Tag Archives: Cistercian monastery

From Monks to Mona Lisa: L’Abbaye de Loc-Dieu

Posted on 25/08/2019 by nessafrance

Imagine a place the locals dreaded so much that they named it locus diaboli, the devil’s place. A lonely, remote spot near the major trade route between Rodez and Cahors, with dark woods bristling with bandits lying in wait. And … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Places | Tagged Abbaye de Beaulieu en Rouergue, Abbaye de Loc-Dieu, Cistercian monastery, Hundred Years War, Leonard Da Vinci, Mona Lisa, SW France | 12 Comments

Invaders from Inner Space

Posted on 27/02/2013 by nessafrance

What do you think the photo above shows? Discarded asbestos? Tripe during the manufacturing process? Invading aliens from outer space? No, it’s dead algae, as trawled out of the vivier (fishpond) at the local Abbaye de Beaulieu. I took these … Continue reading →