those were the days

La Tourette

Many, many, MANY years ago - fall of 1976 to be exact - my best-friend-from-high-school and I found ourselves hitchhiking through France. as part of our great European Adventure. She had a wishlist; I had a wishlist, and one of my priorities was the Monastery of La Tourette.*

*One of my favourite people, ever, was a friend of a friend: James Adams. He was, at that time, a student of Architecture at U.of T. In the course of his studies, he and a friend embarked upon a (sponsored?) sabbatical, with a view to visiting the architectural wonders of Europe. I was an au-pair in France, and later Spain, at the same time, and was lucky enough to share some of that inspiration with them: Notre Dame du Haut, Chinchon, Cuenca. But the rest of those wonders? Noted. For later.

So: later? Me, best friend, thumbs out, France? We arrived at La Tourette  late on an autumn afternoon. We were shown to our "cells". We joined the monks for supper, shared food, wine, conversation. I talked most, as I spoke French. And I have never forgotten the warmth of that refectory, and those people.

In a couple of weeks, my husband and I will be settling into "cells" at La Tourette for a single, special, wonderful, nostalgic night.

I'll let you know how it goes.