Day 8 - Aniane

There was the possibility of a storm the morning I left, but it never materialized. It was a little "sportif", as they say, not far out of Montarnaud, and there was a long stretch along what must have been a former railroad track, then a somewhat pebbly ascent before descending into Ariane, but no real problems. The iron-rich red soil, which I encountered at times, reminded me of the soil in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso!

  

A couple I had see earlier the previous day had ended up in my gîte in Montarnaud, and I ran into another French woman several times, so the trail was not totally devoid of walkers.  That French couple, Jean-Marc and Jeanine, whom I had met in Montarnaud, had a son who was also doing the chemin and who was several stages ahead.  They had been following his reports of what to expect. He had warned them of rougher terrain to come, so I was on the lookout. I also received an SMS from the French woman I had met in "the group of 9" in Montpellier, who was interested in my progress. She was particularly enamored of a particular way of walking which she called the "Afghan method" of walking and wanted me to try it out.  It involved a complicated pattern of inhaling and exhaling through the nose which enabled better oxygenation of the brain.



I finally arrived in Aniane.  The once well known Abbey of Aniane was founded in 782 by the future Saint-Benoît of Aniane, who had been a great reformer of the benedictine order in the 9th century. Like so many religious buildings and statures, the monastery was later destroyed during the French Wars of Religion. I understand the abbey is currently undergoing some serious renovation, but, unfortunately, it was closed. The region is now known primarily for its huge wine estates.

Above and below the famous abbey of Aniane

In Aniane, I stayed in a chambre d'hôtes.  It was a great location with a lovely view from the window, but lacked a few basic amenities. The night before had definitely been a better deal, plus the host was really helpful and accommodating. My hostess here was simply distracted, as she had a small child. Aniane was a sizeable town, however, with restaurants, and a public library. I really appreciated being allowed to use the computer for Internet access at the library despite having to use the frustrating French AZERTY keyboard, with its different configuration.  It really ate into my time as the library had very limited hours. And too bad the abbey was closed so that I could only glimpse it from behind the gate...

 

view from my room

"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forevermore. Amen."  Jude  24-25