Sunday, May 2, 2010

Author finds the lodging divine

Author finds the lodging divine

Author finds the lodging divine

Posted: 01 May 2010 04:58 PM PDT

Trish Clark, 64, recently published her second volume of "Good Night and God Bless: A Guide to Convent & Monastery Accommodation in Europe" (Hidden Spring, $24.99). Both volumes are about traveling inexpensively by lodging at religious guesthouses; the new one covers places in France, Britain and Ireland. Clark is an Australian living in Sydney.

Q. Your new guide is 360 pages. Are there that many places?

I cover 500 in all. They're spread out from Scotland to the French Riviera. Some are in terrific locations in the center of towns. Maison St.-Pierre-Julien Eymard, for instance, is in Paris and very near the Arc de Triomphe. It's mid-1800s, inexpensive, and is run by the Blessed Sacrament Fathers.

Q. How does an American vacationer do this?

It's best to reserve your stay before you leave, especially in summer. The book provides contact information - e-mails and websites. The lodgings are cheap, safe and clean. While not five-star, they are quite adequate.

Q. What kind of money are we looking at?

I was in Nice, on the Riviera, about this time last year and paid about $50 Australian ($46.33 U.S.) per night. However, some places are quite basic. There's one in London that's fantastically situated - near the Gloucester Road tube station, on the Heathrow line, that's basically a hostel. For about $30 Australian ($27.79 U.S.), you get what you pay for.

Some convents have more adequate facilities for tourists. There's a wonderful monastery in Nice that's on the waterfront, so guests have the same magnificent view of the bay as other hotels along the beachfront. The rooms are small but very well fitted-out - everything you could want from a five-star, just much less grand. I spent seven days there, using it as a base to explore the Riviera. It's walking distance to the famous boardwalk and near the bus stop to Monte Carlo.

Q. Who runs them, and how does that affect the experience?

Catholic and Protestant orders. Some are not actual monasteries but places set up to include tourist guesthouses. I just scouted a great Anglican hotel in Kent, England: a three-star lodge attached to the Canterbury cathedral. I can't imagine a more well-located place to stay if you're touring that area.

Catholic orders have been offering hospitality for centuries. The only difference is that in the old days you could turn up any time of day or night and, for a donation, get a bed and a bite to eat. Now it's a matter of economy: The orders need the money. Some have hundreds of empty rooms.

There are two types - those that accept tourists and vacationing families, and others that take guests who have spiritual needs. You have to be careful when booking, or I guess you could spend your entire holiday on your knees.

The spiritual guesthouses - for pilgrimages and retreats - are very pious places that certainly have rules. Those open to tourists are more like staying in someone's house: There are unwritten rules, but no obligation to say grace or attend services. People of all faiths and no faiths are welcome.

Food is also interesting. Many monasteries actually have a pub or restaurant attached that's run by monks or nuns. The cheapest meal in Paris has to be the Foyer de la madeleine, run by the Benedictine Fathers. It's attached to (the historic church) La Madeleine and is in an old underground cloister. For about $10 Australian ($9.27 U.S.), you can get a two-course meal and a glass of wine. You see shopkeepers, tourists and a couple people a little worse for wear. It's a great place for a different sort of experience.

Q. In your new volume, what's a place that's prime for time-tripping?

Sénanque, built around the 12th century, is a most beautiful abbey. It's a few kilometers west of Gordes, France, a little hill town. You look down at a magnificent Cistercian monastery that hasn't changed in centuries. The monks grow acres and acres of lavender - just follow your nose to get there - and you're surrounded by a fragrant sea of purple.

Another is on an island - the Ile St.-Honorat - off the coast of Cannes (France). A couple years ago, the monks there had a big problem because the ferry would stop at St.-Honorat and passengers would come to sunbathe on the monks' beaches - particularly nudists. The monks were quite concerned about this, so they bought the ferry service.

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