The Earle Revolver House

This distinctive house is near the Roman Bridge in Ascain, in the Pyrenees. We stumbled across it when we were on holiday in 2019, staying in Saint Jean de Luz. At the time we could find out very little about it. What we did know came from the official listed monuments site, which longtime reader Carolyn pointed us to.

So this is all we knew: Film set designer Ferdinand Pinney Earle (born in New York in 1878, died in 1951 in Hollywood) became famous in Hollywood in the years 1910 to 1920. In 1930, he moved to Ascain and built a house whose appearance is reminiscent of the adobe houses built around Santa Fe around 1920. The floor plan in the shape of a revolver is a particular feature. The elevations and decoration incorporate many elements of the pueblo style.  Many show business and arts personalities were guests of Earle there. 

 

Then a few days ago we got a lovely email from one of the Earles' grand daughters, and she was able to tell us a bit more and shared some fun family anecdotes.

She said: "My mother was born there in 1934. She told stories about riding a tricycle through the inside from one end to the other. She also said that they hid a dog from her father for many weeks because the home was so large. Her father was often in his studio painting. He was trained by Whistler." 

 

This prompted me to go looking for any more information I could find on the internet, and nowadays there are a couple of websites and blogs in French with more detail, which I've included below.

 

Due to its atypical architecture the house is known locally in French as la Maison des fous (or La Maison du fou), and in Basque as Eroen etxea. Both names mean 'the Mad House' (or the madman's house). The adobe style of the building, with its minaret like towers, is also influenced by cinema sets, and Gaudi's constructions in Barcelona.

The place is massive, and the revolver floor plan is apparently the result of a bet with the architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The Earles' guestlist included Marlene Dietrich, Charlie Chaplin, Abel Gance, Louis Jouvet, Mistinguett, Josephine Baker, Maurice Ravel, Leon Baykt and Le Corbusier.

 

The local press loved having a Hollywood celebrity on their doorstep and made sure they pointed out to their readers that Ferdinand Earle was living amongst them whenever a film he was involved in was showing at the cinemas.

In 1940, fearful of the advancing Germans, the Earle family packed up and returned to the United States. The story goes that Ferdinand launched his car into the river before they left, and it can still be found there today.

The house is privately owned.

The Environment Police

A big part of the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB) responsibilities is policing the environment. Their officers are part of the decentralised State administrative and judiciary system (which is to say, they are not a branch of the military like the gendarmes are, and they are appointed by the prefectures). As such they have police powers to step in to manage issues of disruption of public order, taking either preventative or ongoing action. Their areas of responsibilities can be quite broad, taking into account environment laws and the penal code, but also laws specific to forests, rural areas and marine fishing.

Their roles include checking that the detention and health of wild animals; the development of natural areas; and water quality, all meet the requirements of the law. They may work in a marine or aquatic environment, in natural areas (where they are concerned with nature protection, and the circulation of motor vehicles), protecting wildlife and geology, hunting, fishing, education and outreach, and infractions involving littering and fly tipping. So they might be booking someone riding a quadbike on a dirt track where motorised vehicles are banned, or they might be investigating the dumping of tyres in a ditch, or they might be checking the health of circus animals. According to a friend who has had cause to call them a couple of times they will arrive to investigate situations as diverse as your dog being poisoned to a farmer burning used plastic 'mulch' on a melon farm.

 

Environment Police in the Pyrénées National Park, photographed by me in 2023.

They work closely with the gendarmes in rural areas, and with customs officers in relation to the international trade in wild animals.

There are 3000 environment police in France and every year they conduct 20 000 checks to ensure individual or businesses are complying with the law. This work makes up two thirds of their activities. Most of these checks (31%) are conducted on hunters. Checks on the preservation of aquatic habitats are 16% of their work, and checks on water quality are another 16%. 

