MONT-DE-MASRAN – SAINT-SEVER
Then set the canvas against a tree
In a garden
In a grove
Or in a forest
Hide behind the tree
Without speaking
Or moving…
Jaques Prévert
When I left the town in the morning, the streets where filled with little booths. There was a market going on in town. People prepared their stands for selling fruit, vegetables, clothing, household goods, electronics……
The influence of Spain could be seen on posters and cars. People enjoy bullfights in this area. The rules had been changed for the fight, as the bull has to leave the arena still alive. Mont-de-Marsan is the capital of Les Landes with about 30,000 inhabitants. Despite the market activities, the town made a somehow sleepy impression.
After Mont-de-Marson, I left the big forest area and saw again the great, big sky. Meadows full of yellow flowers were scattered along my way.
In a little village, people had organized a community walk. A mother with her two daughters prepared some refreshments for the passing by hikers. They invited me to have a snack too.
Shortly before I arrived in Saint-Sever, I crossed the river Adour. It was nice to see water again.
The walk up to the plateau where Saint-Severe is located was a little ravine covered with deep green moss. It was beautiful to walk through. The town itself goes back to Gallo-Roman times and is full of history.
The refuge was in a former Jacobine monastery (a religious order founded in Paris in the beginning of the 13th century). Here I met the hospitaliér Philippe. He gave me a tour of the town and explained the historical significance of the buildings. Unfortunately, his English sounded more like French and I could not understand him very well. In the museum of the Couvent des Jakobines, I saw a copy of a world map from the 11th century Beatus manuscript. It was fascinating to see how medieval people saw the world at their time.
