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Posts tagged ‘France’

Sep 11

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Normandy

The Bayeux Tapestry is more like a cross stitch than a tapestry, but impressive nonetheless.

At just under 70 metres in length, the tapestry’s 50 scenes depict the Normandy conquest of 1066 which culminated in the Battle of Hastings.

Housed at a museum in Bayeux, the overall experience is very well done. The price of admission includes an audio recording which talks you through each scene and the craftmanship behind the work.

Besides being informative, the audio also keeps the viewers moving – smart crowd management.

Upstairs, there is more information on the making of the tapestry and the Normandy invasion which you can wander through at your own pace.

The Normandy coast has a long and turbulent history from Celtic, Roman and Viking squabbles to the more recent history of World War II.  The Normandy Landings were one of the most significant campaigns by allied forces which led to the liberation of Europe and end of the war.

You could spend days visiting the landing sites and historic land marks along the coast. There are also countless museums. We decide on one, a newly released film shown in a 360′ cinema built on the clifftop at Arromanches.

Arromanches played an important part during the landings, an artificial port was created, which provided access for troops and heavy artillery.

The film is truly incredible, a collation of World War II archive material gathered from around the world, including german footage.

It summaries the state of play prior to the landings and graphically displays the landings and liberation of the French villages. The film is an emotive tribute to the soldiers and civilians who were killed during the battle.

Bayeux
Bayeux Cathedral
Arromanches

Once again we are winging-it with no accommodation planned and the new favourite web site chambresdhotes.org saves the day.

We have stopped at a small shopping mall for free wifi, within an hour our accommodation is secured and we head off to our B&B in Epreville, a small village just outside Rouen.

We are warmly greeted by Jean-Yves, with his excellent English. He shows us through his lovely home, trying to tempt us to upgrade into one of his premium rooms.

They are all lovely, but so is ours for the more ‘basic-price’, more suitable to our budget.

We also ask Jean-Yves for a dinner recommendation, he talks us through the nearby choices and we opt for the recommendation he describes in the more ‘basic-price’ category.

The French love a set price menu which always works out to be more cost effective. It might be good for the budget, but not for the waist. The ‘basic-price’ did not disappoint, another superb meal added to the memory banks.

Jean-Yves and his wife Marie-Lise have been running the B&B for 15 years. They are very proud to note that they are listed in the Michelin Guide.

A place in the Michelin Guide is earned not paid for, Michelin take their recommendations seriously and undertake covert reviews at anytime. From our experience, the honour is well deserved.

Rouen is a pretty town sitting on the river Siene. It was here in 1431 that Saint Joan of Arc was burned at the stake.

The impressive Notre Dame cathedral, with its Tour de Beurre (butter tower), according to a most reliable source (Wikipedia), the tower was financed by the sale of indulgences for the consumption of butter during Lent.

We even visit the art gallery in town on the promise of viewing some Impressionists. There are a few from well know artists including Claude Monet, but overall it was probably a little disappointing.

On departing Epreville, we stop off at the Castle Martainville, it’s one of those great finds, off the regular tourist track.

The castle was completed in 1505. Again, we are impressed that the entry includes headsets with a self guided tour of the property.

We were on a tight schedule to make it to Pierrefonds (need to check-in at lunchtime, or our hosts will be at work until late), so we did do a rush-job on the castle.

It is well worth the visit though, hosting an extensive and impressive range of regional furniture from the 15th Century and other household items including linen, china and clothing, representing everyday life at the time in Normandy.

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Sep 9

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Châteaux & Castles

The Loire Valley is referred to as the Garden of France, due to the abundance of vineyards, orchards and vegetables grown along the banks of the river. It is also know for its historic towns (unusual in France – not) and architecture.

I found a gorgeous B&B through a newly discovered website: Chambres d’hotes; Corinne & Marc run Le Clos du Haut Villiers, it’s a charming french home set in beautiful gardens.  It was a pity we only had time to stay one night.

On Corinne’s advice we had dinner in nearby Montrichard, sitting outside in the medieval square that dates back to the 11th century. It’s moments like this, that reminded us of how lucky we are.

There are numerous châteaux adorning the Loire River and its tributaries. We know we can’t visit the all, it’s a bit like wine tasting, you can only do so many in one day without them all starting to look the same.

We start with Chenonceau, one of the most impressive châteaux in France, stretching across the river Cher.  The current structure commenced in 1513 and has a unique history, being that most of it was in the hands of Women.

