France 173 - Moissac - if Carlsburg made cloisters/from the Crusaders in Jerusalem to the Chagall stained glass window/from the washing of the feet to the wedding at Cana

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From Crusaders entering Jerusalem to Chagall stained glass and from the washing of feet to the Wedding at Cana in Galilee we had seen the lot today. Gabby was still parked on the town aire and we had been inside the abbey church . Now it was time to see what was described as the most complete and perfect cloister in France if not the whole of the world .

The cloisters or so we had read were particularly early , particularly beautiful and comprised of arcades of single and double columns with decorated capitals . Of the 76 columns half were Biblical stories or episodes in the lives of the saints . The remaining columns featured anything and everything about creation . Described as decoratives the columns completed in 1100 comprised of flowers , leaves , trees, animals , fishes and geometrical designs .

We paid our 8 euros entry fee . Again no reduction for being a senior . France does not do seniors. There are reductions for the under 11's, the 12 - 17 year olds , the handicapped and the unemployed . We did not have to wear masks . It felt entirely normally to be here maskless . As if Covid had not happened at all. We entered into the north gallery . Each gallery had three large columns which depicted a saint . The first pillar was St John and the last Saint Andrew. Halfway along as pillar decorated with waves . Without our blue guide book we would have had little idea who the saints were . However the book did distract from taking in the details of the columns . In between we spied angels slaying dragons, eagles , fantastic birds , the Heavenly Court , the miraculous catch of fish . There was Daniel in the lions den, the Crusaders , Jesus and the samaritan woman and hebrews in the fiery furnace .

Across the cloister we could hear a guide with a loud piercing voice which punctuated the silence . In a way she spoilt the atmosphere of calm as her voice resounded and seemed to echo off the walls.

We turned the corner into the east gallery where this time Saint Peter was our first saint, a bishop in the middle and Saint James bringing up the rear . We stopped off at the Saint Ferreol Chapel and the Sainte Marthe chapel where items which had no home were kept. Broken fragments of stone, capitals without a home and mosaic floors . A capitular room again full of items that were perhaps from the gallery but no-one knew where to put them. The capitals just kept on coming Samson and the Lion , original sin, acanthus leaves and Dragons gripping heads . The last chapel we visited contained the Chagall window. After coming out of that chapel we continued to Wedding at Cana , the adoration of the Magi and the annunciation . The stories just kept on coming .

We walked around the next corner and arrived at the south gallery where again we were met with the columns and their stories . Saint Matthew started us on our journey , a column of red marble in the middle and Saint Paul bringing up the rear. From the gallery we could see the grass in the middle and one lonely tree. If anything was missing it was perhaps flowers or medicinal herbs . A display of spring flowers would have been quite perfrect . As we walked along the gallery we saw the beheading of St John the Baptist , the Dream of Nebuchadnezzer Acanthus leaves , the story of the good samaritan and the Baptism of Christ .

It was at this point we had reached the loud guide and made a quick escapt into the Top Room . A room reached by a spiral staircase which opened out to reveal what must have been the bell tower at some point. The roof was intricately carved stone, a bell weight engraved with the initial R stood in the middle . The bell was missing but the wooden contraption that housed it stood in a corner . A glass window overlooked the church below. We could see the church from a different angle . High above the altar . Funny how we did see this when we stood below.

We climbed back down the stairs and entered the last part of the cloisters . Our guide shouting facts to her audience was just in front of us . We were on the west gallery with Saint Paul the first saint , Saints Simon and Ansquitil in the middle and St Batholomew at the far end . Skirting round the guide who sounded like she was shooting bullets we passed Abrahams sacrifice, the glorification of the cross Daniel in the lions den and the Beatitudes . There were so many saints , so many stories that it was hard to remember or see them all .

Was it the most beautiful cloister in France? Was it the most beautiful in the world? Probably . If Carlsburg made cloisters then they certainly would have made this one .

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