13 oct

23 churches visited, 214 to go. I repeat 23 churches. This was a sunday, you know. I am not even counting the church in St. Point that Julie and I revisited this morning and also not the church in Bonnay that promised to be Romanesq, but turned out to be Neo-neo-neo-Romanesq, and horrible as well.
I must have had this crazy look in my eyes when I asked Julie if she wanted to go and visit some churches with me. “I think I’ll pass today”, she said. This meant freedom. I got the map ready, TomTom fired on and off I went.
23 churches, 220 photographs, six hours travelling, a quarter of a tank of gas, God knows how many miles. This was a manic day. ON my way back I asked myself if I could name and remember the outsides or insides of how many churches. I came to four, including the last three. With the last ten churches I had forgotten how I had gotten there. I mean, this was a little manic. But then all this time I stayed within 10 kilometres (6,5 miles) of Cluny. Most of these churches were just in the next village.
There was a thrill every time I saw this nice steeple, these lovely rounded windows, the excellent masonry, the ancient doors. These people are blessed, I thought, with having such a beautiful example of classic architecture within reach.
This made me think farther. Most of these villages here are practically perfect. There might be a slight difference between communities that have south facing hills – meaning wine – and those that don’t. The first ones, as Julie noticed, have all their pointing (cement between bricks) up to perfection. In the northern hill communities this might be slacking, but that has its own charm.
The buildings are well built, with ancient methods it seems. The yards of builders are full with old beams, those lovely rounded tiles and the kind of flagstone that also Frank Lloyd Wright built his Prairie Buildings with. It is all human scale, and very attractive.
I was thinking: maybe it is the great example of these Romanesq churches, without doubt the oldest and most prominent buildings in the village, that inspired all this harmonious building. I have to say that I look at the churches more from an architectural or ‘pleasing to the eye’ point of view, than these being temples of devotion.
My theory, about the harmful effect of superior architecture, is not perfect. Most of these beautiful churches have an interior that is either laughable or makes one eat its heart out. One problem: heating (we know about that one). In some of these almost 1000 year old churches they have just put in the latest model heater that was for sale at Mr. Bricolage.

I mean this is the country that tried to block McDonald’s out of opening stores (unsuccessful).
But that is not all. Some of the stained glass is cartoonish, some of the sculptures are plaster with the cheapest paint. There were stations of the cross that might cause nightmares, especially for the reds and blues and yellows used.

But then. There were a few Pastors of Ars , fast becoming my favourite saint – sorry Francis, sorry Bernard, sorry Anthony – there were quite a few excellent stained glass windows, there was a very tempting Stations of the Cross (14 Shades of Grey), but in general the churches were better if they were left alone or just decently renovated. Why improve on perfect, right.
Well, these were my thoughts. To me it seems like I got a little closer to understanding what I want to accomplish with this trip. But then, it’s early days, and I still do not really see a connection between the Christian renaissance of the twelfth century and the necessary revolution of capitalkism these days. I just think I have to wander around a little more.