Fall colours in the Monts d'Ambazac
Sunday was such a lovely sunny day, I decided to go for a drive about to the small neighbouring towns to see what was going on. And well, nothing was going on. It probably didn’t help that it was Remembrance Day but also that I am in rural France so things are not open on Sunday. They actually use that day to take a day of rest. Can you believe it!! Just joking. It is an old tradition for those young ones out there, that has sadly been lost in our ‘work til you drop’ societies.
The little tiny town of Saint-Sylvestre with the prominent church defining its horizon
Anyway, one of the perks however, is that the churches were open. All over this area, it seems, at least in the towns I went into, are churches from the 12 and 13th century. They are simple churches but they are pretty imposing. The sheer size of the buttresses and stones used to make them… does make you wonder if there really has not been some alien life form down here helping us out over the centuries.
I will let the sign speak for itself
Still standing after all those years
So first I stopped in the little town of Saint Sylvestre, which is just down the road from Grandmont. Actually I believe Grandmont is considered within the commune of Saint Sylvestre. In anycase, it is a quaint little town and the road you drive through narrows down to a single lane bordered on either side by imposing stone walls, so you don’t want to have poor driving skills going through there.
You don't want to swerve at this part
I couldn’t find much about the town on the internet but you can tell it has quite the history. I love that the church is named Eglise Saint Sylvestre de Saint Sylvestre – lots of originality there. However, out of the three I saw this day, this one was the most ominous. It is small but inside very old. The walls are covered with green moss and it was cold and dark but clearly still in use. The echoing of my footsteps and being the only one there allowed me to imagine its history and activity of days gone by.
A video that better captures the church in its essence.
The old green tinged stone walls
It was such a strange experience walking in there and looking at its antiquity. The green moss on the walls, the dilapidated confessional booth, the priest’s chair being held up by stones… just so much history sitting in still animation.
The main priest's chair precariously supported
In silence they sit
After wandering about the church and finding a strange peace in that activity, I set out to wander the small area around the church and its little enclave. There was no activity there, just traffic driving through. Where I parked my car were two funky bunkers built into the ground. They look to be being used for storing plants and soil and the like. I had no idea about their history and what they had been used for, but they were certainly interesting.
A bunker or yore or just a useful shed for today
So done with Saint Sylvestre, I headed off towards the bigger village of Ambazac.
As always, I enjoyed this post and the pictures, esp. the one of the bunker, which reminds me somewhat of a Viking dwelling.
Thanks for including that video of the old church, because it gave me the chance to explore the church with you. 🙂 BTW: I love that stained glass window.
I have just one question: did you fall on your knees to say a prayer for us??
Do you need me to pray for you – well with Stephen Harper as Prime Minister all of Canada needs people to pray for it.