Abbaye de Sablonceaux

This must surely be one of my earliest cultural visits in France: the Abbey of Sablonceaux. Back in early spring 2004, I was still learning the language and part of the deal was to learn about history and culture too. Located somewhere near where I used to live at the French Atlantic Coast, namely the department of Charente-Maritimes (La Rochelle)...we were driven in a coach across the country (route D117) and ended up in this most gothic and dracula castle-like abbey I've ever seen. The fact that it was pretty isolated, unrealistically calm with ravens flocking around its lichen infested bell-tower sends one directly to a scene from a horror movie. But then again, this was not a horror movie and was neither the Eiffel Tower...the whole place has an ancient aura about it and with the sound of ravens squawking over the rural landscape, it really fired up the imagination. On top of it, being secular and socialist, France's very catholic past seems to surge forward in the most unusual of tourism catch: religious retreats! And so, like many other abbeys and monasteries that dot the French guide routard (this one is of the St. Augustin Order), they live on today, reinvented and reborn from their violent religious struggles in the past to become tourist attractions and retreats, the things that France does best.

(The abbey has retreat and sanctuary facilities for French as well as foreign tourists)

At the entrance...

Surrealistic encounter on a sunny spring afternoon. The skeletal remains of winter (lime trees) have yet to sprout their tender spring buds.

Ravens around the bell tower.

A rustic cross casting a long shadow on the lawn of the abbey...

The wind pipe organ was not mounted on the wall like most churches in France...

Redesigned stained glass...after the many violent chapters in her history...

Speckled lights from the stained glass window on the cold stone wall of the abbey.

Gothic clues...

Classic vaulted ceilings...

The impressive bell tower...

Photo ops are always present...

Sisley and Monet-like landscape: the backyard of the abbey.

Visit the abbey at: http://www.abbaye-sablonceaux.com