A little more from Moncontour...

Took this to show off the water Irises

This scene looked for all the world like a floating brocante stall.

Seek and you shall find...brocanting

Friends were kind enough to invite us to join them for a visit into the Vienne to Moncontour for their annual brocante. The town had prospered in the mid-nineteenth century through the development of trade of hemp and an established agricultural fair,leaving its mark with the many fine buildings around the town.

The backdrop to this street is the mighty abbey church of Saint-Jouin-de-Marnes.

It is a popular brocante with the usual diverse range of items...liked the skeleton bank above,obviously for people who are skint!

Didn't like these primitive figures but should perhaps paid more attention to the retro radio!

Love the characters you find manning stalls at these events, this chap was happy to pose for a pic..

This man was making sure no one was stealing his beer!

Pauline was on the lookout for a few things which she found but also bought these coloured dishes plus Angela who was with us pointed out a flute glass similar to ones we already had...we had eleven so this at 3 euros was a welcome addition. These are glasses we saw for sale in tours for over 30 euros each!

An idea for holiday Monday...

If you decide to go brocanting over the weekend we would recommend a visit to Moncontour over in the Vienne. A bit further away at just over an hour from Barrou but worth the trip as is a good brocante plus it is a pretty place, Be sure to check out the interesting church with its arched nave.

Church on Sunday...the Romanesque church of Saint-Nicolas in Moncontour in the Vienne

Today we visit the Romanesque church of Saint-Nicolas in Moncontour in the Vienne. The church dates back to the 12^th century. It was annexed by the nearby Abbey of Saint Jouin de Marnes (four km to the west). 

The western façade still has the original 12th century portal

The arched nave which probably originally featured frescos was given a makeover during the 19th century. It is pierced with twelve semicircular windows.

The choir ends with a semicircular apse.

The two side chapels.

The church was rebuilt in the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries resulting in the loss of its transept.

Its Romanesque features are best appreciated on the north side of the church where you can see the remnants of some. corbels.

Where's Joan? Although not always featured within churches in the Vienne she stands proudly in one of the side chapels.

May Day part III...Moncontour and a coincidence.

Sunday was our first time in Moncontour though Denis (our generous host for the day) and Angela, John and Maureen who we were with, had been to their annual brocante before. What struck me was that even without the brocante it is still worth a visit.

It is watched over by another of Foulque Nerra's 11th century keeps (free entry on May Day) and also has a fine Romanesque church.

As we walked around we couldn't help but notice the number of fine 3-story townhouses it had for such a small place (pop.around 1000). When returning to the car we popped into their small tourist office where a very charming and helpful lady informed us that the village had prospered during the mid-nineteenth century through the development of trade of hemp and an established agricultural fair.

Many of the houses along the river have their own private lavoir (wash house) and it makes for a charming riverside walk

Coincidences with Pauline and I are aplenty so it was no real surprise when,as we sat having our repas,I got talking to a local resident who went on to tell us about the lavoirs and the walk. I let him know we knew about them and then went on to show him a photograph I had taken earlier of one...and guess what? it was of his!. He also asked where we came from and when we told him Touraine Sud he let us know he had lived for 3 years in Abilly. He also said we should check out the source of the crystal clear water which wasn't too far away at La Grimaudiere.

As we were leaving the village we stopped to have a look at the 10 ha lake just outside the village where some brave souls were water skiing.