Sion Sightseeing 7/5/24

 I took a bus back to Sion to try and find my camera.  I am pretty sure I left it in a Co-Op, a type of grocery/bakery common in Europe.  I was paying for a sandwich and trying to find Swiss Francs mixed with my Euros. I sat my camera down while I picked through them, and I was hurrying because people were behind me. And, of course, I was beyond exhausted. Well, no luck on the camera. Boohoo,  but I spent the next several hours wandering around Sion, a lovely city.

This is the Cathedral of Notre Dame du Glarier, a Romanesque crypt church dating back to the 11th century. Due to wars and fire, it was partially destroyed, then rebuilt in the 16th century in Gothic style.

The main altar..

Next, I went into the Church of St. Théodule, a flamboyant German Gothic-style building almost attached to the Cathedral. I copied this information from the Region du Midi website because I found the story interesting.

"A very long time ago, Theodule was the first bishop of Sion. One night he dreamed that the Pope was in danger. He woke with a start to hear wicked laughter coming from just outside his window. Leaning over the windowsill, he could just make out three devils dancing in the moonlight. A courageous man as well as holy, he called out to the devils and asked which one of them was the fastest. The first devil said he was as fast as the wind; the second devil replied replies that he was as fast as a cannonball; the third said that he could traverse the universe as fast as a woman’s thoughts. Hearing this, Saint Theodule then promised the last devil his soul, if he would take him to Rome and back to before dawn. The devil eagerly agreed to the bargain, placing a black cockerel on the ramparts of the city of Sion. In turn, Saint Theodule placed a white cockerel on the roof of his castle, begging him not to fall asleep. In an instant, the devil whisks the bishop away to Rome, where he can warn the Pope of the danger that threatened him. In grateful recognition, the Pope gives the bishop an enormous bell for his diocese. The devil must now carry Theodule and his bell back to Sion. With great difficulty, he manages to cross the mountain pass that we know today as the Theodule Pass, finally reaching the town square in Sion just before dawn. According to the bargain he made with the bishop, he (the Devil) must still climb the steep hill to reach the castle, but it is too late. High on his perch atop the castle, the Episcopal cockerel spies the rising sun and crows, waking the devil’s sleeping black cockerel, who begins to crow at the top of his lungs as well. The bet is lost and the devil is furious."

St.Théodule and St. Maurice (believed to be a historical figure) are depicted somewhere in the these windows. St. Maurice is alleged to have been a Roman soldier from Thebes, Egypt, who converted to Christianity. St Maurice commanded a legion of fellow Christians. He and his men refused to take part in massacres or to worship the Roman deities.  Naturally, this brought them into conflict with Emperor Maximian, and eventually, Maximian had some or all of them executed.

I have never seen windows like these in a church. I loved them!  Unfortunately, I could not find any more information on the stories depicted in the beautiful windows.

Another pretty painted building.

Now, here is a combination that I have never seen.

Finally, some gelato.  UMMMMMMMM

The little sign says, "The Pyramides d'Euseigne."

The earth pyramids of Euseigne are one of Switzerland's most important geological sights and are protected monuments.

From the My Switzerland Website: "The fascinating earth formations at the entrance to the small Valaisian village of Euseigne cannot be overlooked: the valley's main road leads directly through them. The earth cones are 10 to 15 meters (approximately 33 to 50 feet) high and are protected by a rock lodged on the top. The cones were created in the end phase of the last Ice Age, about 80,000 to 10,000 years ago.

When the ice retreated, glacier tongues left enormous piles of debris behind, which contained boulders. Rain and meltwater gradually freed these boulders. While the water continued to erode and carve out the area surrounding the boulders, these rocks served as protective caps for the soil underneath them, enabling the formation of the well-known natural monuments."

There is such beautiful scenery that I cannot begin to show in a photograph. I am hampered by the loss of my camera, plus I am taking these photos from a moving bus.

The menu

My amuse bouche (translated it means it amuses the mouth) was cake-like and reminded me of cornbread dressing. It had a touch of sage.

The appetizer, known as the entre in French, was a bruschetta with tomatoes and vegetables accompanied by the salad with the pickled veggies.  I ate half of it knowing that I still had more coming.  I needed Dennis to help me finish it.

Fondue!  My only disappointment was that they had tomato fondue, which is what I thought I ordered, but I got the classic.  I accepted it because it was delicious.

Apricots are very popular here. I had a medley of cakes and sweets, but my favorite was the apricot sorbet. It was creamy, rich, and heavenly.

Although I didn't find my camera, it was still a terrific day. 

God bless you all!