From Bordeaux we took a day trip by train to Saint-Émilion by train. Another central wine region in the area. The town was named after a monk who settled in a hermitage carved into the rock there in the 8th century. Monks who followed soon after set-up wine production in the area.
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| At the train station |
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| Vineyards skirting the town |
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| Pretty vital to this particular town |
Eliane, Rob's aunty, had given us a fantastic recommendation to visit the catacombs and underground church at Saint-Émilion. We took a great tour on the town's underground heritage and the monolithic church was one of the most amazing churches I have ever seen. The underground part was so vast and huge pillars were needed for support. Incredible that prior to the 12th century they decided to carve out so much limestone from a cliff to create the underground part of the church. What a feat! The rest of the town was made using the limestone which made the whole process much more efficient and cheaper than finding building materials elsewhere. It was a very unique church and I was left with my jaw dropping at the scale of the excavation and the sense of a place full of stories. It was also nice to be somewhere where photos were strictly forbidden. It created a very different feel to the tour.
The tour guide also showed us Trinity Chapel and its frescoes, as well as the catacombs. Uncovered in 1997, the frescoes dated from the 13th century but were well preserved under soot from when the building was used by a cooper. Our tour was very well timed because the rain perfectly coincided with our time underground.
Saint-Émilion definitely has edge over other historical European towns I have visited! Aside from the church and fascinating history, there is something very mystical about having so much underground space. Even better that some of the area can be used to store and mature wine.
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| The belltower sits above the underground church |
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| The bottom of the church: sure it is a little person, but look at the scale of things! |
Whilst there, we also went up the bell tower for an excellent view of the town, wandered around the tiny lanes, saw several other monuments scattered around town, tried a different sort of macaron,visited a chateau and had lunch on the square. A lovely time to remember fondly!
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| View of town from the bell tower |
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| View of the bell tower from a grand arch way |
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| Tricky but lovely terrain |
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| Can this be my house? |
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| The Great Wall |
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| King's Tower |
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| The entrance to our new house? |
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