Ambialet has, what I call, light up night. Different colored lights are placed throughout the town at certain monuments, such as the monastery that we live in. On this particular night, the history of Ambialet and some other French history was told in sync with the lighting display. This night was also interesting because the town was filled with mayflies. It was mating time for them, so thousands of mayflies were under the light of the lamp posts throughout the town.
The next day we went on our first field trip. I like to call it a pilgrimage because we visited churches and saw relics that were part of pilgrimage routes hundreds of years ago. This field trip was also part of our class. It sure beats sitting in a room for 2 hours. Our excursions were to Saint Bertrand de Comminges: a Roman city and Gothic cathedral and Saint Just de Valcabrere Basilica.
Saint Bertrand was amazing because it is this small town nestled in a mountain, accented by the St. Bertrand Cathedral. This town dates back to roman times, where 20,ooo people used to inhabit it. Below this town are ruins of one of the first Roman civilizations in France.
The Saint Just de Valcabrere Basilica is a neat little church that sits in a grave yard of priests and bishops. It is only a mile away from Saint Bertrand. There is a tomb of relics at the front of this church that is viewable by the public. This was a long day for the four of us, our guides, and professor.
