We had a dreary start to our day, with light rain falling. About 10 this morning, Papa announced he wanted to visit an abbey. We decided on Flaran Abbey, about 40 minutes from Saint-Clar. I checked to see if it was open, because today is a French National Holiday, All Saints Day, and most everything is closed. Flaran Abbey opened on it’s regular schedule. The drive to get there was through absolutely beautiful country. There were very few cars, and we felt we had the place to ourselves.
“Flaran Abbey is a former Cistercian Abbey located near Valence-sur-Baise. The abbey was founded in 1151, by Burgundian monks and is one of the best preserved abbeys in France.” The abbey houses a permanent exhibition on the pilgrimage route de Santiago de Compostelle, and three art exhibits, with an impressive collection of original art by well known French artists.
We stopped in Valence-sur-Baise, where the only thing open was Eglise Saint Jean Baptiste, built in the 15th century. It has an unusual interior, with a creamy white carved alter backdrop and contemporary stained glass.
The drive back to Saint-Clar was prettier than the drive over, as the sun was shining the whole way. One of my favorite things about France are the rows of plane trees lining sections of highways. We drove through miles of plane trees, turning shades of orange and yellow. Just beautiful!
