L'Ancient Couvent
The Old Convent is owned and run by Ursus and Sheila. We first stayed with them at the end of the summer of 2004 and were happy there, especially at table! Their guest house was until recently a convent and each room is named for the nun who lived there. It is in the tiny village of Nozières, set high in the mountains of Central France, a wild and beautiful region, Ardèche.
Here you see Lorenzo watching Ursus at work in the kitchen.
http://anciencouvent.nozieres.org/
I admire Ursus for his excellent cooking and like him for his witty conversation! He was a theatre man in Lyon and his family comes from Alsace, which is why he has the German name Ursus - "bear" - as in Ursus Major (there's nothing Minor about my friend!)
Wijjie visiting Bernadette, the owner of the local bistrot, herself a mean cook (notice her impressive collection of antique irons in the background).
There have been several return visits to the Ancien Couvent since then. The second was on New Year's Day 2006, with August who was just two months old. Here you see him looking rather like a mini-monk who strayed into the nunnery, quite a bon-vivant sort of monk, which may explain his presence.
The most recent visit was in spring of 2008. This time August was two and a half years old and already setting off on the road of life!
August taking the early morning sun in the doorway of the Old Convent
On the way to the convent, we discovered the town of Saint Flour, carved in dark stone and perched atop the remains of an eroded volcano.
We stopped in Saint Flour for lunch. August is very fond of haricots verts (green beans) so we ordered a serving just for him.
We also went through the town of Puy-en-Velay, set in a charming valley...
...and built around a mighty pinnacle bearing its ancient Cathedral.
On the road south we saw this Belgian family who seemed particularly well-equipped for their campsite stay on the Côte d'Azur!
We passed by the very picturesque, and spectacularly situated, provençal village of Gordes...
...and after several hours driving eastward came to another "perched" village, Moustiers Sainte-Marie. These medieval towns were built on hilltops to withstand the attacks of marauding Saracens, or Moors.
Moustiers has much local charm going for it - plus some amazing monuments and history!
The word "moustiers" is old French for "monastery". The town was the home of a Crusader who was held captive many years in the Holy Land. The houses overhang either side of a deep chasm, and the foot bridge you see above leads to the chapel the crusading knight built upon his return, in thanks to the Holy Virgin.
It's a long walk up, but it's worth it!
The Crusader vowed, if freed, to hang a great gold-plated star on a chain spanning the gorge, above the chapel (which we see at the bottom of the picture). It has hung there ever since, although the original has had to be replaced many times with replicas. This star has become the spectacular symbol of the village, but unfortunately it doesn't show up well in photographs. You can see it here in silhouette, the black dot in the middle of the great cloud. The chain is barely perceptible, but if you look closely enough you'll see it too.
SEILLANS
Then we reached our destination, high in the Var department, the village of Seillans (pronounced SAY-on). It is also very beautiful, and full of provençal charm. But it is special for me because I spent several years here, way back in the early 80's.
The Place de la République is a fine place to enjoy the late-March sunshine...
This "platane" or shade tree has literally wrapped itself around the balustrade looking down on the Place du Touron.
I lived in this ancient provençal house, 25 years ago. The ground floor is the studio and workshop of painter and silk-screen artist Sylviane Leibovitz, who prints her own designs on cloth. Her daughter Emilie takes care of the boutique where the creations are on sale.
Sylviane and me, sharing breakfast served by the very cosy Hotel des Deux Rocs, on the belvedere overlooking the hills. As you can see, Seillans is an enchanting place!
...while Emilie walked August and Valentino in front of the hotel.
Not far from Seillans is the Monastery of Le Thoronet, abandoned after the Revolution and now a museum. It is one of the most impressive examples of the sober, masterfully simply architecture of the Cistercian Order, which spread all over Christendom. Since I first discovered this mystical spot a quarter century ago, it has been my very favourite building in the world, which is to say quite a lot!
The stone is sculpted as if by a spatula in putty, and without a single concession to adornment. Yet, the effect is warm and radiant. It soothes the mind and liberates the soul, at the same time...
A great Englishman said "we make our buildings and then our buildings make us", and by the same token, the Cistercian abbeys were their own best preachers.
The cloister...
...with Wijjie and August waving "Au revoir" on the roof!
