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| Many village shops had closed down in this relatively poor area of France; this café and grocery store had certainly seen better days. |
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| War memorial in Saint-Nicolas-aux-Bois. |
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| We could see the spires and towers of Laon silhouetted against the skyline long before we reached this lovely old town, soaring high above the plain on a flat-topped ridge of rock. This is Rue Châtelaine on a Sunday afternoon . . . |
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| . . . and this is a crêperie in the Market Place, where it was no surprise to find Ernst enjoying a pancake and a glass of wine! |
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| Laon's 12th-century Gothic cathedral, Notre-Dame de Laon, was simply magnificent, and wandering round its inspiring interior gave us the most profoundly spiritual moment of the pilgrimage so far. The exterior wasn't bad either . . . |
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| Here's the west porch with its impressive, stone-carved doorway. |
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| Needless to say, we soon joined Ernst for a little wine and conversation. From left to right: Pascal Mondon (an artist whose studio faced the square), myself, Peter and the incorrigible Ernst. |
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| Laon cathedral in the glow of sunset. |
