Little Church on the Valley

     To some, an hour-long lecture regarding Romanesque architecture might not sound like the ideal summer vacation, but when you are able to literally get up from your seat and walk out to an actual, standing example of that lecture, then the idea starts to seem a bit more appealing. The foundations of the our quaint little church were poured in the 13^th century.  It has been attacked and abused over its lifetime, yet the beauty of this grim situation is that Lacoste has taken pride in restoring the structure to appear as it first did so long ago.  The simple design of the church completely relates to the effortlessly beautiful vibe of this area.  The interior contained hanging wall figurines, detailed biblical paintings, and a large cross floating on the back wall supporting a crucified Jesus figure.  The center altar at the front of the church was the star of the sanctuary.  It was a miniature church flowing outwards into a series of skinny spiked columns that remind me of the Gothic era.  The flamboyant details of the altar almost didn't make sense in a church so simple in design.  My favorite part of the church was the various sized stones that made up the exterior frame.  Their pattern created a visual train track of rock that simply made me stare.  The lovely open courtyard contain a few lush trees that provided thick envelopes of shade where visitors can sit and simply get sucked in by the surrounding scenery.  Today there was an unusual haze over the land that blended the colors and textures of the valley into what seemed like a painting.  There was even a statue of snail shells that twirled when a gust of thick, sweet air blew across Lacoste.  As I sat on the stone bench in the courtyard and heard the clock tower strike eleven, I looked up from my notebook and noticed an additional set of mountains that I had never seen before.  They were just peaking over the most dominant set of hills in the foreground.  They seemed to be only a shade against the cloudy, powder blue sky.  They were like another happy little discover, unique and special to this small church resting at the edge of Lacoste.  

~Peace & Cupcakes~