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Starting at St.-Maximin-de-la-St.-Baume

Annon

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
2013
I would like to begin at the shrine to St. Mary Magdalene at Ste. Baume, and continue from there on the Arles route. If anyone has information or experience on the route those few days before Arles, or the lodging available, it would be much appreciated. Also, anything about the weather there in early-to-mid March...
Many thanks,
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
We did that route on mt bikes a couple of years ago. St Max to Arles is a nice segment. I have a good GPS track if you want it.

We stayed in hotels, including the old convent attached to the cathedral in St M.

I rent a house near there every spring, and the weather is pretty good, but can get a bit blustery and wet. That year we went through in early May and it was colder than last March.

Here's the Cathedral where they keep Mary Magdalene's skull, set in acrylic plastic.
 

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Peter Robins said:
do you mean St Maximin or la Ste Baume?

The full name of the town on the GR653A is St. Maximin-la Ste-Baume.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Maxi ... inte-Baume

The Mary is said to have spent her later years in the cave near the site Peter mentions, but she was buried in the crypt in town, about 20 km NE of the cave. The tomb was discovered in the 1200's. I have no idea when they decided to put her skull in plastic, but you can go down there and see it today.

The cave looks like a good visit---I'll go there this April and report back.
 
Thanks to you both for the wealth of links and information. The cave and hostellerie look to be about 25k southwest of the town. It will take me a while to translate the French, but I'll post here when I have--it seems a bus may get you partway.
I may get back to you on the GPS track, thank you--not yet familiar with using them.
A friend was at the caves in September, and said she was most impressed with the energy there of all the shrines she visited in France. Hauntingly beautiful landscape, from her photos. I'll let you know what it was like--I'll be there either 3/8 or 3/15/13.
Thanks again,
Annon
 
newfydog said:
The full name of the town on the GR653A is St. Maximin-la Ste-Baume
yes but "la sainte baume" means "the holy cave", which gave its name to the range of hills - "Chaine de la Ste Baume" - which in turn was appended to "St Maximin", where the actual relics of MM are reputed to be. But these are 2 different shrines, some 20km apart. The true devotee would visit both, though that's a long way round if you're going east-west.
 
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]It does indeed look like a great place. Check it out on google earth(the kmz point). There are lots of good photos.

GR 9 runs through it, and GR 99 would connect you up to GR653a.
The movie "My Father's Glory" was filmed near there.


[attachment=0]mary mag.kmz[/attachment
 

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Annon said:
it seems a bus may get you partway
in fact, there is a bus service of sorts to Plans d'Aup, some 2km from the hostellerie: see http://gazette.du.plan.over-blog.com/ar ... 09929.html and click on the 2 scanned images. The first one is a school bus from St Maximin/Auriol. open to others if space available (don't expect peace and quiet though :) ). 2nd is a public bus, on Wed and Sat. At Auriol there is a free(!) bus to/from the railway stn at Aubagne (roughly hourly service on the Marseille-Toulon line, timetables at http://telechargement.ter-sncf.com/Imag ... -81539.pdf ).

Here's a description of the path from the hostellerie to the grotto/cave http://baladeenprovence.com/balade.php? ... ume-Grotte - according to this, Mass every day at 10.30 led by a Dominican friar.
 
Peter Robins wrote: in fact, there is a bus service of sorts to Plans d'Aup, some 2km from the hostellerie: see http://gazette.du.plan.over-blog.com/ar ... 09929.html and click on the 2 scanned images. The first one is a school bus from St Maximin/Auriol. open to others if space available (don't expect peace and quiet though ). 2nd is a public bus, on Wed and Sat. At Auriol there is a free(!) bus to/from the railway stn at Aubagne (roughly hourly service on the Marseille-Toulon line, timetables at http://telechargement.ter-sncf.com/Imag ... -81539.pdf ).

Thanks very much! I can deal with a bit of noise on a short school bus ride--I suspect that the Arles route in March will provide plenty of peace and quiet. Annon
 
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