Welcome to my first post for the 2014 A to Z Blogging Challenge. This year my Theme is "For the Love of France" and will be heavy on photos/images. If you
seek to distract yourself from everyday life and fly away to places and spaces
unknown, venture out to the masses of other blogs participating at: http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/p/a-to-z-challenge-sign-uplist-2014.html
You don’t have to sign up, just scroll until you hit the list. With over 1600
of us, there IS something there for everyone!
ASPET is a quaint
town (950 population) tucked into a small valley in the Saint-Gaudens district
of the Haute-Garonne department (county) of the Midi-Pyrenees region of France.
Though small, it sports farms, shops, bakeries, ruins, and a unique historic
church/chapel with a drive through. Picturesque and quiet, Aspet (pronounced Ahsspeh)
is a perfect place for a weekend of great eating, easy hiking, (we went
mushroom hunting and ate them for dinner), and deep restful sleep. The countryside
is easy to navigate and dotted with historical towns, forts or churches/cathedrals.
We stayed a long weekend with some friends who keep a house there for just that
purpose. We had homemade omelet’s with our hand-picked mushrooms, Cassoulet
with freshly baked bread, and MMMM . We also partook at a little jewel of a
restaurant hidden deep in the folds and valleys of the Pyrenees. For more
information on Aspet visit: http://www.francethisway.com/places/a/aspet-haute-garonne.php
The sight of Flaran Abbey takes adjusting to when you’ve
only seen abbeys in photos or ruins. Perfectly preserved/restored (numerous
times, most recently in 1972), Flaran Abbey is tranquil yet thriving not only
with history but also with art. Walking in the long gardens or on hand made
wooden floor tiles, gazing at massive stairwell walls covered with drawings and
paintings of all kinds, and touring the kitchen, chapel and museum had our
senses on overdrive. Seeing the identifying marks left on purpose from the individual
masons who restored the massive interior pillars and archways illuminated their
talent and dedication. Light playing across expanses of stone tiles, tiny
hidden staircases, and reading the history of the abbey, built in 1151 AD, sent
my imagination into divergent flights of fancy. If only walls could speak… For
more information visit: http://www.brouquere.com/visit/abbaye-de-flaran_en.htm
Welcome to my first post for the 2014 A to Z Blogging Challenge. This year my Theme is "For the Love of France" and will be heavy on photos/images. If you
seek to distract yourself from everyday life and fly away to places and spaces
unknown, venture out to the masses of other blogs participating at: http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/p/a-to-z-challenge-sign-uplist-2014.html
You don’t have to sign up, just scroll until you hit the list. With over 1600
of us, there IS something there for everyone! 
