Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert - "Situated in a valley near Montpellier in southern France, the Benedictine abbey of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert was founded in 804 by Guilhem (Guillaume) au Court-Nez, duke of Aquitaine and a member of Charlemagne's court."
Open and vulnerable
One of the most stunning areas that we have visited. Even the drive to this village was beautiful.
The trail up the mountain from the village was unevenly cobbled most of the way. It was created by the monks over many years. Eventually the path petered out and became quite a climb to get to the ruin at the top. We did not finish the hike as we weren't equipped with the correct footwear.
Even though we did not quite get to the top, the views were incredible.
Later, after something to drink and eat in the central square, we walked down into the little village.
It's rather commercial - there's a community of artists living there selling their wares. I don't begrudge them their industry, but (for me) it kinda spoilt the authenticity somewhat.
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| Should we go further? |
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| Wrong footwear for the climb! |
On the drive there and back -
