Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: 7

Saint-Vivien was erected within the 12th century and got fortified like a castle during the 100 Years´ War. At that time the walls of the nave got enlarged - and towers were added.

Saint-Pierre was erected on an ancient Gallo-Roman site from the 11th century on. During the Hundred Years War and the Wars of Religions the church got strongly fortified. During the fortification, an additional storey, with a crenellated guard walk, was added to the chevet. The plan of the chevet was originally a rarely seen "cloverleaf" form. - I have spent months in the area over the years and have uploaded hundreds of photos (album "Poitou-Charentes / South"), so now, I will add only a few "new ones".

Saint-Pierre was erected on an ancient Gallo-Roman site from the 11th century on. During the Hundred Years War and the Wars of Religions the church got strongly fortified. During the fortification, an additional storey, with a crenellated guard walk, was added to the chevet. The plan of the chevet was originally a rarely seen "cloverleaf" form. Here are griffons. - I have spent months in the area over the years and have uploaded hundreds of photos (album "Poitou-Charentes / South"), so now, I will add only a few "new ones".

It had started to rain, when we reached Pons The restaurant of the "Hôtel de Bordeaux", run by Cornelia Mueller, is one of the best in the region and we really looked forward to have lunch there, BUT - we had no reservation and due to the rain the terrace was closed. So we had no lunch here. To the left is Pons´ market hall. www.hotel-de-bordeaux.com

I had been in Petit Niort in 2016 when I hiked the Via Turonenis. At that time the church was under reconstruction and completely locked. Now I could see the walls and found more carved graffiti.

Petit Niort is meanwhile part of Mirambeau. Saint Martin is under reconstruction and was completely locked, but I found some interesting graffiti outside. Here is one of them. A long toed shoe. These shoes (often dubbed "Crakows" after Krakow, capital of Poland from 1038 to 1569) were very popular within the nobility during the 13th/14th century. Walking pilgrims did for sure not use them..

Petit Niort is meanwhile part of Mirambeau. Saint Martin is under reconstruction and was completely locked.

To walk along the main road is no fun at all...

In the early moring I had passed the forgotten Abbaye de la Tenaille in , where about a year ago, I had climbed over the gate.... I just did not have the time to do that again and continued south along empty fields, decorated with straw bales.

Wrong Way! See the red/white diagonal cross (like an X) on the pole. But of course I had to look into the collapsed barn.

South of Pons are some large vineyards, while in the north mainly corn was grown..

Inside the "hôpital des pèlerins" are some scenes created, that show, how it may have been looked 800 years ago. Everything seems very clean, tidy and proper. Maybe in medieval times were a little different here...

The "hôpital des pèlerins" hosted a very interesting exhibition centered around graffiti, carved into the walls by pilgrims on their way to Santiago. The many graffiti were collected (and made visible) by GRAHT. On GRAHT´s website are some interesting articles (in French). www.graht.fr/map.php

As I waited for the friendly person to unlock and open the "hôpital", I had time to walk around and see the many graffiti, scratched in by pilgrims centuries ago. I had been here before, but there are so many.. On the walls of the neighbouring building, that once belonged to the "hôpital", are - ships!

As I waited for the friendly person to unlock and open the "hôpital", I had time to walk around and see the many graffiti, scratched in by pilgrims centuries ago. I had been here before, but there are so many.. Here is a large a fish (pike?) and (right) triangels and a hatchet, used by carpenters.

I found this message nailed to the door of the "hôpital"... So from Paris to Pons I had walked 491 kms, what is not really much, as I had started in Paris in 2014. Getting older - I lost a lot of sportive ambition over the last decade and now move very slow... When I read, that there was a exhibition on "medieval graffiti", I decided to stay and phone around. After a while I could see the exhibition - though "normally" it was only open in the afternoons. Merci beaucoup!

The road leading up to the hôpital des pèlerins was decorated with pennants. The "Pilgrim´s Hospital" is the building in the back (arch). The arch is covered with old (horseshoe) graffiti. I took many fotos there during previous visits.

Passing Saint-Vivien in the early morning, heading to the old "hôpital des pèlerins", just a few hundred meters away. Before that the "tampon" had been stamped into my "credential".