Of those checks, 44% were on private individuals, 19% on farmers, 10% on organisations, 11% on businesses and 6% on property owners. Many of the checks (40.5%) are regular and scheduled, 22.3% are unannounced and 34.4% are in response to a complaint. Those found to be in contravention of the law will be issued with a warning or a fine (3600 in 2021). The environment police may also conduct a judicial enquiry (5900 in 2021).

In the field the officers may be expected to intervene in potentially confrontational or even violent situations. To protect themselves they wear uniforms with distinctive logos and clearly identifiable branding. They also carry handcuffs, telescopic batons and pistols, which can be used only in self-defense. They receive firearms training when they are recruited, and undergo frequent training on behaviours to adopt when dealing with the public.

The fact that they are armed is somewhat controversial, and has been a target of criticism by farmers unions, who feel it is inappropriate and unnecessarily threatening for officers to turn up armed when they visit farms. I've also been told of a case where an officer turned up at a conservation association meeting wearing his side arm (we assume because he couldn't leave it in his car, but my source commented that it seemed inappropriate).

France, Queen of the Roundabouts

One of the things some visitors to France comment on is just how many trafffic roundabouts there are in France. And they are not wrong. The statistics bear this out and show that France is a world leader in roundabouts. 

 This roundabout, in the industrial boondocks of Amboise, has an abandoned helipad in the centre.

According to the painstakingly calculated figures on the blog 'Beyond the Maps', the most roundabouts per population are to be found in mainly western France (Vendée, Loire-Atlantique, Landes, Mayenne) plus Pyrénées-Orientales in the south. The fewest roundabouts per population are around Paris and in the north east. We in Indre et Loire appear to sit in the middle. 

 A plane on a stick. To be precise, a Dassault Mirage IIIB two seater training jet previously of the French Air Force, now a roundabout decoration in Saint-Amand-Montrond

In terms of actual numbers of roundabouts there is a roughly east-west divide in the country, with the west being generally much more heavily endowed with roundabouts than the east. Toulouse takes the prize as the municipality with the most roundabouts (499 at last count). Virtually everywhere roundabout numbers are going up.

 

 A roundabout in the middle of le Blanc, a town about half an hour to the south of us.

 

France is the European record holder for roundabout density, easily outstripping neighbouring countries. The most famous roundabout in the country is of course the horror known as the Etoile, a six lane roundabout in central Paris, surrounding the Arc de Triomphe.

 

Arc de Triomphe and the Etoile.

This post is dedicated to entomologist Simon Leather, who loved aphids and France, but sadly died while being treated for colon cancer a few years ago. His blog is called 'Don't Forget the Roundabouts'.

Col d'Aubisque

This is the road at Col d'Aubisque in the Pyrénées. We were there last year, and also in 2022. In 2022 we sat on the terrace of Les Crêtes Blanches, eating ice-cream and watching Vultures. It's one of the big iconic climbs.

The writing on the road is because the Tour de France went over the pass a couple of days before we visited in 2022, and supporters paint the name of their favourites on many of the big climbs.

Six weeks later the Vuelta Espana travelled across the same piece of road.

Mountain Singers

Back in September we mentioned that back in July we had seen a mens' mountain choir in Cauterets.

This is what they sound like. I hope it's worked.

Obviously it didn't. I'm working on fixing that.

Done. Phew. What a palaver.

Pyrenean Mountain Dogs

The Pyrenean Mountain Dog (Fr. chien de montagne des Pyrénées), known colloquially as a 'patou', from the Occitan 'pastor', is an ancient breed of shepherd dog used in the south-west of France and the north-east of Spain, particularly the Pyrenees, to protect the herds against predators, especially the bears that live there. They are guardians, not herding dogs (the shepherds use a black and white collie type dog called a labrit, or berger des Pyrénées for that). Patous are very big dogs, big boned with long white hair, and weighing about 65 kilos. The breed is mentioned in documents from the 14th century.

This Patou at Aubisque was seeing off all the motorcyclists and cyclists passing on the road. Its flock had settled themselves around the carpark in a way that was less than ideal for the poor dog.

