St. Michel from the north
The west door.
I know nothing of this door.
When I first saw it I thought of Nkisi, the figures from the Congo which are inhabited by spirits. As part of the ritual, metal nails are driven into the object as a vow or treaty to protect against evil. I made this mental observation before I knew anything about the church's history. When I discovered its connection with Clement V and the violent dissolution of the Knights Templar it seemed to make some kind of sense.
At 6pm I was shooshed from the church and I retraced my steps towards the fountain. The four women had been joined by a young girl. All eyes were on me, making me nervous and clumsy; I didn't know where to look. I caught the heel of my boot in a small hole and went flying until I landed near the feet of the women.
They leapt up, seized me by the arms and half carried/half dragged me to their bench. They wiped my hands with flowery hankies, dabbed scented water on my face, fanned me with their scarves and smiled glorious white and golden smiles when they saw I hadn't been seriously hurt.
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