Chateauroux Day 2

Thursday, May 22

We had a fairly quiet day, sleeping later than usual before walking out for coffee and pastry at a nearby boulangerie, then exploring more of the old town and the parks and gardens along the Indre before lunch at a lovely restaurant, Jeux 2 Goûts in the old town. 

Afterward, we visited the Musée Bertrand.  Bertrand was one of Napoleon I’s marshals and generals and was with him on St. Helena when he died. The museum was an odd collection of art, memorabilia, and objects collected from Egypt and elsewhere. One of the most interesting pieces was a large sculpture by Camille Claudel.

As I wandered through the house, my main thought was that I should get rid of all my stuff when I get home.

We also visited the enormous Gothic church of St. Andre whose gleaming white spires helped us get our bearings.

Inside was the banner for this year of Jubilee proclaimed by Pope Francis one year ago, “Spes Non Confundit.”  Hope does not disappoint. 

Feeling without hope, I read through much of Francis’s proclamation, which moved me to tears. It seems our world continues to accelerate in a direction opposite of that Francis urged us.

Tomorrow we take an early morning bus to Bourges. I realized only today, that this city, too, is on the Vézelay northern pilgrim route. There is a brass scallop shell right in front of our hotel.

Here’s a video Kent took a few days ago when we walked through tall grass (oops, I guess you have to go to TikTok to see it: