Pilgrimage to Saint-Généroux



 

We started our day with a quick stop at the Thouars market to pick up a few essentials, like Mont St. Michel garlic.  The vendor sells the garlic still attached to its very long and dry stalk so that you can braid a few together.  Perhaps it is just a ploy to get more money since the garlic is sold by weight.  No matter, it's a fun little purchase for very few centimes.

 



We also bought melons, tomatoes, and of course our wonderful strawberries which seem to be almost out of season...

"Déjeuner", which is lunch, is in order before we head out on our drive, all of 12 km. away!  Since we're in Thouars, we of course headed to "Le Trait d'Union", our favourite spot in town.  Vincent, the owner, now greets us warmly upon arrival and ensures he invites us to come again when we leave.

Started off with a tomato gazpacho which tasted a bit different than the garden gazpacho from a few weeks ago, but just as refreshing and delicious!  Instead of garlic bread crumbs on top, there were small little pieces of soft mozzarella cheese floating in the soup, along with a drizzle of fine olive oil.

We enjoyed rabbit in a beautiful rich sauce, along with lightly fried potatoes and shredded zucchini and kale.

 

 

Karl and I both having the Menu du Jour usually means we eat the same meal, although it is possible to have a different entrée, main course or dessert.  Karl and I just seem to like the same things.  Dessert was a mocha cookie topped with chocolate mousse and topped again with whipped cream and chocolate drizzle.  Somewhere on the table was a bottle of Perrier and a pichet of rosé wine.

 

Then we headed to Saint-Généroux.  This small village is important since it was part of the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route.  My friends Leona and Gina walked part of this route just last year, from the southern part of France to Santiago in Spain.  What an adventurous undertaking!

The church is one of the oldest in France. Built in the 9th century, it was a popular resting place for pilgrims.

 

 

 

In the half light, one can almost conjure an image of the pilgrims kneeling at the altar or resting against the base of the pillars.

 

 

A baptismal font made of stone. 

 



Well worn stone floors.

Amazing that the pillars are still standing.

There are stones set aside where people are not allowed to walk, but can study, much like an archeological dig.  Can you make out the Templar Cross carved in this rock?

Other precious words carved into the rock that have withstood the test of time.

 

The packhorse bridge in the centre of the village is where pilgrims would have journeyed.  It is old cobblestone and difficult to walk on.  A great place to twist an ankle if you're not careful!

 

In my mind's eye, I can see the files of pilgrims, dressed poorly, making their way on this holy journey.  Santiago de Compostela is still so far away.

 

 

Visiting Saint-Généroux is our own pilgrimage of sorts.

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The season is changing.  Where there were once fields of beautiful yellow sunflowers swaying in the breeze as far as the eye could see, they have now shrivelled and bent their heads in exhaustion.

They faithfully followed the sun from dawn till dusk, absorbed all the nutrients from earth and sky, and have now reached the end of their journey.  Their job is done.

They will yield the fruit of their efforts in a variety of ways.

 

• Sunflower seeds are edible and can be eaten raw, cooked, roasted or dried. They are a popular, nutritious snack.
• Traditionally, North American Indians ground the seeds to make flour for cakes and breads.
• The petals are also edible; they can be cooked and eaten like artichokes.
• Humans aren’t the only ones that find sunflowers tasty. The seed heads are also a source of food for birds and animals. Sunflower seeds are a major ingredient in commercial birdseed.
• Sunflower leaves are used as feed for livestock.
• Sunflower oil is a popular vegetable oil known for its light colour, mild flavour, low levels of saturated fats and ability to withstand high cooking temperatures.
• The oil can also be added to soap, lubricants and candles.
• Sunflower oil can help relieve skin conditions, hemorrhoids and ulcers.
• Sunflower roots can remove radiation from soils and water. They were used to clean up the Chernobyl disaster.
• The root of the plant is also used in traditional herbal medicine to treat snakebites and spider bites. The leaves can be made into tea to relieve fevers, lung ailments and diarrhea.
• The flowers can be used to make an all natural dye.
• The stalks are used to make paper and clothes.

 

 

Of course, they are one of the prettiest and sunniest summer flowers to grace your home!

 

 

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"Life is too short to experience everything, but the human heart is big enough to resonate with everything that any other human heart has experienced."

 

~ Brother David Steindl-Rast