At 6:30 AM, I leave my small B&B, run by a young woman. She was extremely helpful. I had arrived on a Sunday evening, and all the nearby shops were completely closed. I still had some cheese and bread, and she gave me some milk for my coffee and jam for my bread: everything was perfect. As soon as I get on the bike, I realize that I have no internet. I stop, restart my phone, but nothing works. After trying five times, I think I can find the way without it, heading over Vallon-Pont-d’Arc and Barjac to the Orthodox women’s abbey of Solan.
So, I head straight to the St. Laurent Church in Aubenas, which sits on top of a large rock. Through old and deserted streets, I try to find the church. It’s a neo-Romanesque building from the 19th century, known for its choir that is completely adorned with wood carvings.
My B&B in Aubenas; the deserted streets and the St Laurent church in Aubenas
The church is, of course, still closed because it’s only 7 AM, yet suddenly the church door opens. An older man (like me) swings the two doors wide open and walks down the steps. I approach and ask if I can already go inside. Olivier is a sort of sacristan who opens and closes the church every day and lives nearby. I slip inside and take my time. He also explains to me that I just need to ride down the hill towards Alès. After that, I cycle out of the city in the direction indicated.
Aubenas: Olivier the sacristan; the wood carvings of the choir of the St Laurent church. Rafaela
I do call Magda to let her know that I have no internet, and she helps me wonderfully with a long SMS message with my route: a treasure in every sense of the word, that’s my wife Magda. Although, she can sometimes be overly concerned about my hip.
This way, I reach Vallon-Pont-d’Arc and continue cycling to Barjac. On the way, I briefly ask for directions from a lady, Rafaela, who tells me that she would love to do what I’m doing: riding alone to Santiago, but she fears that it’s not feasible for a woman. She is the first person to confirm that the Monastère de Solan exists. All the others I asked earlier had never heard of it. She has been there and tells me that the Orthodox sisters make very good wine.
Barjac
With renewed courage, I continue. In Barjac, I ride up the hill and visit the beautiful town with its church, where a wedding is just taking place. Again, beautiful old streets and buildings in a stunning natural setting. A picture-perfect scene.
From Barjac, I now ride through a landscape that becomes increasingly Provençal. Gentle hills, more and more vineyards, practically no livestock, lots of reeds in the ditches, the incredible singing of cicadas in the trees and bushes, a steel-blue sky, and warmth. I cycle past the rather touristy Goudargues and thus reach the small village of Cavillarges, where I end up 5 km from the remote abbey.
Goudargues and surroundings
The monastery of the Orthodox sisters was only built in the 1980s by an order of Greek Orthodox monks. It was intended for men, but no men were interested in coming to live and work there. Several sisters did come forward, and so it became a women’s monastery. Twenty brave women of all ages and various nationalities, including even an Estonian sister. They are dressed entirely in black (in this heat!!) and have made this monastery a real ‘haven.’
In the guest rooms are a number of students taking a break there. There are also a few adult guests, including some from Belgium. They come to celebrate the Orthodox services on August 15, around the Assumption, which for the Orthodox is the Dormition of the Virgin Mary.
Arrival at the monstery of Solan. My vegan dinner and my bathroom
The sister responsible for the guests, greets me very kindly and immediately gives me cool water and a nice little room. In a small dining room for the guests nearby, I can find bread, honey or jam, and water. I settle in and take a shower. The region is experiencing a severe drought, and the sister asks me to be careful with water. In all the sinks, in the shower, and in the kitchen’s washbasin, there are plastic basins to collect the wastewater. After a pleasant rest period, I go to vespers at 5 PM, which is the evening prayer that lasts particularly long (90 minutes) with the Orthodox nuns or monks. There are children and young people in the small church, and I don’t know where they come from. During the service, it’s perfectly fine to walk around or step outside for a moment. There is beautiful singing, and also a lot of prayers, recited very quickly. The icons are also regularly kissed reverently, and they are generous with the incense.
The church of Solan. The iconostasis and the ceiling of the small church.
I’m not allowed to take photos of the sisters but I can take a few of the inside of the church. After the service, a 55-year-old man from Le Mans, Liberien, looks after me during the silent dinner with the men, including a younger and an older priest or Orthodox monk. The men have to eat separately. The community lives purely vegan: only vegetables, fruits, nuts, and products from nature. No eggs, no milk, definitely no meat or fish, but everything is very tasty. Even though they make wine, they only drink water. Besides wine, they also make jam, fruit pastes, and similar products. After dinner, the guests chat outside for a bit, and I’m ‘the talk of the day’: an older man who comes to such a remote place on a bike in the heat… Why would you do something like that? For our Rientje, of course, and for our Rinus Pini fund.
At 8 PM, I go to my room and fall asleep immediately after my daily chat with Magda.met Magda.
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