A soft billowy CLOUD above, glimpsed when there were breaks in the trees overhead, only added to the sense of magic. Legend has it that La Sainte Baume was home to Mary Magdalene for 33 years. And though she was the LEAST likely person to have flights of fancy, Jean felt a touch of the mystery, the otherworldliness of this forest. Indeed, what had started as a dutiful AMBLE through a recommended nature spot was quickly becoming something that felt more like a pilgrimage. The trees and boulders around her felt ancient, primeval, sacred. Jean wasn’t sure if she should be on the lookout for Druids, couples performing fertility rituals, or a monk out gathering herbs. Coming near the end of her walk, she stepped out into the blazing sun, blinded briefly by the blue sky and the startlingly white cliffs. It wouldn’t have surprised her in the least to have been greeted by an ANGEL, after all this was the exact spot where Mary Magdalene was said to have ascended into heaven.

Georg’ann