Paris and Vezelay report

[Richard Ferguson]

I had asked on the listserver several weeks ago about the traditional pilgrimage
starting places in Paris and Vezelay.  I have just returned from a tourist trip
to France, and am reporting on what I found.

The Tour de Saint Jacques in Paris is on the right bank, in a park north of Notre
Dame church, between the Chatelet and the Hotel de Ville metro stops.
Unfortunately, it is being renovated, and was completely covered by scaffolding
and tarps, so I was not able to really see it.  I did not see any signs
explaining when the work might be completed.  I understand that the tower is a
remnant of a church.

Vezelay, hundreds of kilometer southeast of Paris, is a very nice little town.
We spent one night there and regretted that we were not able to spend more time
there.  The town has many art galleries, several bookstores with pilgrim books,
and numerous hotels and restaurants.  The church is very impressive and
wonderful.  They have the reputed bones of Mary Magdelene in the crypt.  This
church dates to the 12th century.  Some of the outside sculpture is not original,
but much of the inside sculpture is original.  The capitals on the inside columns
are particularly fascinating, as are the reliefs in the narthex (lobby).  There
are free tours in French.  I took in about 45 minutes of tour before my brain
refused to process any more lecture in French.  There is a small monastery there,
the Community of Jerusalem.

Someday I would like to walk from Vezelay, but I know that this would takes two
or three months to walk the 1500 or so km from Vezelay to Santiago.

Richard