Relaxing in Cheylard L'Eveque, France at La Refuge du Moure
Most church bells in this area are not enclosed in a tower. The reason? During bad weather, the church bells are rung to guide lost people to the safety of the village, and the bells ring louder if they aren't enclosed in a Belfrey. An interesting fact.
It was difficult to decide where on the trip to take a rest day. It was either too late in the Chemin Stevenson or too early. Cheylard L'Eveque seemed as good a place as any and it turned out to be perfect. There wouldn't be anything to do here, but I didn't care. Neither of us wanted to hike up the hills, explore or do anything but be two vegetables for one day. The Way of St. James just about destroyed my feet with the heavy mileage every day and I was determined to "rest."
Stevenson wrote: "I started to Cheylard-l'Eveque, at the edge of the forest of Mercoire. ... it did not seem overly ambitious to imagine that a man with a cluttered mare could go the distance in four hours....". Right...and bah...humbug...
A wonderful breakfast (finally) with homemade cakes, strudels, yogurt, muesli, fruit, homemade confitures (jelly and jams), juice, coffee and much more. Waved the new acquaintances off. Some we would see again along the route and others not.
Cheylard L'Eveque has a small chapel across from the Refuge but the main religious monument to visit is Notre Dame de Tous Graces on a hill above the village. This was reachable by a steep path that starts from the back of the Refuge and we didn't care if it was important...beautiful...or had magnificent views. There was no way we were going to do any hiking or walking today. Instead, we laid around and read books, drank wine and waited for the new Stevenson hikers to come in. Four male friends together from Paris, St. Etienne and Marseille, husband and wife (Lyon) with friend from Le Puy en Velay, and a couple with donkey, Loustique. Dinner, conversation and tomorrow it's back on the trail to La Bastide Puy Laurent...
