Small break

We've just had a small break to go again to the Bach à Pâques festival in St Maixent L'Ecole. The town where we stayed was not a picturesque as where we stayed before, but the food at the hotel was better and it was very convenient to St Maixent, which was nice after the evening concerts. This time we went to three concerts, the first Friday evening, then Saturday afternoon and evening. Following the Saturday evening concert, we went to a free concert in a tiny church, St Eanne, out in the country. This 11C church fell down at some point and has been reassembled. We're not sure exactly when or why it fell or it it's been reassembled on the same site or not. It seems to be privately owned; we haven't been able to find any information about it yet it tour books or on the web.

Saturday morning, we walked around the town where we were staying, then drove down to Melle, where we saw the beautiful St Hilaire on our last visit. Here it is glimpsed from the roadside:

We went into town to visit St Savinien, build 11C&12C, the oldest of Melle's churches. This church was used as a prison from the beginning of the 19C and into the 20C.

The west façade is the oldest part. Much of the old carving has disappeared through the centuries, limestone not being one of your harder rocks, but there are still some interesting things visible.

Just over the door is a pair of lions facing each other.

The interior is completely empty, and has a high rather flattened barrel vault ceiling.

On our next visit to this festival, we'll visit the last of the old churches in Melle.

When we returned, we found a zillion cherry tomato plants coming up where last year's crop stood. (There's lettuce over most of this space now.) Of course there were three kinds and you can't really tell what you've got from the babies. We might rescue a few for ourselves and give away some to anyone who'd like some indeterminate cherry tomatoes.

Pogo's foot is doing much better. We're continuing with the antibiotics, but have stopped with the painkillers.

Rain has been forecast all weekend, but there's hardly been a drop. Thunderstorms rolled by to the south of us today, leaving us dry. But there's still a chance this evening and in the coming days.