We visited the Abbey in Saint-Hilaire, with just 770 residents of the village, this morning. We visited several years ago when we were the only visitors and it was free. Now there is a small charge and there were several other visitors. We enjoyed it even more, with signs guiding the way and explaining the history. The abbey was built in the 8th century. The abbey enjoyed prosperity until the 13th century, but suffered devastation of the Hundred Years War, Black Death, and periods of famine. In 1531, the monks of Saint-Hilario discovered the first effervescent wine in the world. After a long decline, the abbey closed in 1748.
We drove about 20 km north of Saint-Hilaire to have lunch at Chateau Pennautier. Every course was beautifully presented and we ate too much, but we enjoyed it!
