Bruniquel

Bruniquel was yet another le plus beaux villages along the way to Toulouse, June 30th, and we stopped for a nosy.

Another really theft-proof picnic table; in the public parking area

In the little parish church

Walking up hill toward the chateau

Ever up hill

Castle walls...another chateau we'll save for another
time

Arrival of the field trip...4-5 year-olds, all wearing little crowns

Renovation at the chateau

Valley view

Hiking trails converging here

And back down hill

No hamlet too small not to have a book box

Cassell

Our next stop, June 30th, was Toulouse, where we had more Marriott free nights. We were in no hurry and were apt to stop at anything of interest. Not far out of Cahors, we had one of those "what was that?!" moments and turned around to investigate a curious structure just off the road.

A stone, circular, corballed structure...of which we've seen a few...
in France, Turkey, maybe Ireland...ranging in age from neolithic to
modern

Mind your head

The exquisite corballed vaulting; no mortar here, just stone on
stone on stone...rising angularly, 360 degrees, 12 feet or so

Well, it was part of the national park, constructed
in the 1850s, part of nearby farm, perhaps a shepherd's
hut

Still impressive; very impressive

And, no doubt, of interest and use to peregrins 
passing this way

Theft-proof picnic table

Cahors Cathedral

It's not one of the great ones, but it's certainly one of the more memorable ones: Romanesque, consecrated in 1135 or so (the memo about Gothic architecture had not been written yet); also Byzantine, with two nave domes; basilica shape, not cruciform; fortified west tower. And many funny faces, but mostly on just the north side, away from the cloister. We visited it, not for the first time, June 29th.

The cathedral is so hemmed in you can only see it from the air;
the fortified tower is to the left of the two nave domes; the chancel
has Gothic windows and integral buttresses

Tympanum on the north portal; jam statues are
all gone

Up closer [click to enlarge]: it's a mixed scene, mostly the 
Ascension (see the four happy angels on top to receive Jesus), a
Byzantine tympanic program derived from the abbey of Cluny; 
but in the smaller registers, there are scenes from the martyrdom
of Stephen, to whom the church is dedicated

Knave view; note the gallery on the left: sky boxes? accommodations
for peregrinos?

West dome...apostles and scenes of Stephen's martyrdom

East dome: "your message here," " this space available"

Very old-looking frescoes in the tower

The fortified main tower

Funny faces

And other figures

Nice capitals

And ever more funny faces on the north side

Including two possible Sheelas [click to enlarge]

If not a Sheela, then certainly not a very Christian
pose

Definitely on The Way

Gothic/Byzantine apse

And more funnies

Cathedral garden