medieval – Lo Vedo Life

Ireland 2025, Part One

This past August marked my third trip to Ireland, and yet again, it was absolutely wonderful. There are a great many stories to tell, and a lot of photos, so I’m dividing this into two rather long posts. This post covers the first week of my trip, when I was on my own; the next post will cover the 2½ weeks I spent with friends who wanted to share with me their favorite spots in Northern Ireland. (Hint: it was fantastic!)

The first week of my holiday was both slow and full, and my favorite part was all of the warm, friendly people I met along the way, each with his or her own fascinating story. What an amazing gift it was to spend time with all the remarkable people I met on this journey.

Road Trip, Day 8

A column capital in Basilique Saint-Julien catches some purple light from a stained glass window.

I readily admit it: I can’t resist a medieval church. After visiting the basilica at Orcival, and learning that there are five related basilicas in the region, I decided I needed to go see another one. And then I tacked on another for the fun of it.

It’s been raining since I arrived here in Le Mont Dore, which means that I’ve yet to see the mountain, and I’ve yet to go for a nice high-elevation amble. With rain in the forecast again this morning, it was an easy choice to head down the mountain, going first to Issoire, and then to Brioude.

Road Trip, Day 6

A soggy cow came over to say hello, and began using the barbed wire to scratch an itch on her throat. She was very curious about me.

This morning we awoke to a grey and drizzly day. After breakfast, we checked out of our chambres-d’hotes (B&B), and bid each other goodbye. Maryse and Claude were headed west to visit friends, and I was headed east to higher—and it turns out, even wetter—ground. An hour later I arrived in Le Mont Dore, in the Puy-de-Dôme. With the wet weather and low clouds, I really have no idea what the surrounding country looks like. Except that it’s green.

Road Trip, Day 4

Earlier this summer, I posted a photograph of sparkling water bubbles on a lemon wedge. Here’s its cousin, a photograph of a teaspoon paved with diamonds, er, sparkling water bubbles.

We could tell that night was becoming day because the grey was a slightly lighter tone. There was little drama: the rain that fell was soft, barely making a sound; the dampness seemed to wash out colors before our eyes; all was quiet.

We got our raincoats and umbrellas, and drove into Égletons to see if the visitors center had any suggestions for rainy-day things to do in the area. Not much, it turns out, so three somewhat soggier souls piled back into the car for the one-hour drive toward Collonges-la-Rouge. We drove through low, thick fog and occasional rain, but by the time we arrived, the grey was lighter and the rain had stopped.

Road Trip, Day 3

A very intriguing flight of stone steps in Le Trou de Bozouls (The Hole of Bozouls).

Today was a transition day. We made a couple of visits in the area near Saint Geniez, and then drove three hours to get to our home for the next three days. To arrive in the town of Égletons, we drove through the Aveyron, then through the Cantal, and then into the Corrèze. As you’ll see, the landscape became even greener as we made our way north.

Road Trip, Day 2

Trying to catch some of the sunlight streaming through a contemporary stained glass window in the Église Saint-Côme-et-Saint-Damien in the village of Saint-Côme.

We awoke to cloudy skies and signs that it had rained during the night; the forecast called for heavy rains in the afternoon, so we wanted to get a good start for the day’s adventures. This was a day for visiting several of the picturesque villages near Saint-Geniez-d’Olt, where we’re staying. Our first stop of the morning was the lovely Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt, a town of ancient stone buildings, flower baskets bursting with color, art galleries, and a church that dates to 920 AD.