Day 4- Le SavaugeThe Margueride plateau in the 18th century was a forested area and around 1760, many people lost their lives to the grey dog/wolf creature who attacked over a period of several years.
The threat of the beast was so great that royal hunters were sent to kill the animal. Tremendous mystery surrounds the beast, however, today it is believed the beast was not a singular being, but extremely large wolves acting alone or in packs. The fear of wolves virtually has vanished in western thought today, but historical records indicate they were a source of real danger and justified fear. In Saugues the beast shares pride of place with St James. In fact in the town, the traditional St James shells marking the way on the roads are replaced with images of the beast which has become a figure of fun instead of fear. If you have ever read C.S.Lewis’s “The Screw Tape Letters” you will note our concept of the devil frequently receives the same treatment; much to the delight of the head devil. The weather has started to turn today as we climbed higher with cold winds destroying our belief that springtime was truly established. Rain is forecast for tomorrow. Our progress was slow due to the continued up and down nature of the terrain. We only gained 360 metres overall in altitude but in reality it was a far greater climb. To lighten up the day we appeared at times to be strafed by jets of the French Air Force accompanied by sonic boom. We were forced to walk an extra 2km on an otherwise 20 km journey to visit the only open coffee shop within reach. How is that for addiction to the bean? We are now at an albergue in a most remote location. The location is beautiful and overlooks the grassed plains of the high country. There are no cattle here yet, they will come up when the warmer weather arrives. (The remains of the last snow is found outside the albergue.) The albergue could be nice but the management practices suggest you reached Faulty Towers by mistake. However, there is great spirit amongst the 5 pilgrims in residence despite language differences. Sorry no photos today due to limited internet, double tomorrow.
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