A number of
individuals, half sailors and half fishermen, are standing ready to
carry you on their shoulders over the small gully, which is very rarely
quite dry. Entering through the old gate one sees two ancient pieces
of cannon taken from the English, who unsuccessfully laid siege to the
place in 1422. Close to the gate are the two rival inns, which are very
primitive in their arrangement, the entrance hall forming the kitchen,
as in many old Breton houses. A second frowning old gateway leads to the
single street, which, passing between two rows of antique gabled houses,
and under the chancel of the little parish church, conducts one to the
almost interminable flight of stone steps leading to the gateway of
the monastery. Upon ringing the bell a polite lay brother opens the
iron-studded door, and we are admitted into a solemn, vaulted hall, with
another stone staircase opposite. Here we go up and up, to a second
vaulted hall, where, in olden times, we should have had to give up any
arms which we were carrying.
Pages:
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128