DAY TWENTYFIVE
FLAVIGNAC- LA COQUILLE
For the one with the mind
not flowing out, the thoughts
not scattered, right and wrong
discarded, and wakeful,
there is no fear
Dhammapada
This day was a day of walking through meadows, forests and fields. Quiet lakes were
scattered in between with trees being reflected on the surface. It was great just to
walk.
In front of a cherry tree, the owner of the house placed a chair for the hikers with
the invitation to use it for rest.
Hikers, you have earned a rest
Around noon, I arrived in the charming little town, Châlus, where the English king
Richard Lionheart died during a battle over the castle in 1199. This was a big
surprise for me. Not only was I following the footsteps of Richard Lionheart by
starting my pilgrimage in Vezelay, but also, an Austrian Duke captured Richard
Lionheart when he passed Vienna and put him into prison in the castle of Dürnstein,
near where I am from. There was a connection between the past and the present.
Town of Châlus with the road up to the castle
When I walked up to the castle, its big entrance door was locked. I did not see any
way to visit the place. Suddenly, a girl came with a key. She was the tour guide of the
castle and opened the place for the first time in the season. Her name was Charlotte
and she gave me a tour.
Charlotte opening the door
Former castle of Châlus
After King Lionheart’s death －as it was common practice for the aristocracy during
the Middle Ages – his body was divided up. His entrails were buried in the castle of
Châlus, his embalmed heart in the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Rouen, and the rest
of his body was buried in the Fontevraud Abbey beside his father.
On the ground to the right of the walk way, The lying statue of Richard Lionheart.
After I left the town, my mind was occupied with the story of Richard Lionheart and
the chain of events, which lead to his early death. At one point on the Way, I had to
decide if I wanted to ignore the local signs of forbidding me to enter a clearly marked
way of the pilgrimage or not. It was very confusing. I decided to follow the shell –
and really got lost. It was an old sign nobody had removed. At the end, I reached the
common Way again, but with a big detour. It was nice that Eddy and Rohan called to
find out where I was. I arrived in La Coquille in late afternoon. La Coquille means
shell in French.
The blocked Way I ignored.
- Text and photos contributed by Garyo –