We started out the day at Albi cathedral and actually got to go inside it this time! It was so beautiful--just so solid and tall and magnificent! I could have just stood in the entrance and stared agape for hours.
The inside was just as magnificent as the outside! Unlike the other cathedrals that we'd visited and felt inspired into admiration, this one demanded reverence and respect. So much finery and boldness!
We then visited the Toulouse-Lautrec museum which was originally the bishop's palace, and has recently been renovated to house all of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's art. The reason all of this famous artist's work has been gifted to this somewhat obscure museum is because he was born in Albi and his mother felt it would be fitting for it to stay in Albi.
I personally had never heard of Lautrec before, but recognized several of his works. He is famous for painting horses and prostitutes, lithograph prints, and revolutionizing advertising with his posters (especially his commission for the Moulin Rouge). He died super early (36) but left behind thousands and thousands of art pieces. I really love his poster work--mostly because it influenced art nouveau, and that's my favorite style! We then left Albi to go to the countryside!
The drive was absolutely gorgeous!
We arrived at a Bed and Breakfast in a town so small that it doesn't even have a real name, it's just super close to the pilgrimage city Rocamadour.
We got massive rooms and there was a massive swimming pool and a lovely field of wild flowers!
After a little rest we went to Rocamadour to walk down a hill with little shrines and such, to a cave where a perfectly preserved hermit man had been found. Pilgrims traditionally climbed this hill on their knees...we didn't.
We then had dinner at a restaurant called L'Esplanade, ate some duck, goat cheese, and pate (pat-ay), and some ice cream that I can't remember the flavor of.
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