Narbonne and the Fontfroide Abbey

Our next port of call was Montpellier or Sete, France.  Irv and I went for an excursion to the small town of Narbonne which lies about 8 miles inland from the Mediterranean.  Our bus ride took us through fields and fields of grapes.  This region is famous for its sweet wines made with Muscat grapes.

Romans found the town in 118 BC.  At that time it was a bustling port city and over the centuries it was seized by many armies until it eventually became part of the French crown in the early 16th century.

We ventured into the medieval courtyard that house the mayor's office.  Another door I admired.

A glimpse of one of the cathedral's bell towers behind this building.

City Hall has this bronze sculpture of the she wolf with Romulus and Remus.  It was a gift to the city in 1982 from Rome to commemorate Narbonne being the first Roman colony outside of Italy founded 2100 years ago.

First glimpse of the Cathedral of Saint-Just.  

Construction began in 1272 and only the choir was ever completed.

You gotta love the gargoyles!

Such an complex design with the various roofs and spires.

Every church in Europe has an amazing organ.

The stained glass and ceiling were amazing.

Of course everything is gilded in gold.

Our Lady of Bethlehem statue from the 14th century.

I can't quite imagine the size of this cathedral if it had ever been finished since this is just the choir.  Our tour guide said it was never finished because of disagreements between the bishops and city mayor.  More than likely, I think a lack of funds is what caused a lot of the churches in Europe never to be finished.  They are so massive.  I have a hard time imagining how the were built all those years ago without the aid of heavy machinery.

After touring the cathedral we had time to walk around the city center.  They were decorating for Christmas.  The tour guide said they built that platform for the Christmas tree over the top of the original Roman ruins which are normally covered with plexiglass so you can view them.

I loved the tree lined walkway along the canal.  They were also setting up the Christmas Market, but it wasn't open yet.  Apparently other parts of the world don't start celebrating Christmas until December arrives.

The Canal de la Robine.  I love the house that is built on the bridge.

The canal is a series of waterways that runs through the south of France and connects to the Mediterranean.

In the city center there is also a farmer's market that I was really looking forward to exploring.  We were there before noon and except for a few booths it wasn't open yet.  Things get moving slower in France and from what we could understand it doesn't get into full swing until 2:00 p.m.

Our next stop was the lunch and winery at the Fontfroide Abbey.

We were served an amazing lunch of fish and black rice and their local wines.  Lunch is a slow process in France also, it took about two hours.  We sat with a group of ladies from Georgia and a couple from South Dakota.  

Next was a self-guided tour of the Abbey Sainte-Marie de Fontfroide which actually turned out to be one of my favorite things on this trip.

It was founded in 1093 as a Cistercian Monastery.

In 1348 the community was almost decimated by the Black Death.

It was disbanded in 1791 because of the French Revolution.  It was re-founded in 1858 by another group of monks that were eventually exiled to Spain.

The abbey was abandoned in 1901.  In 1908 it was purchased by a couple artists who bought it to protect the sculptures from falling into the hands of an American collector.  It was used as an artistic venue for many years.

I loved the simplicity of it compared to other European churches.

I was wondering how those monks kept the place warm on the cool winter days.  The only fireplace I saw was one that was added recently (a century ago).

I especially enjoyed the cloister.  I think I need a cloister at my house.

We were able to venture upstairs to the monk's sleeping quarters.  Very simple and sparse.

The Cyprus trees are such a symbol of France.  Reminds me of Van Gogh's Stary Night painting.

The current owners operate the Abbey as a winery.  

I don't know if it would be a blessing or a curse to have the money to purchase an ancient abbey.  Can you imagine the upkeep costs?

The wall that surrounds the Abbey.  It also had a moat.  I guess nobody was safe back in the day.

Center courtyard with the water well.

A cross overlooks the abbey from the top of the hill.

Possible painting?

Hmm...wonder what this was for.

We had a fabulous time wondering around at our leisure.  I am obsessed with European churches and their histories so I hope you don't get tired of all my photos.  Many more are yet to come from this trip.

Next stop...Marseille, France.