As well as guarding flocks of sheep, or sometimes goats, cattle or even beehives, they make good guard dogs for properties and family pets. Depending on the threat -- bears, wolves, foxes, rustlers, stray dogs, corvids -- one, two or three dogs may be required per flock. Bears require two or three Patous defending the flock just because of their size and strength. Wolves hunt in well organised packs and can easily out manoeuvre a single dog on its own trying to protect a flock. Other threats are put off quite easily by a single barking dog that actively advances towards them.

In the Middle Ages they were used to guard chateaux and to protect herds against predators (which in those days included bears, lynx, wolves, and even man). At this time they would have worn heavy iron 'wolf collars', studded with spikes, to protect them from attacks. Very popular in the 17th century, there were even some at the court of Louis XIV. There are stories of them being used to smuggle goods across difficult mountain passes on the Spanish Franco border too.

The Patou became less common in the countryside, and finally by the end of the 19th century, not present at all except in parts of the Pyrenees, because the big predators became locally extinct. But since the 1980s, following the return of wolves across the Alps and the return of bears in the Pyrenees, there has been a resurgence of interest in the breed amongst shepherds. The breed is part of the official campaign to protect herds, along with night pens enclosed in electric fences and extra shepherds. Farmers benefit from grants to buy, train and keep the dogs, as well as other strategies to protect their herds. The dogs can reduce stock losses from predation by up to 90%.

In 1965 the breed became famous because of the French television series Belle et Sébastien.

At the heart of the flock they are remarkable guardians. Their role is not to herd, but to protect. To do this they are accustomed very early to live with the flock and become part of it. If the dog detects an intruder, they bark and insert themselves between the flock and the perceived threat.

Like all dogs, Patous occasionally bite humans, and there have been several instances widely reported in the media. There can be issues between working dogs and holiday makers on the hiking trails and mountain meadows.

The poster above says "Hello. I am a Pyrenean Mountain Dog, known as a Patou. My role is to oversee the security of the beasts that I protect. In order to avoid upsetting the flock, please give them a wide berth and keep your dog on a lead." The cartoon part tells you to get into the habit of adopting certain behaviours if you meet a Pyrenean Mountain Dog, such as not approaching or patting the sheep, and not running around or shouting. If you have a dog with you do not allow it to interact with the Pyrenean Mountain Dog, even though the Pyrenean Mountain Dog may approach you and your dog. Don't try to pat a Pyrenean Mountain Dog, or brandish your hiking pole at one, or throw stones at one. If you run away screaming, expect the dog to chase you. Don't stare directly into the dog's eyes -- it will see this as an attempt to dominate it and react aggressively. If you are riding a bike, dismount and walk until the dog is no longer interested in you. If you ride past the dog will chase you. If you are walking, do so calmly and steadily, not taking too much notice of the dog. You can speak gently to them, but don't interact further than that. Once you are no longer a threat the dog will peaceably return to its flock.

But as one of the shepherds I've seen interviewed said, it is more or less impossible to train a dog to ignore domestic dogs if their job is to attack wolves. To avoid conflicts some places are trialling a geolocating app whereby hikers can download the positions of all the flock protection dogs wearing a device and thus give them a wide berth. The shepherds are happy to do this but I have my doubts about whether hikers will even realise they can do this or in some cases even understand why they should. It is quite common to see sheep dogs lounging about near cars in the mountains and I wonder how many tourists realise they are working dogs, accompanied by a shepherd who has driven up to check the flock, not somebody's pet out for the day.

Every year there is a Pyrenean dog breed show in mid-September in the park in Argeles-Gazost. This year will be its centenary.

Further Reading: 

The website of the association of working Pyrenean dogs https://www.pastoralepyreneenne.fr/ [in French].

The website of the association of Pyrenean dog lovers, who run the annual dog show https://www.chiens-des-pyrenees.com/ [in French].

