Last weekend...

...I went missing!

Too much stress meant that my oh & I were really struggling with day to day things so we went to spend a couple of nights at Mount St Bernard Abbey in Leicestershire.

It's a beautiful, tranquil place where you can shed your worries, although the routine might not be to everybody's liking! We go to a few of the Offices, including the early morning Vigil which starts at 3am. Bed time is 8pm, after Compline.

Took a few pics...

The guesthouse - our room is the 1st floor corner room...



The Church from the side (guesthouse is to the right)



and from the front...

A few years ago (well, the early 60s actually!) one of the monks decided his vocation was to live in solitude as a hermit, so he found an old duck shed in the monastery grounds & got permission to live there. He lived there until his death a couple of years ago, no electricity, no bathroom/toilet. He collected his food (raw veg) from the monastery every morning and cooked it in his shed on a small primus stove. This is how he lived...





He was in his 90s when he died, but was never ill!

lovely, but I miss it there!

Looks lovely. Were you on a retreat there?

Sort of.

Some time to relax and let the stress go. But we also have a couple of long term friends who are monks there.

We all need a break away sometimes Caryll, and I'm not surprised that with your moving house upheaval you needed one!

The Abbey and surroundings look beautiful, and the hermit's little home looks - interesting!

I hope you both feel all the better for your holiday

It was a lovely weekend, but over too soon.

The hermit's shed is certainly interesting! Earth floor, corrugated iron roof & no amenities - I certainly couldn't live like it!

Beautiful!
I could definitely not live in a duck shed.

My mum and dad had a week away with only them, every year. You have to have some time together to reconnect.

It's nice to spend some time with just the two of us (not easy when you have a family!), but it was mainly so that we could let the strain go. Because of the move we've had to cancel our holiday this year & we'd really been looking forward to it.

Which order were the Monks from Caryll?

They're Cistercians of the Strict Observance. They wear white robes with a black surplice & are an enclosed order.

It looks lovely and peaceful there. It's good to just get away from everything for a few days

Oh that is beautiful.

Lovely hope you had a good time xx

Looks gorgeous there hope you enjoyed it!