The construction of what is known today as Chenonceau, began in 1515 and was overseen by Katherine Briçonnet, but the property was seized by the crown for outstanding debts and became the home of Diane de Poitiers, mistress to King Henry II.

Diane embellished the property with extensive gardens she also commissioned the bridge from the château across to the opposite bank.

Upon the death of Henry in 1559, his wife; Catherine de Medici forced Diane out and took up residence at the château. Catherine added the grand gallery over the bridge and extended the already lavish gardens.

During the french revolution Chenonceau was in the hands of Louise Dupin, she is attributed to saving the château from destruction during the French revolution

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Château Villandry was a ‘sight-seen’ visit, as we stopped off for a coffee and peered through the fence. Impressive, but we decided to keep going before parting with our euros for an inside look.

Probably our favourite château was Azay-Le-Rideau. An original castle had stood on the site in the 1200’s, burnt to the ground in 1418. The land was acquired 100 years later by the King’s Treasurer, Gilles Berthelot. The château designe was strongly influenced by the architecture of the Italian renaissance.

In 1527, Berthelot went into exile, fearing being caught for having his finger in the till! The château was later confiscated by the crown.

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Rising out of flat coastal marshlands along the Normandy coast is a single rocky outcrop, at it’s peak sits the Abbey of Le-Mont-St-Michel. It has to be one of France’s most iconic landmarks. Technically, it’s neither a Castle or Château, but its been on my ‘bucket list’ for a long time.

The story goes, that in 708, the Archangel Michael appeared to the Bishop of Avranches, commanding him to build a church on the rocky islet. As a result, the Bishop consecrated a small church on the rock in 709.

Between the 11th and 16th centuries the Benedictine Abbey was built and a village grew under its shadow during the middle ages. Military defenses were added in the wake of the 100 year war, enabling it to survive a siege of 30 years.

Over 3 million people visit the rock either as pilgrims or tourists. We arrive late in the afternoon so the tourist buses seem to have already departed. We make our way through the narrow alleys to the top, unfortunately the Abbey is already closed. The views are still worth it!

It’s been a busy day: we’ve covered over 300km, took in three châteaux, an Abbey and numerous quaint/pretty/lovely historic towns along the way. Out of ‘puff’ we find a Chambres d’hote on the side of the road to bed down in for the night, it’s basic, clean and cheap (€35). Surprised to find something so reasonable near Mont-St-Michel. A bistro across the road provides an adequate dinner, lights are out not long after.

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Sep 7

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The French Atlantic

A mere 15km from San Sebastian and we are back in France.  I’ve said it before, but it was instantly discernible with the appearance of red trimmed, white washed buildings.

With the promise of beach weather continuing, we didn’t want to venture far from the coast.  Stopping in at St Jean de Luz for a stroll, we decided it wasn’t quite where we wanted to stay.  I did, however, acquire a lovely pair of espadrilles and we then continued north along the Atlantic coast to Biarritz.

Donal Ryan (see Switzerland) had recommended the spot and we quickly agreed.  This town had a lot more going on. We did a reconnaissance of the nearby hotels, worked out the going rate and choose one.

If you venture away from the main tourist promenades you discover little backsteets with a spattering of bars and restaurants. Still under the influence of Spain, they serve sangria and pintxos, but with a french twist. We couldn’t go past the foie gras de canard, washed down with a french moelleux. This is a sweet white wine that goes perfectly with foie gras.

Biarritz
Biarritz, Pintxos
Biarritz, Pintxos
Biarritz, Pintxos

After a brief detour back to Beaulieu to pick-up our deposit (long story for another time), we continue north west arriving at La Rochelle.  The old town is a stunning medieval sea port with two old towers guarding the sea entrance.

Whilst clearly a tourist town, it also had the feel of a city going about its business.  The Saturday markets are a lively feast of colour.  We’ve been to many a French market, but never tire of them; you can tell by the number of photo’s I take!

A weekly produce market occupying an old town square is full of charm and character, they personify French life. The produce is so fresh and inviting, with wonderful smells and colour that overload the senses.

The French passionately support locally grown, fighting the ever encroaching big-box formats. It could be a career limiting comment for me, but I hope the local market does not fall victim to the convenience of the mass retailer.

La Rochelle Markets
La Rochelle Markets
La Rochelle Markets
La Rochelle Markets
La Rochelle Markets

Our accommodation is the Ibis and whilst 10km out of town, it’s near the beach and also in a small Albert Park-esq suburb.  The location worked out well as we managed to fit in a bit of beach time, well aware that this is probably our last hurrah for some sun and sea.

