MORE ON BEZIERS

CHURCHES

The Cathedral of Saint Nazaire Originally a fortress church which was destroyed during the Albigensian Crusade of the early 13th century, it was rebuilt in the Gothic style in the 14th thru 15th centuries. This massive building is flanked by an episcopal palace and a cloister, but neither is in use today, only the church. As one approaches Beziers from the south, one can marvel at the view of the Cathedral towering over the old town and the Orb river valley. Check out some shots of St. Nazaire: HILLTOP - FRONT - SIDE - BELLTOWER CLOISTER 1 - CLOISTER 2 - CLOISTER 3 - CLOISTER 4 CATHEDRAL UNDER THE SNOW

The Church of Saint Jacques Built along the Via Domitia, as a stop for pilgrims on the way to Saint James of Compostela, the Church of Saint Jacques is the oldest extant church in Beziers and the the area. It dates back to 9th-10th cent. and is one of the last, standing and operational Carolingian church in France.

The Church of La Madeleine Named after the Apostle to the Apostles, Mary of Magdala, the Church of La Madeleine stands as a witness to the bloddy history of Beziers, as the arena for the great massacre of 1209. Totally restored to its original and stark beauty in the 1980's, the Church is now again a center of worship and a major attraction for cultural tourists.

The Church of Saint Aphrodise Another bulky, pre-medieval church, this church was built over the Christian cemitery which was used as such in Roman times, and not far from the place where Saint Aphrodise, local saint and martyr who was beheaded, accomplished his first miracle. FRONT VIEW - BACK VIEW (FROM OUR HALLWAY) BEHEADED SAINT APHRODISE HOLDING HIS HEAD

The Chapel of The Penitents A smaller Gothic structure, the Chapelle des Pénitents Bleus stood as an entrance gate into the medieval walled city. Inside, one can still see the wall paintings and "trompe l'oeil" murals. The chapel is flanked by an elegant mid-16th century belltower.

AROUND TOWN

Roof Tops On a clear and sunny day, one must undertake the great climb of the Cathedral belltower (way too many steps to remember but it's pretty high!), to get the most superb view of the town and its surroundings. Pictures don't do justice to the beauty of the sight. Truly it's ... breathtaking: to the South, you can see the Pyrennees mountains and, on a clear springday, the highest peak called Canigou; to the Northwest, you can see the Cevennes mountains; and to the Southeast, you can catch a glimpse of the Mediterranean Sea. ROOF TOP (VIEW OF LA MADELEINE AND ST. APHRODISE) ROOF TOP (VIEW OF THE MODERN ARENA)

Les Allees Paul Riquet Situated at the heart of Beziers, Les Allees is a long, tree-lined promenade dedicated to Pierre Paul Riquet, builder of the famed Canal Du Midi, which spans from the Theater to the beautiful Plateau Des Poetes, a botanical garden housing many statues and sculptures by Injalbet.

A Historical Town Like most European towns, Beziers reveals a great variety of architectural styles, from Roman monuments standing proud at street corners to hidden Renaissance private hotels to grandiose 18th and 19th cent. buildings like the City Hall to forgotten early 20th cent. shops.

Looking up! Although a very difficult task considering the plethora of dog crap every you walk, it behooves one to occasionally look up and check out the unusually carvings that can be found on religious as well as secular buildings. Capital carvings abound in the Cathedral and the cloister but some of the most fantastic ones are those found on medieval buildings, such as the heads along the "Rue du Chapeau Rouge".

CULTURE

Tradition! Tradition! Tradition! Every so often on weekends, as we stroll through the quite narrow streets, we meet hords of traditional dance groups, all decked out in their bright floral and peasant-like outfits. We never really know what's going on ... but it's fun to watch! TRADITIONAL DANCE CONTEST (IN FRONT OF THE THEATER) TRADITIONAL DANCERS (FANCY GETUP, EH?)

Festival of Saint Aphrodise This is THE cultural event of the town, the celebration of the festival of local saint and martyr and first bishop of Beziers, Saint Aphrodise. During this 3 day event, ending on the feast-day of the saint on April 28, traditional dance groups parade thru the town behind Beziers' totem animal Lou Camel and his driver Papari (no apparent relation to Joe Camel, although ...). Local lore relates that the camel was originally Saint Aphrodise's camel, which he brought with him from North Africa. At his master's death (through decapitation), the poor camel aimlessly wandered the streets of Beziers until it was taken in by some locals who later realized, after the saint first miracle, that perhaps they had made a big mistake in beheading Aphrodise and thus tried to redeem themselves by caring for the beast! The festival isn't complete with the very pagan and as traditional May Pole dance and plenty of tasty and free! Muscat wine and sweet rolls called Coques. PARADE 1 - PARADE 2 - PARADE 3 (IN FRONT OF OUR PLACE!)

The FERIA The FERIA is the quintessential reason people come to Béziers in the middle of August. It falls under both culture and sheer entertainment. Primarily, the FERIA is a bull-fighting event, where afficionados gather from neighborhing regions, and as far as Spain or Portugal, to watch bullfights and horse shows. Ferias occur in many other Southern towns such as Nimes and Arles. Here are some shots of one of the corridas of the Feria 2003, the only bullfight we've seen so far. We also went to a Spanish-style horse show. What is more, this year’s poster was again designed by the famous Couturier Christian Lacroix (yes, darlings, THE Lacroix!)! Entertainment-wise, the FERIA is a big fat drinkin’n’eatin’ fest. During 5 days and 5 nights, thousands and thousands of people take over downtown to sit around the many outdoors food booths to savor some bull stew, to listen to traditional bands, to watch some live dance shows or simply to hang out with friends . The bulk of the big fat drinkin’n’eatin’ fest takes place around the hundred of Bodegas, places where one can grab some greasy Spanish food and a cold drink! Here’s us after a couple bodegas and here’s how things look after too many bodegas! And you know you’ve had too much to drink, when you start taking pictures like this one and think it’s cool! The whole deal is topped off with a street parade. Here are some shots : the ubiquitous Lou Camel, traditional dancers, exotic dancers, weird animals, monsters, strange creatures and long-legged mummies playing with fire. Much fun was had by all!

alineandross@hotmail.com

CALDWELL-LAND NEWS PARIS THE SOUTH SPAIN FACES