By Maryanna Gabriel
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| Queribus |
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| Myself With French Guides |
It was not a good thing to defy the pope of the day and when the Cathars
refused to pay tax to Rome they were hunted down and, er, killed. They were a virtuous
sect with high morals and from what I can gather, a bit similar to the Quakers, living
how they thought was in accord with the teachings of the Nazarene. We no longer have
to tremble in our sleep if somebody randomly decides we are a heretic, or worse
still maybe they want our house, our animals, our land. A clergyman conveniently arranges for our death based on lies. No this is
not a worry today. Easy to take for granted. Queribus was a fortress-like castle where the Cathars hid, not very
successfully, it’s virtue being it’s remoteness but clearly visible throughout
the valley and possibly it’s thick walls which were three feet thick. It was a
haunting place, with sweeping valley views. I was unprepared for the
scope and beauty of it all. Our
guide told me that someone was recently killed in Queribus. A fork of
lightening had come right through a three foot thick window and zap. Not
really something one would expect at the outset of one’s day as one munched pain au chocolat.
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| Sant Pere De Rhodes |
We finished in Sant Pere de Rhodes, a monastery in Spain a few kilometers
from the French border. It was also high up and overlooking the Mediterranean,
the misty blues of sky and sea a soft and luscious sensation to the eye. This
place was very old, the earliest Christians fled for refuge here from Rome.
Around 300 AD, some body parts made their way to boost business, the scapula of
St. Peter, the baby finger of Mary Magdalene, means of acquiring alms and a
vehicle for petitioning through prayer, kind of early church must haves. I saw
a fresco that was worn and not even protected from the public leaning on it.
I feel I have inadequately covered some astonishing geography. This is a
blog after all. But perhaps a sense of it has been conveyed in spite of my
misgivings. Those of you who write so encouragingly to me, I thank you. It means so much to me. To all, a Bon Noel and may voyages of discovery in your
own way and in your own time, fill your hearts desire. Thank you so much for joining me here.