A visit to the Abbey

Whenever we're back home in Italy we go to the nearby abbey whether it's to get something from the pharmacy, the monastery shop, visit the church or just wander around the grounds. This time I wanted to see what was going on in the cloister and inner courtyard gardens and to buy some honey and other items.

The gatehouse

Entrance to the inner courtyard, inner monastery buildings, library and cloister

Entrance to the library

The Chapter House

Stained glass window in the Chapter House - St. Benedict

Stained glass window in the Chapter House - St. Bernard of Clairvaux

                            The cloister garden had been cleared ready for putting in the bedding plants.

                    This is the cloister garden as it looks in the Summer months planted out with salvia.

March 2014

Summer 2011

Going through the cloister and down some steps there's another garden which leads to the monastery herb garden, allotments and vineyards. Since the last visit the trees have been cut back and it looks as if drilling is going on to create an artesian well.

Finally we went into the monastery shop and bought some honey and a bottle of herbal liqueur (elixir of San Bernardo).

Italy: the garden in March

Early morning during our recent time in Italy.  There had been an overnight frost that particular night. Thankfully, it didn't last long, which was a good thing as the night before a nephew, who lives next to us along the lane, came to give him a hand to cut up some wood for the fire and for storing.

Nearby our neighbours were doing the same and thinning out some of the patches of woodland.

Another task was to prune some of the fruit trees and vines (some of the old branches and last year's growth) and mend the wires and some of the supporting posts on the pergola. 

The remaining vine branches and some young fruit trees were then tied to the wire supports using flexible young willow shoots. 

The cut vine branches are bundled up, stored so that they dry out and then used for kindling. 

The two bay trees by the front drive had been shaped into three balls, but as they were growing too high to trim safely it was decided to cut the top ones off.

It's always satisfying when all these routine seasonal tasks are completed and the garden looks tidy again.  In between there are some simple lunches with delicious food and last year's new wine to enjoy.

Frappe or crespelle are sweet pastries eaten just before Lent at Carnevale(Lent 1st Thursday)