Aujoud'hui, we stayed in Pontlevoy and got to explore more of the hidden treasures of this historical place! Did you know that the Abbey was founded in 1034? Unbelievable! They showed us the pool they would teach the boys how to swim, a stream that remained the same temperature year-round, and the gate king/bishops would enter the Abbey from (all the way in the back). Finally, the doors of the chapel were opened for us & all of its glory just came alive. We were even taken "behind the scenes" to a place high above the chapel - across balconies, up spiral staircases, & into the roof of the place! You could see all of Pontlevoy up there!
the pool now
Up all the way on top of the chapel
Pontlevoy from a owl's eye view!
After our group tours, Natalia and I decided to take our on adventures around Pontlevoy. We made it to a cementery and found so many above-ground tombstones that were decorated lavishly with plaques, flowers, and pictures. It's surreal how much they honor their deceased loved ones. It was most painful seeing some tiny tombs for babies and toddlers who left the world so young.
One of the graves at the cementery
Sending a "Salut" in Pontlevoy to all of you!
Loved seeing all of these photos. So charming. Exploring the small French towns has always been my dream. Maybe one day we could do this together - and you could show me around . . .
ReplyDeleteMaybe, we can choose a place more south like Lyon, so then we can go to Monaco!
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