More Tour de France

On Saturday Susan wrote about the Tour de France.

Yesterday the route for the 2024 race was announced. Once again it's not coming through Preuilly sur Claise - the last time it did that was in 2008. Any year now...

Next year the closest it's coming to us is on 9 July. Stage 10 is from Orléans to St Armand Montrond, and it looks like the route is via Romorantin and Bourges. We'll decide closer to the date where we'll be.

In the meantime, some screen shots from the TV coverage of this year's race and a Street View shot, focusing on the "lacets" between Lourdes and Cauterets.

This is the driver's eye view as you approach the lacets.

Riding up the main street of Cauterets. The Boulangerie on the right of shot is where we usually buy our breakfast

A Day at the (Cycle) Races

The Caravane was told they could not throw goodies and sound their klaxons in the National Park. This descending Caravane vehicle is the fire brigade's.

Every year in July we try to get to be at one Stage of the Tour de France. This year we were in Cauterets in the Pyrenees when it finished at Cambasque/Cauterets. So thanks to Simon's careful planning we staked a spot right by the finish line and had a wonderful day (except for the final 4 kilometres walking down on the road at the end, which was just a bit too steep and long). To get to our prime spectating spot we packed a picnic lunch and set out after breakfast. 

Poor little Gaspar got separated from his parents. He then got the thrill of being walked up the track holding a police woman's hand and put in the care of the race officials (easy to recognise in their beige trousers and blue shirts).

We took the cable car to the Station de Ski Cauterets-Le Lys. Then just for fun we took the ski lift to the Crete du Lis to see the marvellous view down into the valley with Cauterets below on one side and across to the Lac d'Ilhéou and deep into the mountains. After coming back down on the ski lift we made a quick toilet stop at the ski station, then walked 4 kilometres down the track to Cambasque, stopping along the way to photograph the scenery and wildlife. At Cambasque Simon quickly spotted there was a space under a tree right at the finish line, so we claimed it and ate our picnic lunch. 

The Australian Jai Hindley, in the yellow jersey, crosses the line in 6th place, at 2'39" after the winner Tadej Pogacar.

Then we spread out our full sized Australian flag and settled in to patiently wait the three hours until the (reduced) Caravane came through and then finally the riders. Being at the finish line meant that the race commentators could see us, so the flag got mentioned a couple of times. We could also follow the progress of the race on the giant screens set up in several positions. 

This group of riders came in at 20 minutes after the leaders.

To our surprise, the first flurry of activity on the track was the Presidential cavalcade. Emmanuel Macron was there to hand out prizes. Simon managed to get a photo, but I didn't even get a glimpse, as my view was blocked by a giant television screen. But I did see Tadej Pogacar power across the line, and all the others who came after. 

Team vehicles and media motorbikes kept corralled by the police until the President has whooshed past.

Then we had to hang around while the those with a higher priority were allowed to start descending, and after about an hour, we were also descending, on foot, down the road. Finally, exhausted and footsore, we made it back to Cauterets and our 8pm dinner reservation.

The President, Monsieur Macron, whooshes by.

A Perfectly Splendid Ground Beetle

Carabus splendens (Fr. la Carabe splendide) is endemic to the Pyrenees and the southern Massif Central. I photographed this one on my way to stake out a spot on the mountain at Cambasque to watch the finish of Stage 6 of the Tour de France earlier this year. Simon found it, sadly dead, on the track.

This is a big, really shiny, beetle, about 30 mm long, living in forest habitats, both broadleaf deciduous and conifer. It is found all over the Pyrenees, from sea level to at least 1500 metres and sometimes beyond. Mostly nocturnal, it eats snails, slugs and caterpillars.

Mountain Singers

In Cauterets on the eve of the Tour de France stage that finished there on 6 July, we were charmed by Eths d'Azu, a male choir which had reformed to perform their repertoire of traditional Pyrenean mountain songs for the first time in 15 years.

