Our Big Move To France

We ventured off to find the effigy of Eleanor of Aquitaine. And we encountered many, many surprises along the way.

I had no interest in Saumur, But dang, as I walked across the bridge over the Loire, it came into view and was a stunning sight!

We left the apartment in Nantes early to catch the train to Saumur. I had convinced Terry that this was a good idea. I had very little idea how this would turn out, but on true Anile fashion, was sure it would be OK. So despite Google telling us there was no public transportation to the Fontevraud Abbey, we headed that way.

We had to go to the tourist office first, to figure out how to take the bus to the abbey.

You don’t have a car? (Looks at me like I’m crazy) Yes there is a bus. One. Bus. And it leaves in an hour.

You want to have a taxi bring you back? (Looks at me like I’m crazy) Book now because there might not be any taxis. The ONE bus to bring you back leaves the abbey at 5:30.

Faced with the prospect of one long day roaming around a place of unknown size, I talked Terry into waiting until we go there to book the taxi. That way we could better determine how much time we wanted to spend there. In retrospect, not the best idea.

The bus ride proved to be amazing. Going down tiny, barely paved roads through the countryside, we emerged alongside these mesmerizing cliffs filled with caves, homes built into the caves and Crémant (a kind of champagne) houses. It was truly unexpected and so intriguing.

The bus driver let us off near the abbey and it was a short walk through the tiny town. At first we came upon the Chapel of Saint Catherine, built originally in the 13th century, and updated throughout the 15th to 18th centuries. Its heavy door creaked open to reveal a cold, dark and kind of creepy interior.

Walking now through the tiny town where everything is closed, (good thing we brought snacks and water) we come to the abbey itself and I was absolutely filled with excitement with what was to come. Honestly, as we passed through the visitor/ticket center, we quickly realized the abbey was a vast town of its own.

Unfortunately, at this point, trying to get a taxi was impossible and between dying batteries, not speaking French, and my French phone number making my phone act weird, (we finally found an outlet to charge my phone and translate the message to “more taxis available today”),  we realized we were stuck there until 5:30. So we relaxed and decided to enjoy the ride. Sorry I didn’t get more pics around the abbey. I was having fun exploring and forgetting to take photos.

First, we headed inside the cathedral where rest the effigies of Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine, their son Richard the Lionhearted and their daughter in law, the wife of their other son, King John. I later found out the there are no actual remains there. After the French Revolution, all royal bodies were dug up and disposed of in various ways.

The cathedral is almost entirely stripped of any and all decoration. After the revolution, the nuns were expelled and the place was looted and the Napoleon declared it a prison. During the following 130 years it was a prison and many utilitarian changes were made such as sturdy new floors.

Walking around the grounds, we came upon various art installations. After the prison closed, the abbey reemerged as a center for art and tourism.

Over all I felt like a kid, exploring all of the floors, underground vaults, different rooms and the grounds. There are innumerable tunnels, doors, stairwells and niches open to wander into and around.

By far the most intriguing building was the kitchen. They think it may have originally been a place of funerary rites, or even a hideout of a famous bandit of the area… however archeological evidence shows it was used as a kitchen for much of the 300 years. Each of those cones is an open vent, for smoke. A cool installation was there to inspire questions about its use.

After 3 hoirs our feet were killing us, and finally  a little store opened up in town, so we bought some wine and headed back into the abbey to kill time until the bus came. All the decorative lights began to come on with the darkening skies, and I imagined what it would be like to wander around after dark. It must be truly magical!

I’m glad we went back in, because I caught the lowering sunlight beautifully gracing the effigies in the cathedral.

The bus actually came and picked us up (yes, I was worried) and we made it back to Saumur, and then back home to Nantes. It was a long 12 hour day, with over 20K steps logged, and no real food. You can imagine that the kitties were super glad to finally see us!

What a magical, mystical day. These trips in the middle of winter might not be as fun to be outside in the cold and spattering showers, and everything is closed… but the reward is having the place almost all to ourselves!