Arrival in Vezelay

May 21, 2004 Vezelay

After almost missing the bus (transfer from the train) the bus stopped at Avallons - all passengers disembarked so figured this is the end of the line. … decide to confirm my assumption with the bus driver … nope … Vezelay is the next stop … I am the only passenger continuing to Vezelay ... hmmm! ... seems to confirm my feeling that much of my 'journey' is destined to be 'solo' ... me, myself and I!!

Arrive in Vezelay … nervous feeling in my stomach …is this the correct place? (the famous starting point for the Chemin St Jacques in France (Camino Santiago in Spanish)I get up the courage to ask the bus driver if he knows of the Chemin St Jacques while I am pulling my backpack out of the storage area of the bus … a rather abrupt and unfriendly "non" … with a turning of his head from side to side to confirm his response(international body language for the word "no")

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Assume by now he knew French was not my mother tongue and just in case I did not understand the French word "non" … he left no room for discussion with his body language.

Now a bit more nervous I head down the street … past a busy restaurant … I notice a lady standing alone at the outdoor patio of the bar next door. What the heck … I might as well get this over with I thought to myself … if I am in the wrong place I might as well know.

What a pleasant surprise … this kind lady actually has heard of the Chemin St Jacques … she rather enthusiastically engages in conversation with me … I hear the word "religieux" and what sounds like a refuge for pilgrims … my French is still quite rusty!

What a relief! I follow her directions and start walking up the hill … I am tired now … it has been about 24 hours since leaving Canada … have only eaten a croissant and drank 2 coffees all day … too cheap! I am thinking I would like to stop for a beer and a couple of cigarettes … but it is getting late (almost dark) and I figure I had better get on with the task of finding a place to sleep.

Several hundred metres up this hill I notice a sign "Fransiscan" something or other and an announcement on the bulletin board with a photo of Ste Theresa de Lisieux(more about this later).

I walk into an open area … a few people sitting around this inner courtyard … one of the ladies present gives me an ‘inquisitive’ glance … the look that indicates ‘what do you want? … or what are you looking for? See … I don’t need to understand French …seems my travelling in foreign countries where the language of the day is not English or Canadian forced me to improve my understanding of that international language known as ‘body language’.

I explain to this lady that I am looking for a pilgrim’s refuge … she quickly replies … absolutely no space here. She is now quite congenial(perhaps now that she knows I am a Chemin St Jacques pilgrim and not simply a vagabond!) She accompanies back out onto the street … more body language here … with this action she is confirming her comment about ‘no space here’J

She seems to be talking to herself … she says … where can I send you?

Before she has a chance to answer herself I jump in and let her know what the friendly lady at the bar down the hill had told me … something about ‘religieux’ and place to sleep’. Just than the church bells started ringing.

The lady looks at her watch and than says rather excitedly "Oui l’office … l’heure de l’office". I figured out a few minutes later her excitement may have had its’ roots more in the thought of getting rid of me than figuring out a place for me to sleep J … what an unkind thought eh! And about this nice lady who has no obligation to help me with anything.

She explains to me that I will be able to find one of the Sisters(ah huh … this must be the meaning of the word ‘religieux’I figure) after l’office and I can ask her for help.

By now I have interpreted "l’office" to mean prayer time … how long is parayer time? … no idea … and remember … at the moment I’m in the mood for a beer … not prayer!

Encouraged nonetheless I head towards the church … I spot 2 nuns across the street opening a door into one of the buildings there … now I am excited … I can get the help I need waiting for the "l’office" to finish or … worse yet … attend "l’office".

I quicken my pace and follow the 2 nuns into the building (as I am entering the building I think to myself … this is pretty audacious of me … I must be desperate!) I explain myself to one of the nuns … she is quite friendly and replies … wait until the "l’office" is finished and than ask one of the nuns for help. … hmmm … seems my audacity was ill conceived after all!

Also seems this ’cheap’ place to sleep comes at a ‘price’ J … decide to attend "l’office" prayers … the beer will have to wait! The prayer time was quite pleasant … mostly the singing of prayers by the nuns and monks. The voices were splendid … the event was long! I would come to really enjoy the singing( the choir of nuns and monks) over the next few days.

Became completely dark while I was in church. When the prayer time was complete I quickly tried to figure out how to intercept one of the nuns on their way to wherever they go after "l’office" … presumably somewhere outside of the church … rather basilica … very very large basilica!

I retrieved my backpack and walking stick and exited the side door of the basilica … no nuns coming in my direction … start to panic a bit! … thinking oh no! … they will all escape and than what will I do?

Quickly went to my contingency plan … what contingency plan? … I had none! … instinct was all that remained. I saw the monks heading generally in my direction … I would approach a monk … why not? … I am almost desperate now … not really … yet the prospect of paying for an expensive hotel room or sleeping on the street were not very appealing at the moment.

I intercepted one of the monks (so much for courtesy again!) and I pleaded my case. His face was kind and he seemed empathetic towards me … he asked me to wait while he finished his tasks … he was carrying a musical instrument into the vestibule when I almost tripped him to get his attentionJ

Waited outside as several monks entered the vestibule … de-robed and walked past me again on there way out. Several pleasant ‘bonsoirs’ … but no offers to help. A feminutes later the monk with the kind face returned to assure me that he hadn’t forgotten about me and that he would only be another minute or so. Could he somehow feel my impatience?

He returned and motioned me to follow him … ah finally … off to my "cheap" accommodation J

We walked together to the monk’s residence … on entering the residence he explained to me that talking is a no-no in the residence. I was impressed … my kind of place … no noise!!

He returned with a couple of small pieces of paper in his hand … one a map to the refuge and on the other the code to get in the place. He explained the basics to me and apologized that there would likely be nothing to eat for breakfast at the refuge … I was happy to have a bed … I said thank you and headed back down the hill.

Now I am really in the mood for a beer!