PART ONE OF TWO
My objective was to see and take pictures of the tomb of Eleanor of Aquitaine, which is supposed to have been modeled from her actual likeness later in life.
So imagine my face when, on arrival, I learned that the abbey was closed for a private function. "But," said the nice lady selling tickets discounted to help me cope with my disappointment, "it may reopen in an hour if they can remove their equipment (a stage with sound and light) in time."
That gave me hope. Smiles all around suggested my face brightened, but the entry price did not go back up. I was ready to go help them get their stuff out of the abbey if I needed to, but first I did take some pictures of the setting of this abbey which is completely surrounded by a small town in a small valley, a tributary valley to the Loire Valley.
After entering the abbey property, these are some scenes immediately at hand:
That was looking straight and left, now looking right the towers of the original kitchens are visible (the brochure indicated they were not used much, made into storage rooms by later occupants who set up a smaller kitchen).
In the center of the above photo, there is a central entrance:
Walking into this entrance allows an overview of the prayer walk gardens, with its sheltered circumferential walkway to allow walking and meditating or praying:
We will now walk in the sheltered walkway:
Since there was a need to spend some more time outside, some flowers lend their colorful selves to a photo or two:
Now it is time to check and see if one can enter the abbey yet, and that will take another page to determine.
Visit St Malo and Mont Saint Michel (this same trip) 
Go to page giving French destinations 
Go to ThoughtsandPlaces. Org home page