Mountain singers (Fr. chanteurs montagnards) are part of a popular choral tradition dating back to the 19th century. The idea of the original movement was to encourage social harmony based on practicing musical harmony. The choirs promote conviviality and a way of integration into the mountain culture for incomers.

We noticed with some amusement that every song mentioned mountains, sheep and shepherds, and how great it was to be outdoors in the mountains. A couple of songs acknowledged that women existed and were quite nice to have around ie they cooked well or pleased the male eye. Some of the songs were not in French but in the local dialect of Bigourdan Gascon. We assume their themes were similar. 

Lac de Gaube

Lac de Gaube is a French Pyrenean lake near Cauterets in the Hautes-Pyrénées, within the Pyrenees National Park. The name is a tautology, as 'gaube' is a Gascon word for 'lake' and 'lac' is the French word for 'lake'. It comes from the same pre-Celtic Eurasian root as 'gaves', which is the local Pyrenean word for the mountain streams.

The lake is at an altitude of 1725 metres above sea level, ovoid in shape, on a north-south axis. It sits in a small valley about 9 kilometres long, which starts at the foot of Mount Vignemale (3298 metres) and ends at the Pont d'Espagne. 

It is fed by the Gave des Oulettes de Gaube, which in turn is fed by the glacier on Mount Vignemale. At its deepest it is 40 metres to the bottom of the lake, and the surrounding slopes are covered in rock falls and landslides.

Reached by hiking a couple of hours uphill through the pines or by taking the cable car from Pont d'Espagne then the ski lift and walking a mere half an hour downhill through alpine meadows, the lake is famous for its fabulous views and ease of access. In addition, it is the departure point for several longer hiking trails. For example, go along the western bank on the GR10 (one of France's famous long distance hiking trails) and you can reach the Refuge des Oulettes de Gaube at 2151 metres.

Once you get there, you can have lunch at the restaurant overlooking the lake, which serves a set menu for a very reasonable price. We have been here twice over the years for lunch, taking the cable car up and walking down, and last year we did the longer walk to and from Oulettes.

Kidney Vetch

So far as I can work out, the taxonomy of Kidney Vetches Anthyllis spp is a mess. There are 18 recognised species at the moment, with one naturally occurring named hybrid. The most widespread species is Anthyllis vulneraria, which has more than twenty subspecies, with territories that overlap with each other and with A. montana, a very similar species in the mountains. So far as I can work out this photograph is probably A. vulneraria subspecies alpestris (Fr. Anthyllide alpestre).  Many guides are out of date and not listing current names. 

A. v. alpestris is found on sunny mountainsides, in short alpine grasslands and amongst dry calcareous rocks. It can have yellow, pink or white flowers, from May to August. In France it is found in the Jura, Alpes and Pyrenees, as well as southern Germany.

The plant was photographed in July 2023 near Lac du Gaube in the Pyrenees, at around 1800 metres.

Mediterranean Sea Holly

Mediterranean Sea Holly Eryngium bourgatii (Fr. Panicaut de Bourgat) is a perennial wild plant in the Apiaceae family. It is related to carrots, parsnips, celery and parsley but is often referred to incorrectly as a 'thistle'. It is endemic to the Pyrenees and Iberian peninsula, Morocco, Lebanon and Turkey.

An unusual white one, photographed near Lac du Gaube in the Pyrenees.

It grows from about 20 centimetres up to 50 centimetres tall and is usually an intense blue. The stems are upright and robust and the stiff leaves and bracts very spiny. The flowers come in July and August. You can find it on subalpine calcareous grasslands.

Photographed above Cauterets on our walk down to the Tour de France finish line on 6 July.

Like other sea hollies, it attracts bees, moths and butterflies and bugs.

High Altitude Thrips

Thrips belong to the taxonomic order Thysanoptera (so they are not bugs or beetles or flies, but an order all of their own).

Thrips on a daisy, photographed at nearly 2000 metres above sea level, near Lac du Gaube in the Pyrenees.

