Welcome to the Abbey of Fontevraud, located in the Loire Valley. Charlotte was hired to host an event of her games here, and I was lucky enough to come along as the assistant-husband-filmographer. This complex was built starting in the 1100’s and served as a double monastery, meaning both nuns and monks lived and worshipped together. At one time the most powerful abbey in all of France, it attracted its share of noble visitors and eventually became the burial place for a few prominent kings and queens (of England, surprisingly). Later in the early 1800’s it served as a prison for about 150 years.
This walled-in property contains a bunch of great structures including a church, an old Roman-style kitchen, and a cloister, not to mention the gardens. Being several hours from Paris, they included in Charlotte’s payment a two-night stay in their hotel, also part of the complex. Just before checking in we learned the hotel was an old hospital where the nuns used to house all the lepers. Sleep tight, folks!
I’m only allowed to add 10 pictures at a time, so I’ve got quite a few posts loaded in the barrel. Even after an afternoon of sifting thru my best pics, I still couldn’t narrow it down a whole lot. There were just too many great things all around us. In fact, after a 5-hour car ride I arrived in a pretty cranky mood, but 10 minutes walking thru this place lifted me right out of my funk. To be frank, it was undeniably remarkable. One of the best weekends of my life.
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