The grotto of Mary Magdalene

Today our initial plan was to head to the beaches of the camargue and go horse treking - however the wind was high and so we decided to head inland to a grotto which we had been advised was a must see.

 I had read a little about it - knew it was about 40 minutes drive away and then a steep 40 minute climb up to the grotto.  Without a navigational system we did very well finding the right spot as it was not that well signposted.  We stopped in a great little village for morning which was called Nanes-Les-Pins, it was gorgeous and we then headed toward St Maximim and the finally Sainte Baume and the grotto connected to Mary Magdalene we were wanting to see.

Us on our walk up through the forest - nice to be out of the sun on this 30 degree day 

When Mary Magdalene fled the Holy Land, legend says she took refuge in a cave there. This mountaintop cave is now a hidden monastery  called the Sanctuary of Mary Magdalene, at the top of a 90-minute hike through an ancient forest. On the edge of the forest is a modest restaurant and a hotel which is run by the Benedictine Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Montmarte. From the dirt parking area, you can see the forest, and above it, what almost looks like a Manitou cliff dwelling. It feels a million miles and a world away. When you begin your pilgrimage, there are two paths to choose, but all paths lead to the grotto.

This is where we are heading - yay -

  This scene is on the final climb to the grotto

The Dominican monks have been the guardians of this sanctuary since 1295. The path up to the top is a pilgrimage, as you find yourself surrounded by ancient trees and bowed, worn away stones that have been walked upon for centuries.  

Near the top, you reach a steep incline, and a sign to remind you that this is a silent place, difficult for our children, but they make it clear that visitors are welcome. After all, people have been making pilgrimages here since the 5th century. Kings, popes, saints, and ordinary people have all walked the "King's Path" to visit the cave. King Louis XI visited in 1447 and in 1456, praying to Mary Magdalene for a son. In 1470, Charles VIII was born.

At the entrance to the monastery you reach the cave by climbing 150 steps to an oak door flanked by twin pillars. As you pass through the door, the sound of water dripping into pools from the ceiling of the grotto is the only thing you hear. The only light comes from stained glass windows and prayer candles. The air is cold. The grotto is so huge that a full-scale chapel in honor of Mary Magdalene stands inside it. 

 A reliquary housing Mary Magdalene's bones rests in a niche on a lower level beneath her statue (just below).  

 As you go down the stairs to an empty crypt, you stand in a pool of water beneath an alabaster statue of Mary Magdalene in Rapture, lit by candles. Even it has its own history, as during the French Revolution the statue was hidden in the nearby town of Plan d'Aups to protect it from looting during the French Revolution.

 The views from the grotto -

Me at the grotto in case people didn't believe I made it 

 Karl made it too -

 The views on this drive are amazing - we just had to stop and do some photos

 The road down was just as amazing - check it out! And this is just a bit of it -

It was a nice walk and something different for our Saturday.  It was then time to cruise home and drop off our not so cute little rental car - a car that nobody wants next time - it was a Fiat Panda - great for parking, not so good for hills or passing! I told the boys that because they wine and moan about the cars I book, I am booking smaller and smaller - next time we have a Fiat 500!