There are more than 6000 species, some of which are known as 'thunderbugs' and others which are considered garden or crop pests, being vectors for a number of plant viruses. But many are pollinators. Thrips are the sort of organisms that frequently get transferred from one Continent to another due to global trade, so many places have both native and introduced species. The ones that live on Australian Acacias are particularly well studied. Many species are social, living in colonies and prepared to defend their territory. 

New species are regularly discovered. A few are predatory, eating mites and tiny insects; some are parasites; some cause galls on their host plants and about half feed on plants, eating leaves and buds, creating galleries or silver trails; the others feed on fungi. In turn, thrips are predated by other insects such as Robber Flies Asilidae and some flower bugs. Thrips are very small, sometimes under 2mm in length, and have sucking piercing mouthparts. Many are attracted to bright floral coloured clothing and have been known to 'bite' humans (they are attempting to feed and are harmless). 

They've been around for a long time, with thrips found attached to pollen in amber from the Cretaceous period. Apparently they often cause havoc in plant breeding nurseries, by transporting pollen from one plant to another in a way the horticulturalists don't want to happen. Charles Darwin had trouble with them when he was studying pollenisation and noted that 'no netting will keep them out'. They are prone to aggregating inside houses and can insert themselves between a laptop computer or television LCD screen and its glass cover (I've had that happen, with a thrips walking around all over my screen for days). Thrips are resistant to insecticides and there is no real way of controlling them if numbers get out of hand.

Mazarine Blue

The Mazarine Blue Cyaniris semiargus (Fr. Azuré des anthyllides) is a small blue butterfly. The upper side of the males is violet blue with a dark brown edge and white fringe. Females are brown all over. The undersides of both sexes are beigey grey, with a few tiny black dots.

The caterpillars overwinter in the nests of ants, which take care of them. Prior to that they eat Red Clover Trifolium pratense (Fr. Trèfle des prés). The adult butterflies fly from April to October. 

The species occurs all over temperate Europe and Asia, up to 2500 metres above sea level. In France it is widely distributed but not common in the north-west. I photographed these near Lac du Gaube in the Pyrenees. They were with an Adonis Blue Polyommatus bellargus (Fr. Azuré bleu céleste) - the bright blue butterfly in the photo - sucking minerals from some unidentified poo. 

Typically they are found in damp grassland and scrub, where the host plant grows. The population appears to be stable and it is not considered to be at risk of extinction.

Vuelta España Stage Three

When we were Andorra last month we decided we wanted to do a walk in our customary fashion: take a gondola and chairlift ride to the top of a mountain and walk down. We were defeated by the weather - it was foggy, windy, and threatening to rain.

Having driven to the base of the gondola we decided to ride the first step of our walk. Luckily, when we arrived at the top of the ride the weather wasn't too wild and there was a veritable garden of wildflowers for Susan to explore.

What we didn't realise is that we had arrived at the finish of this coming Monday's stage of the Vuelta España. (Stage three, 28/8)

What is even more remarkable is that, purely by chance, on our way back to our apartment we drove (in reverse) the last 36km of the stage.

The cyclists will travel up these roads to the Coll d'Ordino

 

down the other side to the town of Ordino, and up the valley

and up the hill to the finish at Arinsal

 

One-flowered Wintergreen

 Apologies for the poor photos but I thought the plant was interesting enough to post even with bad images. It is One-flowered Wintergreen Moneses uniflora (Fr. Pyrole à une fleur), photographed at the Pont d'Espagne near Cauterets in the Pyrenees.

This is a small herbaceous plant that survives several years thanks to its fine, branched underground rhizome. The round leaves grow in a rosette, evergreen and glossy, 1 to 2 cm in diameter. There is only one flower per rosette, nodding on a 5 to 10 cm stem. The white, slightly crinkled petals are spread wide and flat. Flowering is from May to October.

The species is distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, wherever it is cool and damp (so often restricted to the mountains). It grows especially in damp shady conifer forests, amongst moss. Commercial pine plantations have caused its range to expand in Europe.

