DAY TWENTYSEVEN
SORGES – PÉRIGUEUX
Sorge is the capital of truffles; it even has a truffle museum. Fenced in oak forests on
the way to Périgueux showed how valuable truffles are.
This day, I only had fourteen miles to walk and like always, passed beautiful sites.
Draw well
In walking through the Forest “Forêt Lanmary” I discovered a castle, which seemed
to be in a deep sleep for centuries. There was nobody around and everything was
firmly locked up. It was a strange feeling peeking into the past with no life anymore
in it.
When I arrived in the city of Perigueux, which has approximately 30,000
inhabitants, the difference between past and present was amazing. There were so
many tourists visiting this town. The historical sites of Perigueux reach back to
Gallo-Roman times. The most fascinating monument of the past for me was the
temple of the Gallic goddess “Vesunna.”
Temple of Vesunna
After the Romans invaded the Celtic people, they erected their own monuments and
temples. Beside the left over of an amphitheater, other ruins of the Roman times can
be seen.
Remains of a Roman temple
During the peak of the pilgrimage to Santiago, Perigueux became a famous
pilgrimage town. Two churches speak about this time – the 12th century
Cathédral Saint-Front and the even older church Eglise Saint-Etienne de la Cité.
In visiting the Church Saint-Etienne, I felt very uncomfortable. It was dark
and dreary; even the organ music did not change this feeling.
Église Saint-Etienne de la Cité
The Cathedral Saint-Front reminded me of St. Marcus in Venice and the Hagia
Sophia in Istanbul. It had a Byzantine influence; its space was enormous. But,
somehow, my enthusiasm for historical buildings had vanished that day. Not even
the cheery whiteness of the town – all the buildings and streets were built of the
local white limestone – lifted my spirits. It was my last day with Rohan and Eddy
and I felt somehow exhausted from the many days of walking. Just before I arrived
Perigueux, I got lost again and had to walk 3 extra miles on a busy road. I was
considering the idea of stopping all together and, instead, visiting Thich Nhat Hanh’s
Plum Village, which was not far from Perigueux.
Side entrance of the Cathedral Saint-Front
Main entrance to the Cathedral Saint-Front
One of many street cafes in Perigueux
-Text and photos contributed by Garyo –