This Little Piggie Went to Market - Day 11

April 10
It was a bitterly cold morning which became an even colder afternoon, but we met John and Ellie at the Mirepoix market and had another fabulous Plat du Jour. Karen and I bought some fashionable scarves to keep warm and some others for fun. We bought 1 carrot, 1 onion, 1 sweet potato, 2 white potatoes and a sausage. I couldn't resist a small round of goat cheese. I think we were still full from our Sunday night impromtu soup party! I do wish I had bought some of the antique linens at the entry to the market.

We toured Ste-Maurice Cathedral a 15th Century Gothic jewel in need of funds for restoration. The nave of the Cathedral is said to be the largest in France. It is beautifully arched and very wide with no side aisles, but very lovely side chapels. The view from the ambulatory shows the magnificent carved altarpiece and the glowing paintings of the stations of the cross. (The note around the edges of this quick drawing says that the Centre Ville is a beautiful and active place with half-timbered houses and arcades surrounding the square and Ste-Maurice guarding the entry.)

The ride from Mirepoix was one of our best yet. We went back through Leran but turned toward Camon this time. La Garde to Camon was a spectacular combination of the ruins of the chateau La Garde which loomed over the village like a late-century Stonehenge and a driving tour of Camon where a gentle street lined with roses at each doorway led us around the church toward the cemetery and a tiny road which seemed to hang in the air over the tombstones. Whew! After we caught our breaths, we marveled at the shapes and colors from that height. We plan to go back on a warmer day. "Oui, Oui, Oui and a couple of O-o-oohs! All the way home."