23. 10. 08 Thursday. Today I went on a guided tour of Clermont under the auspices of an association celebrating local history and Languedoc culture. It began with a reception in the Espace des Penitents with coffee and pastries, during which there was an address by the mayor. Then the historian took over and, after a general overview, described the history of the Espace des Penitents. Construction began on the priory in 1319 and since then it has had numerous uses, from a meeting place for revolutionaries, an orphanage, a gymnasium, a vegetable market to finally now an exhibition space. By this time we had finished our coffee so on we went to St Paul’s and then up through the old town to the chateau. All the while getting the official history but also a more local and more recent history from several members of the group who reminisced en passant about landmarks and events from their childhood. It was absolutely fascinating and, even though some of it was not that easy for me to understand, it was a very rewarding morning.
