Today we visited the Abbaye de Valmagne. It was founded in the year 1139, and was once one of the richest abbeys in the south of France. It is also among the most ancient Domaines in the Languedoc – the Cistercians being expert in wine growing.
– Every summer the Abbey hosts a music festival.
It was a beautiful and contemplative place having something of the Alhambra about it. These are some thoughts/sketches from my visit, which in time with the help of my photographs ,I will use to write a poem to add to my growing Laungedoc collection
– In the Abbaye de Valmagne a ghost hung on my shoulder, shadowing me in the pale light of the cloisters, dipping its fingers in the icy spring pool and smoothing the velvet moss that dripped from the fountain.Together we stepped in pools of buttery light under rose tinted stone.
In the long high nave we whispered of cool places where candles flicker and splutter in the east winds.In the garden we touched quince and cardoons, held lavender, honeysuckle and bay under our noses.
In the evening we sat by pink geraniums in green urns, and …tous les vendredis de l’ete we drank Domain de Valmagne and listened to Chopin and Gershwin
Hello Avril
I like your notes here which truly look like poems in the making. With these, and your photographs you have a bank of inspiration to take home to the cooler territory of England to allow your ‘Languedoc Collection’ to flourish.
I have a post about the Abbaye which I’ve not yet put up. The place made me feel langourous with the beauty but sad about the death and destructuion that happened there.
I was wondering how our blogs will change tone now we’ve returned from such heat and beauty to cooler delights at home.
How lucky I was to have such an inspirational writing friend for those unforgettable months in the Languedoc.
W
Wendy -looking forward to reading your post about the Abbaye – loved your recent post about the walk to La Guingette along the banks of the Herault river – lush writing for a lush landscape.
I wonder too about how our blogs might change but I’m hoping that, for a while at least, coming home means that we will see things afresh just like we did when we were in Agde and I think that is always good for a writer.
Many thanks for our inspirational and, as you say, unforgettable time together -in the Languedoc and for all the support and inspiration you have given me over the years on my journey to becoming a writer.
A x