There are so many paths up the mountain (Rocamadour)

but the view from the top is still the same. Although in this case, the view from the bottom was just as important.

Rocamadour from L'Hospitalet

This is Jayne's first solo blog - I'm just the editor.

Rocamadour
We had heard about this place from 2 separate sources and decided it had to be seen and conquered. We set out relatively early and drove to the designated vantage point of the hamlet next door to see what all the fuss was about. We knew we were up high because the car in-built altitude meter reached an unprecedented reading of 320 m above sea level and it was already a red letter day because the temperature gauge had climbed to 28 degrees - again a first since we have been away. Also we found the Information Centre immediately, although there was no signage, so we knew this place was special.   The girl there pointed us in the right direction, explained the lie of the near vertical land around here and highlighted the options available  (foot, car, lift, stairs, little tourist train) to explore the city that clings to the side of a cliff.  We decided to start at the top where the chateau reigns supreme and to work our way down the city to the bottom, after which we would take the pedestrian path back to the top where we had left the car in L'Hospitalet. Stairs are far easier to walk down than up.

1 of the Stations on the way to the top

So we began the assault by wandering along the top of the cliffs towards the chateau - the only thing between us and death was the 40cm stone fence that lined the walkway.  We discussed the OHS issues this would pose in Australia and decided the French had been negotiating this path since Medieval times and therefore, over several centuries, had figured out if they were stupid enough to lean over too far, then probably the gene pool was all the better for their miscalculation.  We then began the descent in a zigzag of paths called the chemin de croix (path of the cross) since at each turn there is a station of the cross (ascending unlike us).








It took little time to get the idea that this was not a medieval city built with a few religious sites but is a place of pilgrimage below which a fortified city was built to ensure the survival of the sanctuaries which now number 7 churches and chapels (not many more houses in number - there are only about 600 residents although you can stay at a B & B, the Best Western and a couple of other hotels if you want to live the experience for a couple of days).

The climb to a cure, or a stairway to heaven.

The place gets its name from St Amadour, a 12th century hermit, whose perfectly preserved body was found here and in whose name over 100 miracles have been invoked over the years.  It has become a Mecca for pilgrims seeking cures and therefore 4 hospitals have been established on the cliff top to cater for the influx of sick pilgrims, some of whom may not have needed hospitalisation until they attempted the pilgrimage up the 216 steps to the sanctuaries, ON THEIR KNEES.

Don't look down. Or up.

Seriously though, the place is an engineering marvel which provides a vista that is gob-smackingly vertical and would have been impregnable to any foes that might have wanted to storm it.  The sanctuaries are literally carved out of the rock and there are pools of water inside them just naturally leeching from the rock.  Stairs abound everywhere and today the lift was not working so this was a big commitment to get from top to bottom and back again on foot.  What's more the temperature topped 32 degrees so the walk back up to L'Hospitalet could have resulted in my admission to 1 of the 4 health establishments.  Fortunately another miracle ensued and I made it back without treatment. (Jayne displayed a level of fitness she didn't know she possessed.Clearly cheese, wine and fresh air make a good health regime).

The road home.

The rock at the back of the church.

And then ...
Friday is our last full day here in Listrac and we are staying close to home to explore the surrounding villages and do some wine tasting. It is proving a challenge finding a winery that will send wine to Australia. But I will.