Sunday's brocante...Angles sur l'Anglin

Our son Michael and partner Rose have been over for another visit and we realised they had not had the 'brocante experience'.So we fixed that yesterday by visiting the one at Angles sur l'Anglin where we introduced them to 'stuff'.

 Good and bad...

 mad and sad.

 Might have bought this but there wasn't a pair!

 I'm sure you can guess what this is!

Church on Sunday...Saint Hilaire,Lémeré

The first thing that strikes you as you enter the church of Saint Hilaire in Lémeré is how bright it is, with the light being reflected of its tuffeau stone walls. It has an impressive nave flanked by two side vaults and a choir you are drawn into via two arches spanning overhead 

The earliest parts of the church apparently date from the 12th century but they are not much in evidence. It has been heavily restored over the centuries with much of the funding being credited to the owners of the nearby Chateau du Rivau

It has the now very familiar pulpit and confessional...

plus some personal pews that had me wondering as to how many of their owners were still around to take advantage of them.

There are also some fine examples within the choir reserved for I assume the altar boys,if they have any.

Like many very small villages of France they seem to have lost a disproportionate number of  men in WW1. 

There is a rather ornate baptismal font.

 All the windows of the church are from the 'Lobin' factory in Tours.

 Where's Joan?

 Being so near to Chinon she was always going to have pride of place here.

Love these windows.

Don't know how old this graffiti is but it bears a striking(?) resemblance to 'Batman'

Plenty for the weekend...doors open.

 Loire Valley Journees Heritage - Heritage days

Saturday 19th and Sunday September 20th, 2015

Every year, on the third weekend of September, heritage sites throughout the Loire Valley open their doors and share their history with you. You can find yourself climbing towers or entering caves and public buildings that would normally be closed to the public.

More info here ...

Something for the weekend...brocantes Sunday 20th September

Brocantes / vide greniers Sunday 20^th Septenber

Up to 50 stalls ** 50 *** 100 to 100 stalls to 200 stalls **** More than 200 stalls? Unknown

ANGLES ON ANGLIN - Flea fall **

ARTANNES SUR INDRE - empty granary Brocante ****

ATHEE ON DEAR - Garage sales **

CHINON - Bargain Rabelaisienne **

CHINON - Garage sales *

CORMERY - Bargain garage sales & ****

NAINTRE - Bargain garage sales & ***

NAZELLES NEGRON - Empty granaries ***

SAINT FLOVIER - Garage sales?

SUBLAINES - Garage sales *

TOURS - Garage sales area Sanitas?

TOURS - Flea market Garage sale Gazebo Park ***

Tours- plain Park Gazebo - Flea & empty granaries ***

VOUVRAY - Bargain ****

VOUNEUIL ON VIENNA - Vide grenier ***

3D Music at the 'Le Jean Bart' in Le Grand Pressigny

 Last night we went along to the musical soirée at 'Le Jean Bart' in Le Grand Pressigny where we were entertained first in 3D - with Davids on fiddle,guitar and recorder/penny whistle...

...who were later joined by Cally on double base and Pauline on the spoons, went down rather well with the locals.

     

Hot off the press...

Well cold actually...our neighbours in Lesigny who helped harvest our grapes to add to their own presented me with some 'Bernache' from the first pressing... and very tasty it is too,which is promising for the wine.

They told us we have to open the bottles every so often as it is still fermenting and there is a risk of them exploding! We were actually aware of this as we had previously bought some from a supermarket to taste and we were told to keep the bottle upright as the cap had a hole in it to let it breathe.

Church on Sunday...Abbey of Notre-Dame de Fontgombault

In the small village of Fontgombault (290 inhabitants) sitting on the banks of the Creuse river sits the Benedictine monastery ‘Abbey of Notre-Dame de Fontgombault'. We actually visited the abbey back in 2012 but for some reason or other in has been languishing in my ‘draft’ folder. 

My  photographs of the visit consist mainly of exterior shots as mass was being celebrated at the time.

We had deliberately gone at this time to witness the vespers service- the evening mass accompanied by the monks chanting. To begin with I found this a very moving experience but the longer it went on with all the sitting down, standing up motions of the monks, for me it took on a rather 'Monty Pythonesque' feel... I can see the pearly gates closing in front of me as I write this!

Good video here (though sound quality not great) of the mass.

I have never really understood the benefits of monastic life - devoting your life to god is admirable but surely these 'good' people could better serve the world in a more practical way while still praying - or am I underestimating the power of their devotion?

They do do practical things to sustain their livelihood with the working of their agricultural land and their pottery,which they offer for sale to visitors via their craft shop- but I am not sure what other ways they are contributing to society at large other than their prayers. . 

The abbey has an interesting history with its origins dating from 1091 when hermits living in nearby caves decided to build the first abbey church. The abbey flourished during the 12th and 13th centuries and by the 15th was well established. It was during this time that the monks started to create the fish farming ponds that now form a large part of the Brenne national park. The abbey was plundered by Calvinists during the 16th century and wasn't restored until the end of the following century.

Like many religious buildings during the French Revolution, the abbey was partly demolished before being sold as 'national property'.It was eventually brought back into monastic use after being bought by Trappist monks in 1849,thus saving it from any further destruction and commencing its renovation,which included establishing a small distillery.Unfortunately after 50 years of restoration by the Trappist monks it was abandoned by them when external forces meant the monks had to leave for other monasteries in France.

In 1905 it was bought by a Parisian lawyer Louis Bonjean who converted it into,of  all things,a button factory plus ran a newspaper and school from the complex of buildings.

During the first World War it was used as a military hospital and then after as a seminary up until 1948.In the same year it returned to its original use as Benedictine Abbey with the installation of 22 monks from the Abbey of Solesmes. After a great deal of restoration over the years the abbey continued to prosper with its numbers peaking at 70 monks in 2014.Currently there are 60 monks in residence with 10 of them being despatched to bolster numbers at another French monastery.  

something else for the weekend...

Something for the weekend...brocantes Saturday/Sunday 12th./13th September

Brocantes / vide greniers Saturday 12^th Septenber

* Up to 50 stalls ** 50 to 100 stalls *** 100 to 200 stalls ****More than 200 stalls    ? Unknown

LA CELLE SAINT AVANT - Vide-greniers ***

LA RICHE - Vide greniers ****

LANGEAIS  - Vide-greniers / brocante ***

MONTREUIL EN TOURAINE - Vide-greniers ***

TOURS - Vide-greniers quartier Rabelais ***

Brocantes / vide greniers Sunday 13^th Septenber

* Up to 50 stalls ** 50 to 100 stalls *** 100 to 200 stalls ****More than 200 stalls    ? Unknown

LA ROCHE POSAY - Vide-greniers **

AMBOISE -  Brocante vide grenier marché gourmand

AVOINE - Vide-greniers **

CINAIS - Vide-greniers **

LA RICHE - Vide-greniers **

LA VILLE AUX DAMES - Vide greniers *****

MONTLOUIS SUR LOIRE - Vide-greniers ***

NOTRE DAME D'OE - Vide-greniers ****

SAINT AUBIN LE DEPEINT - Vide grenier ***

SAINT AVERTIN - Vide-greniers

SAINTE MAURE DE TOURAINE – Brocante / Vide-greniers ?

SEMBLANCAY - Vide-grange, brocante *****

THILOUZE – Brocante **

TOURS - Vide-Greniers quartier Beaujardin ****

TOURS - Vide-greniers Place Johann Strauss **

VILLEDOMER - Brocante Vide-greniers **

YZEURES SUR CREUSE - Brocante Vide-greniers **