A solitary figure, a monk with book in hands, sits in silent reflection at the the church built in the cave we know as the Grotte de Sainte-Marie-Madeleine. It's probably a prayer book and the location is high above the village of Plan d'Aups, on the border of the Var and Bouches-du-Rhône départements of southern France.
Maybe he was just tired. I was, after the challenging 2km ascent of an uneven, sometimes unmade path. "The route is up, up, up, but you can reach it in your own pace," someone from Finland wrote on TripAdvisor, adding (correctly): "It is definitely worth it."
This is the spot that many believe was the final resting place of Mary Magdalene. Some references remove or simply ignore any lingering doubt and a useful start, should you wish to learn more, would be the Steve and Carole in Vence blog, where you will also find better photographs than anything reproduced here.
We were just grateful the 100km rule had been relaxed as part of France's déconfinement, the easing of lockdown. No need to check the distance from home to avoid being fined on the spot. (Meanwhile in the UK, the sick man of Europe, idiotic quarantine measures prevent most inward and outbound travel and inflict further damage on the travel industry).
Steve (see the above link) describes it as "a nice little hike" and I am sure my friend Jon Ryan would regard it as another interesting way of gazing at the distant Mont Ste-Victoire on his morning run when in France. Like Steve at the cave, Cézanne has captured views of the mountain rather better than I managed.
I would recommend the visit - despite the climb and also the delicate descent - and also the magnificent surrounding countryside.
And there's always the work of Paul Cézanne to help you appreciate Mont Ste-Victoire in more of its glory ...
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