Cluny Abbey
Saturday and Sunday were the annual Journées du Patrimoine when everyone goes out and about to visit places that are not normally open to the public. In Cluny you could see a secret church hidden inside a house and go inside several medieval buildings. Other attractions that normally charge admission were free. We chose to wander round the Haras to see the stables and we visited the Abbey.
We knew there had been a lot of restoration in progress at the Abbey but had no idea of the extent of it. Part of the Abbey floor has been excavated and there is an exhibition of the intricately carved stones that have been unearthed. On the floor above is an exhibition of ancient bibles. It is mind boggling to imagine how much time and toil it took the monks to produce such beautifully illustrated manuscripts.
The virtual reality film shows what the Abbey was like before it was ransacked for its stone. Now, in addition, there are small TV sized screens at various points in the Abbey. You look at the remains which appear on the screen but also pictured is the Abbey as it was and you can’t tell what is real and which is virtual without glancing up again. You can move the screens at different angles and the view will change accordingly. Quite remarkable.
We also enjoyed watching the horse jumping at the Equivallée. We take an added interest now that we ride ourselves (watch this space!). There were competitions for the youngsters from the pony clubs and despite being so small they handled their horses beautifully and were so confident. We carefully noted their technique and hope that we have somehow absorbed some of their riding skills.
Pony Club competition
