26/7/13 (3)

St Emilion the Monk lived in this cave for 17 years without ever leaving to show his devotion to his faith. People would visit him to pray with him & receive absolution. He also had a stone bench/chair that women who were having trouble conceiving could sit on & they would have the miracle of conception bestowed upon them. I was the only one of our group that sat on the stone...watch this space for a miracle!

This is St Emilion...carved into the rock above a stone table of worship.

There is a natural spring in one corner & St Emilion would use these waters to heal the sick & perform other miracles, such as the return of sight to the blind.

 St Emiliom's bed for 17 years...solid rock & no pillow in site. This was how he showed others of his great dedication to his faith & the people grew to respect & revere him.

 The stairs into & out of the cave of St Emilion.

 Wandering through the rest of the village, you can purchase wines, arts & crafts & delicious treats.

 Check out the Hotel...only 1 room across & 1 level down. Very cute.

How's this for a flash outside wine tasting area under the boughs of a grape vine, with the base of the pot being the spittoon.

The view from the ground level of the top Church & looking down over the Market Square.

The view over the rest of the village & down to the wine growing valleys beyond.

A close-up of the narrow streets & beautiful old buildings.

 On top of the underground Monastery someone has planted a rose garden.

This is all that remains of the magnificent 12th Century Palace & the surrounding wall of the cities original main gate. It was destroyed during the French Revolution in the 17th Century.