue). Eating in outdoor cafes. We had a particularly nice experience as a whole group at an eatery in Vezelay. The waiter was very nice, we had two long tables together. I ordered beef burgundy and Leffe (my favorite beer, which is apparently not German but French?). Many had an aperetif called Kir. We (various combinations of students) also had both lunch and dinner at outdoor cafes in Cluny. Thin crust pizza here is amazing, so is chef salad (would anyone care for a little lettuce with all that meat and cheese?) because it's served with an olive oil sauce instead of nasty, thick sauce. I haven't even seen a single piece of iceberg lettuce on anybody's plate. The meats and cheese are plentiful and often quite smelly. I've just allowed myself to accept that steak tare tare is raw, that sausage has a soft, chunky texture, that cheese is rank. I like to try new things. This could damage the budget if I don't rein it in. At the cafe in Cluny, we all shared and tried each others' food, which was fun.
Vezelay, the town. If you get a chance, go. No questions. It's peaceful and gorgeous.
Crypts. When they let you in, crypts are where it's at. They're always the oldest part of the church and they're always moody and mysterious. The ceilings are low, the altars lit by candles take on an eerie presence. The only light comes in windows from the trenches at the base of the church, set higher in the walls (like basement windows). All the crypts I've seen have been Romanesque, so thick pillars and simply vaulted ceilings. Less sculpture. Couldn't get into the crypt in the Church of Notre Dame du Port, but Dr. Folkestad says he's never, in all his visits, been allowed in. When you are allowed in, you can't use flash. There's generally a more sanctified feel to the crypt.
Being stuck in a 15th-century granary due to a sudden thunderstorm in Cluny. The granary now houses some artifacts from the Cluny church, which is now mostly gone (but was HUGE--the largest in the Christian world until recently--we walked a block or so of ruins that were excavated within the last couple centuries before getting to part of the trancept that remains; it was immensely tall and Dr. Folkestad later informed me that it was just a side aisle). We were in the basement when the storm hit. We waited a few minutes, then made our way through torrential downfall to the upstairs, which also had a covered porch/stairs to the gift shop. I bought an umbrella on the theory that once you're prepared, the thing you're prepared for will not happen again. But anyway, there are worse things than hearing loud, nearby thunder inside a mostly empty 15th century granary with lead windows, stone walls, and beam ceilings. And (I believe) an altar that a pope once blessed.
So more later, when I get a chance. For now I need to sign off and do a little catching up on my notes. I wish I could package the smells and feelings for all my gentle readers. Lavender, sacred candles, sulfury pipes, ancient must, chocolate. I wish my camera had a smells function. Most of all I wish my brother and sisters were with me. Oh, p.s. my French is getting better. I know how to order water (except I once got a 4.80 euro Evian), ask for the toilet, and apologize. I'm on my way.
Photos are forthcoming. I have about 2 thousand, so I'm having issues downloading. They will come, I promise.
♥ ♥ ♥
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