Sharing Bread (And Chocolate)

Yesterday's photo was taken in the cool, simple interior of the chapel of Saint-Jean-le-Froid (see pic) which is situated on the Chemin de Saint-Jacques above the village of Lascanbanes - about half-way between Cahors and Moissac. It's hauntingly numinous there. It lies in the old French province of Quercy. See how the simple and beautiful altar resembles a pre-Christian dolmen - I've written about this subject before here.

I suppose the figure in the chapel's stained glass window represents Saint-Jean-le-Froid himself. I don't know much about this saint - except that his name translates as 'Saint John the Cold' - which I saw translated on some French website once as 'Saint James the Refrigeration'!

There's a pilgrim register in the chapel where you can read hundreds of comments pilgrims have entered, alongside their names and nationalities.

The chapel was renovated in 1982. Next to the chapel there's a miraculous fountain. At summer solstice each year people would drink water from it just before sunrise in the hope of curing eye diseases and rheumatism.

Earlier that day, I remember, before the sun had burned off the mist, I met a French schoolteacher and her daughter who were walking part of the Chemin together. So nice for a mother and daughter to be doing this, I thought. Sadly I can't recall their names now. I should have noted down the names of everyone I met. I think it's important. We chatted easily for half-an-hour. They were lovely people - très sympa, as they say in French. They offered me some of their late breakfast - bread and chocolate!