Vultures Part Two

On past blog posts I have expressed a wish to see vultures, and excitement when I have done so. 

The past four visits to the Pyrenees we have seen griffon vultures, but we have never seen any of the other species. Until...

I was looking through our photos from last month and realised there were a few I hadn't looked at properly. Imagine my surprise when I realised we had photos of a raptor I didn't recognise. I did some research and jumped to a conclusion I wasn't at all certain about. Susan asked some of her nature friends... and they concurred.

Meet Gypaetus barbatus, the Bearded Vulture or Lammergeier, the most exciting vulture in Europe. 

They may not be beautiful photos, but they were shot from the hip with a point and shoot camera.

Mares in the Mist

 

Both times we have walked from La Fruitiere along the Vallée de Lutour to Lac d'Estom in the Pyrénées one leg of the journey has been misty. Nevertheless, the 15 kilometre round trip is one of the most popular and picturesque in the Cauterets area. It is in the National Park, but horses, cattle and sheep graze freely throughout.

A Gem Hidden in the Mountains

The Church of Saint Laurent in Jézeau, with its funny architectural face.

 

The Catholic church of Saint Laurent in Jézeau in the Hautes-Pyrénées is on the Camino de Santiago de Compostela (Fr. Chemin de Saint Jacques de  Compostelle), in the Diocese of Tarbes and Lourdes.

Polychrome altarpiece, painted apse and choir vault.

 

It was owned by the Hospitallers, the knightly monastic order that was dedicated to providing hospitality, health care and protection to pilgrims on their way to or from Santiago de Compostela. The church, with its twin bayed bell gable, nave and apse, as well as the tympanum-chrism reused in the wall at the cemetery entrance, date from the 12 century.

Saint Blaise, being scurged by wool carders wielded by fashionably attired 16th century torturers. He is the patron saint of animals, wild and tame, who came to him of their own accord to be healed.

 

After a fire in 1532 which destroyed not only the church, but half the village, the romanesque vault was replaced by a panelled wooden vault, decorated with the most remarkable paintings. 

Sinners entering the jaws of Hell. Our guide pointed out that all the sinners are naked women, and the beast swallowing them is a wild boar.

 

In the 19th century the church was doubled in size due to the expansion of the population of the village, which peaked at 350 residents (now 96 people).

Saint Peter and an angel welcoming the saved to Heaven. Our guide pointed out that the saved are all men, modestly covering their genitalia, and they are entering Heaven via a very European pavillion.

 

The exterior architectural decoration is concentrated on the semi-circular apse. A blind arcade of twin arches and oeil-de-boeuf windows form a 'face', looking out over the valley. According to our guide that was deliberate. Inside, the whole of the apse and choir vault is taken up with a richly decorated polychrome altarpiece and paintings depicting the Last Judgement.

The front of the altar is covered with Spanish Cordovan leather, contemporary with the rest of the decorative scheme.

 

The church is only accessible to visit by guided tour, on some Sunday afternoons. To get details I phoned the tourist office (Pays d'Art et d'Histoire) for Aure Lourons (Pyrénées 2 Vallées) on +33 5 62 98 42 46. You can see details of the churches in the area that are open on this website: https://patrimoine-aure-louron.fr/. Our guide at Jézeau was a young man studying for an art sociology masters. He was excellent, we had him almost to ourselves and he spoke fluent English!

The startled looking man with the waffle maker next to the Madonna on the altarpiece is Saint Laurent himself. His symbols are the griddle with which he was tortured and a wide sleeved dalmatic robe.

 

The Last Supper. I notice that Jesus's halo features fleurs de lys.

The Cordovan leather covered altar.

The altarpiece and altar.

Jesus, with the double edged sword to show that the word of God is mightier than the sword. It is supposed to be coming out of his mouth, but is often depicted in this fashion, as though he is being stabbed in the ear.