Mon banc dominical / My Sunday Bench, one for a break

 Handy resting spot when you take the good  walk around Cravant-les-Coteaux.

Church on Sunday...Cravant-les-Coteaux

After taking you on our walk around Cravant-les-Coteaux last week and having given you the  the former parish church of the old village (Vieux-Bourg) I thought I should let you see the 'new' parish church. 

The church of Saint-Léger is a relatively new church here in Touraine, dating from 1863 built in the typical 'Latin-cross' design.

It is a 'locked' church so I had to visit the Mairie to get the key...fortunately it was next door.

It has a nave with a barrel ceiling...

...leading to the choir with more 'Lobin' stained glass windows.

There are two side chapels...

...and the now familiar pulpit.

There is a resplendent Joan.

 Looking back to the front doors.

Outside the church somehow seems to take on a larger persona, showing some of the familiar lines of architect Gustave Guérin.

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A walk around...Cravant-les-Coteaux

Back in April  when we visited Cravant-les-Coteaux to check out the former parish church of the old village we also took the opportunity to have a walk around the area - hadn't posted as yet - so here it is...

We left the car (and Le Vieux Bourg) by the church and headed along the D44 towards Cravant-les-Coteaux and the 'new town'. This was not a marked route (there are some here) but one recommended by a local chap working in his garden - very kind of him. 

It offered a circular route back to our car via the high ground on the left of the picture above.

You pass the cave of 'Pierre Sourdais' with its unusual watchtower...which you'll see later...

...before your first sight of the village and its 'new' church.

As you enter you can't help but notice the potential of the little building on the right! My mum always used to describe the run-down houses Pauline and I used to buy as 'having potential' - bless her.

Like the majority of villages in our part of France the most imposing buildings are the Mairé and the church...

...but as the sun began to break through it showed up pretty well.

We had been advised to seek out the views over the vines towards Chinon on the high ground.

Bit of a climb...

...up past another cave 'Gisele et Hubert Page'

At the top of the hill you are directed off to the right to the 'Panorama' which meant another short (200m) climb to the top...have to say it felt longer!

It was however well worth it...

...it's just a shame that the blue skies slipped behind us!

The vines were at a very early stage and looking at them up close you wonder at their ability to provide such delicious fruit.We decided that we had to come back in summer and  autumn to check out the views then.

After exhausting the views we headed back down the 200 metres (easier this time) and took a right back towards the old village.

This scene,with its palm trees could be from the hills of California but no...

...it's the setting for the 'Caves Angelliaume'

Looking back down towards the cave of 'Pierre Sourdais with its watchtower (as promised).

The road along the 'high ground' took us past yet more caves...

...and cute dogs desperate for attention - ah!

It was then downhill back to the old village and the church...

...very pleasant.

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Church on Sunday,Cravant-les-Côteaux

This is actually the former parish church of the old village of Cravant-les-Côteaux  (Vieux-Bourg), more detail here...