Some Pictures from France

Three of my brothers on a shadowy street in Amiens, our first stop (after Beauvais). The Cathedral of Amiens is roughly double the size of Notre Dame in Paris.

The reputed relic of St. John the Baptist's head, and the great treasure of the Cathedral of Amiens. I'm sure there are more than a few stories about this, especially since at least two other churches in the world claim the same relic.

The abbey church of St. Ouen in Rouen. We're enjoying some "vin, pain, fromage et jambon", or wine, bread, cheese, and ham for our lunch.
One of the most moving days of the trip: Omaha Beach.

From the causeway to a great pilgrim shrine: Le Mont-Saint-Michel. Thankfully, religious life has been restored at this ancient abbey by the Monastic Fraternity of Jerusalem, who celebrate Mass in the abbey church at noon every day.

In front of the great Cathedral of Chartres, in the evening. Magnificent.

One of the rooms in the famous Chateau of Blois, in the Loire Valley. Each room was more exquisite than the next.

The Benedictine Abbey of Notre Dame de Fontgombault. The Abbey Church dates to the 11th Century; of course, it has been destroyed and rebuilt many times, thanks to the vicissitudes of French history.

Taking a walk in Fontgombault.

The small chapel across the Creuse River, where the original monks (with their founder Petrus a Stella) established their communal life roughly 1000 years ago.