This day is a special day because, on one hand, Magda and I have been married for 55 years. It feels like it was just yesterday. We were married in the church in Haren with a magnificent choir, as Magda was still singing with the Sine Nomine choir in Brussels at the time, accompanied by the family Kuyken, who later became La Petite Bande. Today is also the birthday of our dear Moses; he had the good idea to be born on our wedding anniversary, so we can never forget it. Around midnight or even earlier, I had already sent messages to them to make sure not to forget.
Haren 55 years ago ; Leuven 2024: celebrating the 14th birthday of Moses; leaving Vendargues
So, we slept with four people in three bunk beds: the couple slept on top of each other, and François and I slept on the bottom bed of two other bunk beds. No one snored because everyone had slept well. I was the first to get up, set the table, made coffee, and was the first to leave. My initial plan was to first cycle along the pilgrim route to St. Guilhem-le-Désert and then continue cycling to the pilgrim stop in Lodève. First, I had to navigate around Montpellier, which wasn't easy. Despite all the information, I ended up in all sorts of small alleys in this large city, probably because it was around 8 a.m. and rush hour, even though it's vacation time. By chance, I came across the aqueduct that brought water to the city 2000 years ago. It's not as beautiful as the Pont du Gard but still impressive. At the aqueduct, I met a man who explained to me in detail how to proceed. Just outside the city, it was a bit of a climb, and it became increasingly beautiful because there, you enter the Cévennes, another magnificent natural area. I enjoyed it, but on the other hand, I didn’t enjoy my still-painful buttock.
Montpellier: aqueduct;: the Cévennes
I have seen St. Guilhem-le-Désert a few times already, and it’s a wonderful place where a hermit lived in the Middle Ages. The owner of the pilgrim house had warned me that it would be tough by bike and that there were a lot of tourists. In the meantime, I had strayed from the road to St. Guilhem-le-Désert, and near Cignac, I realized that I would have to do an extra 60 km to go there and back to greet this hermit. Originally, I only had 70 km to do, but now it would go over 100; too much for my painful buttock.
St Guilhem-le-Désert (foto's nov. 2019)
So, I wisely decided to cycle from Cignac through St. André, St. Félix-en-Rabieux, to my endpoint for the day on the Voie d’Arles in Lodève. The big advantage of this route is that it’s relatively flat, and you’re surrounded by the high, rolling peaks of the Cévennes, as you can see in the photos. I first called the lady at the next Gîte pèlerin I had booked, and she said I could go right in with the key in a numbered box. So, I arrived at my destination at 1:30 p.m. after six hours on the bike, which was enough for my right buttock.
Lunel and afterwards cycling through the Cévennes
First of all, I did my laundry and hung it outside. Then I had lunch. I called Magda because Tim was having lunch with all his kids at Grandma’s to celebrate Motje. Finally, I finished writing my story from yesterday and went to the lady who runs a clothing store nearby to pay for my lodging: 20 euros for a pilgrim house with six beds. Yesterday, four were booked, but for this afternoon, you’re alone, she says. A delightful house, located in the middle of the town, with all the simple comforts. Magda has a cousin, Peter Meurrens, who is a doctor in Lodève, and I wanted to say hello, but I didn’t have the energy to cycle another 8 km uphill to his house, and on top of that, he had a family of five visiting. Peter is helping to solve the problem of the "désert médical" and he’s doing a great job.
Lodève: Arrival, my room and the laundry
Finally, I explored the small town. The St. Fulcran Cathedral is a late Gothic building with beautiful stained glass windows (19th century) in the choir and on the sides, as well as the rose window on the west side. Inside, the 19th-century wooden pulpit stands out: the basin is supported by villains like Judas, who also represent the vices; on the octagonal basin (8 is the symbol of resurrection) are depicted the 12 virtues. At the very top are the four evangelists and the four Church Fathers. In between, behind the preacher, stands Mary, who mediates between everyone.
Lodève: St Fulcran cathedral; the pulpit and the cloister
To the right of the cathedral, there is also a simple, austere cloister attached. After wandering through the alleys a bit more, I made a few purchases: bread, bananas, a bottle of rosé, pâté, and eggs. Another omelet because there are still two tomatoes and some lettuce from yesterday’s pilgrims in the fridge, and with that, I’ll make a nice meal. The message is to go to bed early because tomorrow is another day in the Cévennes to Salvetat-sur-Agoût before descending on Sunday to the Canal du Midi and Avignonnet-sur-Lourageais, where I’ll sleep in a gîte municipal. My son Peter is driving over in the evening to see me because otherwise, I would have to cycle more than 200 km extra just to say hello. But now, first, I’ll make dinner.
Lodève
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