Easter in Rocamadour 2006

             Rocamadour is a small medievial walled village literally perched on a cliff high above the Val d'Alzou, defying gravity in the Dordogne region of France, called Quercy.  This is the land of fois gras and truffles ,and where the black wine of Cahors is made.
             Rocamadour is also a place in my heart where some of my most spiritual moments have been experienced.  Since the year 800, pilgrams have crawled on their knees up the countless steep steps to pray and pay homage to Notre Dame of Rocamadour.  She is the most famous and adorred Black Madonna in all of France, where there are many located throughout the country, but mostly concentrated in the central and southwest area of France. 
       There is a sweet maternal tenderness of Mother Mary that embraces me there, healing hurts and wounds encountered in living this life journey.  A love and warmth, one feels in Her presense.  Mysterious energy abounds: unexplained encounters of the spirit unfold to be contemplated in awe.
         I go there at least 2 to 3 times a years to bask in her peaceful and healing Love.  My favorite time is Assumption of Mary on the 15th of August, where I partake in a  candlelight procession, that winds down in to the main village and up the many steps  to her Miraculous Chapel,commencing in a midnight mass.
         Rocamadour nouorishes my gastromical longings as much as my spirit.  Magrets of duck, truffled terrines,  famous Quercy lamb, Rocamadour chevre cheeses, and fois gras delight my palate, washed downed and celibrated by the deeply perfumed and well bodied Cahor wine, except for the fois gras, where I prefer one of France's sweet white flowered elixirs, from Sauternes and Barsacs to Montbazilacs.  Body and soul , thou art blessed to be in Rocamadour (Rock of Love).

Comments

[Cyril GALERA]

Very nice photo. We feel the spirituality