July 26, 2025
Temple of Lenleff
Lanleff’s temple is a pink sandstone ruin in Brittany. It is a round church said to be reminiscent of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
The exact age and the exact usage of this building are unknown. The earliest known references to the building date back to 1148, when the Lord of Châtelaudrien donated it to the Benedictine monastery of Saint-Magloire de Léhon. Although not confirmed, it is likely to date back to the early 11th century.
Only a few parts of the church remain. Two out of three chapels and parts of the exterior wall. The structure was built in a primitive Romanesque style and consists of two concentric walls separated by a corridor. Twelve ornamented pillars support a series of arches.
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More than 140 decorative elements can be seen in the ornamentation of the capitals and the bases of the columns. These include geometric motifs, animals, and people. One of the better-known pieces at the temple is known as “modest Adam.”
A reproduction of Modest Adam
A reproduction of a column capital called Courtship
A reproduction of a column capital with Adam and Eve
A reproduction of the column capital titled The Projection?
Hydrangeas are everywhere at this time of year
Driving to Mont Saint Michel
The town of Cancale as the tide goes out
Oyster beds off the tip of Cancale with Mont Saint-Michel in the background on a cloudy day
Oysters are everywhere in this part of France. Normandy is the largest oyster and mussel farming region in France and a huge part of their economy. It is easy to pull off to the side of the row and find a myriad of places offering oysters and other seafood. Should you arrive after closing, there are still options.
Thank you Susan for grabbing this show while I was inside drooling over the fresh oysters anticipating lunch.
In case you have no taste for oysters, there is always an instant pizza machine somewhere.
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Moulin de Moidrey, a Norman windmill