29.12 Day 104 . . . Pau

Not exactly up and at it - but we weren’t too late riding and having breakfast, which consisted of a pastry Tre had picked up yesterday evening. We don’t know what
It is called or what it actually is, but it was bloody tasty!!
We’d researched an open air parking area in the town centre and after plumbing it into the sat nav, we found ourselves parked up in it about ten minutes later.
Tre had wanted to see the large church we had spotted when driving through yesterday, so we headed straight for it - Église Saint-Jacques.
The Saint-Jacques church occupies the site of an old chapel, of the same name, built in 1651 by the order of the Cordeliers. Pilgrims going to Santiago de Compostela were thus welcomed within the latter.
In the 19th century, the city was organized around two parishes. The primitive churches of Saint-Martin and Saint-Jacques are nevertheless too small to accommodate a growing number of faithful. The city of Pau therefore chose to build a new church in the immediate vicinity of the Boulevard du Midi, now the Boulevard des Pyrénées, and palaces welcoming wealthy tourists from all over Europe.
From then on considered as the project of tourists, a popular subscription was launched in 1860 to build the real church of the Palois in place of the aging chapel of Saint-Jacques. Building on the success of the subscription, work on the church could be launched in July 1861 under the direction of the architect Émile Loupot. The work was finally completed in 1868, three years before the inauguration of the Saint-Martin church.
There are in excess of 50 stained glass windows within the church most having now been renovated or replaced.
On leaving Tre decided to kick over the only drink belonging to a homeless guys sitting on the church steps. A brief exchange in French (Tre not me) and all was sorted 😂
From the church we walked the streets, checking out the many shop windows and buildings.
Lunch was now order of the day as we have a habit of missing this important time of the day. Realising it was not long before 1pm we feared we had lost our chance once again. So it began - numerous restaurants already full to the brim with people already halfway through their meals.
We finally found our way down to the Bd des Pyrénées, where not only did we find stunning views of the mountains but also a little place called Beanz Café, which although sounds like a UK big breakfast stop was in fact a really good little restaurant find. We did have to wait about 10 minutes before being given a table, but once it we found it was worth the wait. The place had a lovely feel to it, lots of chatter amongst guests and waiters/waitresses flitting around constantly. Tre had gravlax whilst I had satay chicken with rice.
As always despite the speed of the staff the food took a while to arrive which was fine, there was no rush. We spent best part of two hits in the restaurant, in the main watching the world go by and admiring the views of the mountains.
We finally departed the restaurant and walked along the boulevard looking at the views of the mountains and surrounding scenery to the west of us. There didn’t appear to be too much snow up in those mountains, but there did appear to be some dark clouds looming - possibly rain, possibly snow, possibly windy!!
As we walked west on the boulevard we found ourselves upon yet another very grand church with a memorial standing separate to it between the boulevard and the church - Monument Aux Morts De Pau.
The monument was created from 1924 to 1927 by the architect Henry Challe and the sculptor Georges Vérez. It represents victorious France symbolized by Athena helmeted and armed. This statue is placed on an imposing pedestal, preceded by a step. A bas-relief representing a widow and her son is located at the back of the building. On each side, cubic piles bear the names of the battles in which the 18th regiment based in Pau took part. To the rear are white tablets with the names of the fallen. It is always so sad to see two or three names the same . . . brothers, or father’s and son’s.
From the monument we entered the church from a very non descriptive side door. On entering we were treated to a stunning find. If in Pau The Église Saint Martin in Rue Henri IV is well worth a visit. I am not educated enough to describe the interior, other than to say the golden dome seated on a four columned centre piece was beautiful - as were the stained glass windows and paintings. It is a must see!!
The first Saint-Martin church was built between 1468 and 1472 on a site opposite the Château de Pau
The order to enlarge the small original chapel was thus taken by Gaston IV of Foix-Béarn. It was the seat of the only parish of Pau until 1803. Under the influence of the Albret family, the church became a Protestant temple between 1563 and 1620.
Too cramped for the population of Pau, the Saint-Martin church was replaced in 1871 by a new sanctuary placed a little further east.
It was therefore decided to destroy the old church in 1885. The church tower was partly destroyed in 1794, then rebuilt in wood in 1805 before being completely rebuilt during the construction of the new Saint-Martin church.
This bell tower still exists in this form, it is now considered the tower of the Parliament of Navarre.
The new sanctuary - The choice of location has been the subject of fifteen years of debate. The principle of construction was decided in 1851, but the final location was not chosen until 1860 in place of the former Hôtel de Gontaut-Biron.
The first stone was laid in 1863 and work finally began in 1864.
The church was inaugurated on December 21, 1871 following work guided by the architect Émile Boeswillwald. Work is still necessary to completely complete the church in the last years of the 19th century.
It is home to the Paroisse du Christ Sauveur Pau.
After some time we departed the church and walked the streets of Pau and the many shops. Most again are indépendants and so have gifts not seen anywhere else, which is a treat.
Finally we decided it was time to head back to the hotel. As we walked north towards the car park a sudden wind hit us to the extent we could hardly walk forwards. Street signage and bill boards together with other non secured items flew about the streets. After about three to four minutes it was gone - as if it had never been. Obviously this had descended from the mountains and I thought back to the dark clouds from earlier.
We made a brief stop at the Intermarché - Tre dashed in while I circumnavigated the car park numerous times looking for a parking space.
Once Tre has escaped the shop we drove the short journey home to the hotel - with the newly acquired bars of chocolate 😎
The evening passed with us destroying the chocolate and a few bits we had left from the night before, settled in front of Netflix, both knackered.
That was our little visit to Pau - tomorrow we leave on route to Craig and Kate’s.
Another little drive through the countryside to come.Weiterlesen