The GPS road tracklog
from Vallon-en-Sully to Jarnages
from 2020/08/10 to 2020/08/10
Monday August 10, the day of my 80th birthday, I once again drove
the departmental roads in search of ecclesiastical monuments dating
from the Middle Ages and more particularly in Roman style. The
church of Saint-Désiré,
here,
in the town of the same name caught my attention by the
blondness of the stone found in the exterior stones under the low
angle light in the morning. The interior is very sober,
characteristic of 11th century Roman art. The crypt attests to its
anteriority by the semicircular vault. The Notre-Dame de Huriel
church was closed during my visit, I noticed the octagonal bell
tower. In Domérat I stopped quickly to photograph Bacchus on his
barrel. Montluçon was also quickly visited to see the Notre-Dame
church and a 15th century Pieta,
here,
in the old town, as well as old paintings in a glass room.
Then, going up the hill, the castle of the Dukes of Bourbon and its
15th century clock tower, whose esplanade offers a superb view of
the Massif Central. To find a bivouac area I went as far as
Jarnages, on the edge of the pond, and its 12th century church.
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Bacchus on his barrel, Domérat |
The GPS road tracklog
from Jarnages to Moutier-d'Ahun
from 2020/08/11 to 2020/08/11
Tuesday August 11 I went in search of the chapel of St-Marien at the
confluence of the Tarbes and the Cher on a promontory overlooking an
artificial lake. Then I set out again to discover the 13th century
chapel of Ste-Radegonde, the vestige of a disappeared hamlet. From
the chapel of St-Marien to that of Ste-Radegonde, you have to cross
a narrow suspension bridge without any prohibition of width or
weight! In Chambon-sur-Voueize, the Ste-Valérie church has two bell
towers. The heart is elegant in simplicity. An apse has a beautiful
altarpiece dedicated to Ste-Valérie another exhibits a 16th century
pieta and a statue of the take-off of Ste-Valérie. The stalls of the
heart are decorated with misericord
here.
In Moutier-d'Ahun, where my bivouac took place, I arrived
too late to visit the church, which was closed on Tuesday afternoon.
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Lever du soleil, sunrise |
The GPS road tracklog
from Moutier-d'Ahun to Felletin
from 2020/08/12 to 2020/08/12
Wednesday August 12 was a "colorful" day with a visit to the church
of Sous-Parsat and the Cité Internationale de la Tapisserie in Aubusson.
The Sous-Parsat church,
here,
was destroyed during the French Revolution and then rebuilt at the end of
the 19th century. The frescoes are by Gabriel Chabrat,
here,
playing with yellow (joy) and blue (dream). I was
fortunate that it was open when I was there at 8.00 but without
lighting for the photos taken blind. Further on I made a brief stop
in the village of Masgot under a gloomy sky. The highlight was the
visit to the Cité Internationale de la Tapisserie, installed in its
new building in 2016. Among the works on display I chose the modern
creations for their pattern and color as opposed to the mythology of
old tapestries. At the entrance, visitors receive an interpretive
booklet of the works in the nave of the hangings. I bivouacked in
the parking lot dedicated to motorhomes in Felletin. The heatwave
begins to fade away.
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Fresque, Fresco by Gabriel Chabrat |
The GPS road tracklog
from Felletin to Lac Vassivière
from 2020/08/13 to 2020/08/13
Thursday, August 13, I was traveling the Plateau de Millevaches,
here,
circuit proposed by the Limousin Green Guide book under an
intermittent drizzle accompanied by sudden gusts and a temperature
between 17 and 21 ° C. It is strongly hilly located between 750 and
850 meters above sea level. My first visit was to the Gallo-Roman
site of Cars,
here,
from the 2nd and 3rd century. It presents a funerary
complex with a temple and further on the remains of a dwelling with
all the comforts, water supply from a monolithic tank and lead
pipes. The walk is decorated with interpretive panels of the
technique used. Continuing my journey I passed at the foot of Mount
Bessou, 977 m, and its telecommunications tower. I made a brief stop
in the rain at the sign for the Tourbière du Longeyroux. On the way
I broke my nose at the doors of closed chapels, in particular that
of Chavanac, which has a statue of Salomé carrying the head of Saint
John the Baptist on a plate, a personal reminiscence of Strauss's
Salome,
here.
While crossing Peyrelevade I took some Street-Art photos and, finally,
a quick rainy stop at St-Gilles and St-Georges de Tarnac churches.
I bivouacked on the shore of Lake of Vassivière, still in intermittent drizzle.
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The GPS road tracklog
from Lac de Vassivière to Bulajeuf
from 2020/08/14 to 2020/08/14
Friday August 14th began with a sleep-in with foggy weather without
rain. I strolled along the shore of Lac de Vassivière with limited
visibility. Despite everything, I covered the fifty kilometers to
get to Bujaleuf in just over an hour. Under a cloudy sky of gray and
black with timid appearances of the sun I bivouacked not far from La
Meaulde river. This stop about forty kilometers from Limoges will
allow me to get there early to visit it.
The GPS road tracklog
from Bujaleuf to Oradour-sur-Glane
from 2020/08/15 to 2020/08/15
Saturday August 15 I had two objectives for visiting Limoges, the
St-Etienne cathedral and the enamel room of the Museum of Fine Arts
and the Martyr town of Oradour-sur-Glane. In Limoges the enamel room
was closed. The St-Jean portal of St-Etienne cathedral,
here,
is very ornate, notably with a rose decorated with
multicolored glass. The bell tower attests that its construction
lasted several centuries covering Roman and then Gothic art. The
rood screen under the organ has mythological bas-reliefs of the
labors by Hercules. Oradour-sur-Glane,
here,
already visited almost forty years ago, is a place of
pilgrimage for the French people, as shown by the large crowd on
this day of the Assumption. In summary 642 people, men, women and
children were assassinated by the soldiers of the Nazi division "Das
Reich" on June 10, 1944, symbol of human barbarism. I bivouacked on
the site's rest area. A woman came to the door of my vehicle and
said: "Hello Mr. Bazin". She explained to me that she had been
following my journey since 2006. We shared our experiences as well
as our personal relationships.
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![img](image-5/20-fr-229-001-nk.jpg) |
![img](image-5/20-fr-229-001-nk-1.JPG) |
Éliane, voyageuse intrépide |
The GPS road tracklog
from Oradour-sur-Glane to St-Priest-Taurion
from 2020/08/16 to 2020/08/16
Sunday I intended to visit old Limoges, unfortunately the weather
was not only gloomy but also rainy and the stalls were closed on
this Sunday. I continued my way to Solignac to visit the abbey
church,here,
a vestige of an abbey founded in 632 by Saint-Éloi. The
Roman-style church dates from the mid-12th century. The weather
being uncertain I ran aground at St-Priest-Taurion. The afternoon
fluctuated between drizzle and cloudiness. I was bivouacking near a
stadium on a service area!
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