After an extensive breakfast with coffee in a soup bowl, we leave the Gîte Le Combalou and enjoy the splendid weather.
Soon the path leads into a forest. It is cool, the temperature is ideal for hiking.
Because it is so beautiful, a few more sun pictures, because clouds are coming up.
We had to climb far down to this stone arch bridge ...
... to climb back up on the other side.
The clouds have already become more.
Here, a horse on the wayside wonders about the pilgrims. In a moment we come to the tracks of the museum railway. It took us a long time to find our way around here. The motto is: just follow the signposts, as long as you didn't miss anyone.
We reach the settlement of Coirolles.
In Coirolles we turn left ...
.... and are welcomed by several dogs who want to know exactly who is coming.
Idyllically it goes downhill again and into a forest.
One hour we have already hiked in the forest, sometimes steeply uphill. Now we are looking for a place for the lunch break. Finally we find a lying tree trunk on which we make ourselves comfortable.
At the end of our lunch break we meet Magdalene, whom we already met in the gîte.
We have to cross this adventurous bridge.
We continue through the forest.
We arrive at a stone cross. It stands by a fence that belongs to a large pig enclosure.
Finally we reach Montfaucon. We move into the Hotel L'Avenue.
Here we have a WLAN again, and after a longer period of abstinence, contact with the big wide world and a "FaceTime" connection with the wife at home.
Then it is time to visit the village!
On the left the town hall and a church tower
The Chapelle Notre-Dame de Montfaucon-en-Velay
Inside is a cycle of 12 paintings (the 12 months) by the Flemish painter Abel Grimmer.
Grimmer (1570 - 1620) lived in Antwerp and belonged to the St. Luke painters' guild from the age of 19.
Grimmer was inspired by several painters:
- his father
- Pieter Breughel the Elder
- Hans Bohl
The pictures were brought here by Abbot Jamon, who was a priest in Saint Chamond. After his death he bequeathed them to the parish.
Interior view of the Chapelle Notre-Dame.
At first I thought that real Breughels were hanging here.
In the little Youtube movie the 12 pictures are shown.
That's it for now - but wait, in the Chapelle Notre-Dame there are two more figures to mention, who accompany us constantly: Thérèse and James.
The Curé of Ars is missing (today is his day off).
