Saturday, September 10, 2022.
My mind could not help but turn to Peter Mayle’s ”A Year in Provence” as I approached the central market in Notre Dame market square in central Poitiers on this Saturday market day. The tables were set up with all manner of fresh fruits, vegetables, baked goods, flowers and seafood. People of every size, shape, age and background were moving in and out of the stalls buying for their meals tonight and this weekend. We bought fresh grapes, figs, quiche and raisin croissant. Later we stopped at a patisserie on the square as we drank strong coffee and ate a gorgeous fruit pastry.
We walked down to the St Peter’s Cathedral established by Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Alice lit a candle for her brother. She’s finding it meaningful to bring her brother’s memory to every church, and there are a lot of churches here. The church was most fascinating for the rediscovered murals painted on the walls and ceilings that had been whitewashed in earlier years. Afterwards, we walked down to the St John’s baptistery, the oldest christian building in France. Here, or near here, a baptistery was first build in 372 AD, which shows the urgent need to places to baptize adults as the area was being Christianized in the 4th century. Most fascinating was that fresh water flowed into pools where converts were baptized by immersion.
Afterwards we wandered around the market and pedestrian areas before returning to our third story apartment.
