Mutiny to Monastery (an afternoon stroll)

I love walking, the area round here is great for reducing blood glucose levels, it's very hilly.Yesterday was a lovely day so we decided to stop being lazy and make use of the unseasonable weather.It was just a local walk, using a guidebook from the tourist office.10k (and 300m climb)
We started in a corner of town containing solemn reminders of events that took place in WWI

Le Champ des martyrs croates.

It is a little known fact that Villefranche de Rouergue was the first town in France to be liberated from the Germans in 1943!

Unfortunately, the freedom only lasted a day, but some feel that it was instrumental in demonstrating that resistance was possible and leading to the development of resistance in the Aveyron.

The insurrection was started by a small group of conscripts from the present day countries of Bosnia and Croatia They had been rounded up and forced to join the German army. They were sent to a training camp in Villefranche. The instigators persuaded their compatriots to support them in a mutiny against their German officers. Their goal was to approach French liberation movement and Anglo-America, and then to go back to their homeland

On the night of September 16th, the mutiny began The mutineers executed five German officers, held many other Germans, and successfully established control over the entire garrison. By 08:00 a.m. they controlled the town. Unsurprisingly,the Germans quickly sent in reinforcements and fighting went on for a day. An Iman was also brought into persuade the less committed mutineers to return to the fold. At least 16 of the mutineers were executed , five or 6 escaped, one of whom joined the fledgling local resistance, over 800 were sent to labour camps, some 565 volunteered to join labour gangs on the Siegfried line, the remaining 250 were sent to concentration camps: few survived the war. The dead were buried in what became known as the Martyrs field.

In the 1950s a Yugoslavian sculptor created a memorial to the dead.. a woman bringing the first apples of the season to the grave of her dead son. The politics of the day prevented the statue leaving Yugoslavia and it wasn't until 2006 that it came to Villefranche and the area turned into a memorial garden

After the a few moments of quiet reflection we were on our way. Our route, was a bit like that followed by the Grand Old Duke, we went up the hill, we went down, then after skirting round the bottom of the hill we went back up it and back down again!

Some views.

The Bottom of the hill.

Half Way up

Almost At the top

The view towards the medieval village of Villeneuve from the other side of the hill.

On the way back we met an very noisy donkey... who was it decided that donkeys say 'hee haw'? this one most definitely roared.

And then the strangest of signs to spot in the Aveyronese countryside

And it wasn't someones sense of humour!

Towards the end of the walk we passed through the the necessary but ugly industrial area which is a common feature on the outskirts of most French towns. We took no pictures of fromage de france or the sausage factory .We were drawn to what appeared to be a monastery overlooking the prefabricated factory buildings. As we got closer we heard the sound of music from the church. It was the community singing the office. We didn't go in, but stood outside for a while, finishing out walk as we started with quiet reflection.