Rained again this morning but by midday it had passed. We are walking up the hill to Vezelay mostly off road which is good. It’s hard going as it’s uphill all the way getting steeper the further up we go so lots of stops are required for me to catch my breath and to take in the fabulous views. Vines everywhere on the way up with lots of tiny grapes hanging on them.

The path finishes at the town’s ramparts close to the top of the hill and village. We pass the town’s cemetery and walk up to the Basicala.

The Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine aka Mary Magdalene was constructed in Romanesque style and was once a Benedictine monastery. It’s been a place of pilgrimage since the 11th century up until today and is one of the starting places for the St James’s pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. The money brought by the visiting pilgrims financed the building of the abbey in the 12th century. It’s a UNESCO site and is currently being restored and it’s rather glorious inside and out.

The soaring architecture and stonework is magnificent. The glass windows are all plain rather than stained which seems to showcase the stark beauty of the place. Definitely worth visiting. We light a candle of course and take a wander down into the crypt where Mary Magdalene is said to be buried.

We wander around and a bit up and down the village which is built on steep slopes until we find a bar and enjoy a cold beer.

By now it’s nearly 4pm so we return to the Basicala for a free concert of 17th French music and song.

Back down the steep hill where instead of lungs hurting it’s our knees instead. Obviously we have to stop for a beer in our local hotel and watch the world go by for a bit.

A few starters for dinner and a couple of trivia quiz games sitting outside before we retreat for the evening inside to the warm of our van. A enjoyable but tiring day.

Thursday 27:07:23