Abbaye Sainte-Marie-du-Désert, France

What a horrible, cold, wet and windy day it was today - nothing like you are having up north though ... sun is back tomorrow apparently, which is nice, as I'm off to Bordeaux.

The Cistercian Abbey of Sainte Marie du Désert was founded in the 12th Century.
In 1109, Marie Desclassan, a young noblewoman retreated to the valley of L'Herm to live the life of a hermit, where she died in 1117.

Her tomb then became a place of pilgrimage, where the chapel was built.
The chapel was saved from the ravages of the 100 Years War, but was destroyed, as many religious and historical building were, during The French Revolution.

There has been a community of Cistercian monks in place since 1852.

The Abbey is open for visits and for prayers, and is also open for those wanting to partake in a retreat or that want to stay in the Abbey among the monks.

Right next to the Abbey, were two graves of resistance fighters, One here and one here killed by French Milice and the Gestapo - over a month after the Normany Landings, answering the call to arms of Général DeGaul.

The French Milice, were more fervent and enthusiastic in deporting Jews, homosexuals and Communists, and killing French resistance fighters than the Germans ever were ... shameful...