View of the village from the cottage where my wife and I lived.
The front of our cottage, which consisted of 3 floors, was quite cozy. It was fully stocked with utelsils and cookware. It was located directly across the street from the Abbey and a cathedral. We opened the windows at night -- something that we rarely do back in Florida. The cool night air lead to great sleep. A fairly large bat flew in on a couple of occassions but left after a few minutes!
The Abbey. This structure was built in the 11th century. Students stayed in the top floor, classes were held on the 2nd floor, and the 1st floor consisted of a dining hall and large kitchen. Only a small portion of the Abbey was utilized for the Village Progam.
Viiew of the Abbey grounds from the 2nd floor. Horses and goats roamed the area and served as natural maintenance for the grass.
A surprise hot aire balloon graces the village just above the Abbey grounds.
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One of the goats on the Abbey property - very friendly!
The cathedral across the street from our cottage. The bells began to ring at 7:00 a.m., a useful and quite beautuful wake-up call. One a week, a local high school choir practiced in the chruch, a predictable soothing treat in the late afternoon. We also witnessed a wedding ceremony outside the church which included the explosive ringing of church bells that resounded throughout the valley (an exquisite thumped up version of the 7:00 bells) and a large band. The wedding drew in many townspeople and tourists to catch a glimpse of the ceremony.
A view of the main gate to the Abbey taken from our 3rd floor window. I entered through the large iron gate en route to teaching my class. The students used the small gate to the left (called the "Hobbitt Gate") given its size.
One of the homes down the street from our residence.
A history and outline of the Village of Pontlvoy posted near the village center.
A delightful creek in the village en route to the wonderful wine and cheese shop a few blocks away from our cottage.
Our kitchen. It had a small refrigerator (far right), clothes washer (middle), and a dishwasher (which we never used). It lacked a dryer. We prepared many, many meals here using fresh, local food. An outdoor market consisting of several food trucks was open every Wednesday until 7:00 p.m. selling excellent vegatables, poultry, meat, and cheese.
One of the many beautiful flower displays on one of the of Pontlevoy.
An incredible bakery a few blocks from our cottage. Going there was almost a daily event. The desserts were all made at the bakery, and many of the chef's creations were sold in Paris.
A picture of me sitting outside the bakery on a glorious evening waiting for the pizza restaurant (O Peche Mignon) to open. Excellent pizza!
The pharmacy in town was invaluable, helping many faculty and students with various ailments. They closed for a few hours during the day but stayed open until 7:00.
Celebrating my birthday at Auberge de L'Ecole Rrestaurant with my wife, Donna. The dinner was wonderful. The Marx's (see image on the right) also prepared a delicious birthday lunch for me the following afternnoon at their cottage -- a wonderful time!
Dr. Morris Marx (former president of UWF) and his wife Sally in thier cottage. Sitting down is Joe Samuelson who taught art history and created his own art inspired by life in the village. Morris is in the middle of telling one of his entertaining stories. The Marx's had weekly gatherings at their cottage for students and faculty and were great companions for us during our time in France.
An image of the onset of fall in Pontlevoy.
Le Commerce restaurant and bar. Students and faculty ate lunch there for free on weekdays as guests of the program. One meal was served daily and the food was quite good. The owner, Julien, was very nice and was a source of assistance to all of us. He allowed students to use his Wifi to assist with completing various course assignments wneh they wished to work outsidde the confines of the Abbey.
Early morning in Pontlevoy on our last day. We didn't want to leave!
My wife Donna waiting for a cab to take us to Montrichard, the nearest train station about 15 minutes away.