Thursday May 16, 2019

Sainte Cecile Cathedral

This morning we leave Narbonne and head to Albi. It is a three hour and forty minute ride due to a hour and twenty minute layover in Toulouse. I noticed on line that our train arrives Toulouse at 1112 and there is a train to Albi that leaves at 1116. This portion of the trip is a regional train with no seat assignments so when we get to the station at Narbonne, I ask if our regional ticket is good on any train, if I can make the earlier one. She tells me yes, but notes the short time between trains. At least we have hope. As things turn out, we arrive about four minutes early, look at the departure board for the platform number of the 1116 train and it is only a few entrances away. We make it up to the platform and onto the train with four minutes to spare. This puts us into Albi at 1215 instead of 1340 so we are both happy. Our room is not ready when we arrive but they hold our packs for us which is all we ever ask for. We head out to see about some dinner reservations for tonight and lunch for tomorrow. I had left a phone message in bad French for the place we want to eat tonight so we will check on that and than go to another place I sent a message to that we hope to have lunch tomorrow at. We find our way to the old town center without much problem.

Palace de la Berbie

The cathedral here is beautiful on the outside and next to it is the old archbishops palace which now houses the Toulouse Lautrec Museum. We are right by the TI so we go in to ask for directions to Amboise restaurant, the one for tomorrow’s lunch. The nice lady shows us the way and it is not too far. We however go down the wrong street and as I reevaluate the map, Carol sees a sign for Clos de Saint Cecile, tonight’s hope for dinner. We go there first and as I start my poor French, the lady asks in English if I called yesterday and that she left me a message a little bit ago. She had us written down but wasn’t sure on the name so we straighten it all out and are set for this evening.

Great Old Buildings

We now find the correct street for Amboise and go in. I ask about a table for tomorrow at noon and he says 1230, so I say it is okay and we get the last table. Good vibes for us today. And there is a little Boulangerie in front of us where we buy a ham and cheese sandwich to share for lunch. Then we stop back at the TI and buy the Albi Pass which saves us 3 Euros each for the two sights we want to see here. Since tomorrow’s weather is supposed to be a bit rainy, we decide to do some outside strolling today.

Great Views

We head toward the Palace Berbie gardens and pass by the covered market so check it out. Then we head down a street where after a bit we end up by a bridge. It is not where we wanted to be but has a great view of the old bridge and where we think the gardens are. We decide to walk down to the Tarn River toward the old bridge. The old bridge was built in 1020 so I guess 999 years qualifies as old. It is a nice walk and then we cross the old bridge for a nice view looking back at the cathedral and palace.

Berbie Palace Gardens

From the bridge it is a climb up to the palace and the gardens. The bishops palace gardens date from the 17th century while the palace origins go back to the 13th century until 1789 when the French Revolution occurred and the state confiscated it from the bishops. We have a commanding view of the river and both bridges, so we sit on an old stone bench and have lunch with a view.

Last Judgement

After the gardens we go around the corner and into the cathedral. The Sainte Cecile Cathedral was built from 1282 to 1380. As we walk in our eyes are drawn to the painting of the Last Judgement behind the altar. It was painted in 1474 and is the oldest art in the church.

Boiled Alive

It shows the good people side and the bad people side. Normally Jesus is in the middle but he was cut out in the late Renaissance period to open up the way for a new chapel. The painting shows the various ways you would be tortured if you lived the wrong kind of life. None of it looks very pleasant. The interesting part of the whole thing is that this is not the front of the church as it faces west, whereas most churches would face east towards Jerusalem. The original altar is in front of the choir facing in the right direction. The organ above this altar was built over two years from 1734 to 1736 and has 3,549 pipes making it the largest classical French organ.

Gothic Choir Screen

The cathedral also has an ornate choir screen. In the Middle Ages, most cathedrals had these which separated the clergy from the common folks. It enclosed the altar adding to the mystery of God and the Mass. In the 16th century with counter reformation responding to the success of the Protestant movement, some choir screens were removed. Later, during the French Revolution, atheists destroyed most of the ones that remained. This is a rare survivor although the statuary that was in all the little arched nooks of the screen had been removed.

Judith

We follow our audio guide tour through the church and then back into the choir. The choir was finished in 1480. The outside of the choir is lined with statues of people from the Old Testament and the inside of the choir covers the New Testament. One of the statues is of Judith, a widow, who befriends the leader of the Assyrians, gets him drunk, and beheads him so the Israelites can defeat them. There is also a statue facing into the choir of Constantine, who was the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity. The Fleur de Lis is prevalent in the screen work associating the French Monarchy with the power of the church. The statuary and sculpture work is really incredible.

Saint Cecile

The last thing we visit is the chapel of Saint Cecile. Saint Cecile was martyred in 230 A.D.. She had converted over 400 people to Christianity and the Emperor ordered her to be suffocated in the baths. In unbearable heat and without oxygen, she did not sweat or die so the emperor ordered her beheaded. The executioner struck her three times with a sword but could not decapitate her. He left her in her own blood and she lived for three days and asked the pope to build a church at her home which is in Trastavere in Italy. So many interesting stories. We really enjoy our visit in this historical cathedral.

Graceful

As we walk toward our hotel, we check out the cloister of Saint Salvy Church, a private courtyard with a tower, and the Caroll store. I already have a Carol, so I do not buy anything. As we go though Vigan Square, we check out the fountains and the merry go round. We take an afternoon rest before doing a slow walk to dinner.

Enjoying a Duck Breast

The evening is beautiful so we sit outside in the restaurants gardens. We get a swordfish carpaccio and a artichoke ravioli as our starters which the French call entrees. Then our mains ( called plats) are duck breast ( a first for us) and steak, followed by desserts of yoghurt with fruit jam and chocolate cake with mint ice cream and whipped cream. It is all very tasty and the atmosphere is wonderful. We walk home as the evening light fades away with a great impression of the town of Albi.

Expenses
Train from Narbonne to Albi 51.20E
Hotel Les Pasteliers 62.64E
Ham and Cheese Sandwich Lunch 3.94E Cash
Albi Pass 26E
Dinner at Clos de Saint Cecile 64E
Walked 8 Miles