After the excitement of dealing with the hornet's nest on the Friday, we treated ourselves to a day out on the Saturday. It was the weekend of the "Patrimoine", the one weekend of the year when local monuments, chateaux and museums are open to the public admission free or at a discount. Many of them are places that are not usually open to the public at all. Some have special events and entertainments on.
La Chartreuse du Liget.
This is one of the places we pass every so often when we're out and about and it was on the Patrimoine list for the area around Loches. So off we toddled to have a look.
It's a Carthusian monastery first built in the twelfth century and you can read all about it here if you like. The weather was very warm and sunny for a Saturday afternoon in mid September and we sported our sunhats as we shade hopped around the ruined cloisters.
It's a very photogenic place and there were hardly any other visitors so we were able to wander around looking for the best angle to take photos at our heart's content.
I was able to indulge in taking photos of doors and windows unhindered by tourists getting in the way wearing too bright clothes and exposing too many wobbly bits. Taking photos in the winter is often easier on the eye in that respect except, of course for the lack of sun and poor light. The light here was perfect.
The little chapel is still used and in good condition. There I was able to indulge my fascination for floors. (A more recent extension of my passion for doors and windows,)
Standing outside all by itself was an old refectory table. It was beautiful, old and gnarled with the scars of centuries of monks' dinners. Or so I imagine, as I presume it's the original table, or one of them. I'm happy to believe that anyway, which is what counts.
Interestingly, admission was free for the weekend but the lady in reception told us we could make a donation of 2 euros each if we felt we would like - which is the normal admission price! We did, of course!
Afterwards we went in search of another site listed in the Patrimoine leaflet which proved to be very interesting - more of that tomorrow when I conclude my post on hornets, monuments and weather.
I've never gone beyond the first courtyard here -- just never got round to it. As you say, very photogenic.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever seen a film called 'The Great Silence' (Die Grosse Stille)?
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