At an exorbitant cost of a €16 toll, we drive across to Isl de Rey (just off La Rochelle), it’s a popular holiday destination for cyclists and walkers with a great network of tracks crisscrossing the island.

After driving around a somewhat uninspiring flat island, we stop at St Martin de Ray for lunch. We feast on freshly shucked oysters and a bottle of local white wine, sitting on the sea wall; the island quickly redeemed itself.

We are counting down the days until we meet our new passenger in Paris, so it is time to continue up the coast.

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Sep 1

Basque Country

From Madiran we head into Basque Country.

The definitive feature of basque country is the architecture; white washed buildings, predominately with red painted timber beams, set amongst lush farmland. The grass is a vivid green, it looks like layers of rich silk rolling down the hillside.

Originally we thought it would be a two night stop over. But after we had rolled through one quaint village, after another quaint village, we decided one night would suffice and we would have covered enough of rural French Basque.

Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is perhaps the most well known village in this area. It is a popular starting point for the Camino de Santiago, a 780km pilgrimage that people either walk or cycle to Santiago de Compostela.

Besides the spanish influence of bullfighting, Pelota is another particular sport unique to the region. We watch a junior team playing with a long basket scoop attached to their hands, catching and throwing a ball a bit smaller than a baseball and harder than a golf ball. It looks like a cross between squash, handball and lacrosse.

We stayed the night in one of the quaint villages; Saint-Etienne-de-Baigorry in a rural gite, waking to a wonderful view and the sound of sheep being milked – yes, sheep not cows!

Whilst the region is lovely, we felt it was becoming a bit ‘same-same’ for us. There are only so many quaint villages you can stop at!

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Aug 30

Le Prielle

We enjoyed staying put so much in Villefranche, that we decided another week in one spot would be a good idea.

During our stay at the Ryan’s in Switzerland, we met David and Peter Appleby, whose parents run a Gite; Le Prielle, in Madiran. Located in the Haute Pyrenees, South West France.

On the way south from Bordeaux we randomly stop for lunch in Labastide-d’Armagnac, as in the brandy.

We have lunch in the Place Royale, a beautiful town square and well preserved example of 13th century architecture – lots of exposed beams and timberwork.  It was a charming village and one of those great unexpected discoveries.

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The Appleby’s have 4 beautifully restored Gites which have been created from renovated barns, in the grounds of an old Chateau, dating from 1745.  The 5 acres of grounds include an ancient chapel, moat & woodlands, as well as modern features such as a swimming pool and BBQ’s.

Paulette and Simon warmly welcome us to Le Prielle and we are treated more as friends, than guests, during our stay.

Keen to continue our cycling efforts, we rent bikes again and do most of our sight seeing on two wheels.  The Appleby’s share their wealth of knowledge about the area and provide us with great advice on where to go and what to see.

Most importantly,  Simon was more than happy to share with Don, his local wine knowledge and the two went off wine tasting one day.  The result was another substantial purchase of local wines – lucky we have a car.

Madiran is hosting a Course Landaise.  This is an ancient form of bullfighting, but without bloodshed, well at least not the bulls.  Actually, they use cows with mature horns instead of bulls.

It’s a game of bull dodging and leaping, with acrobatic somersaults over the animals and where young Matadors in the making, practice their techniques.

Whilst we are not supporters of bullfighting, this is more of an entertainment spectacle and the animals don’t get hurt.  They actually get a few opportunities to inflict some pain and bruise an ego or two!

Jumping the bull, Madiran
Ole! Couse Landaise, Madiran
Bull got his horns stuck!

We made a day circuit through the Pyrenees, taking the Col du Tourmalet, one of the highest roads in the central Pyrenees.  The Tourmalet forms part of the Tour de France, it is known on the tour as the ‘circle of death’!

We stopped at the Pic du Midi, where we opted out of the gondola ride to the peak, but enjoyed the menagerie of animals wandering freely around the summit base.

A donkey took particular interest in the tourist office and also joined the queue for the women’s toilets!  Horses, sheep and Llama’s happily grazed nearby.

Our last stop for the day is Lourdes.  Don is not religious by any stretch of the imagination, so we probably wouldn’t have had Lourdes on our list of ‘must-see’ destinations.  But, I have a friend from Coles working here, so we decided to come and say hello.

Every year for the past 6 years, Paula spends part, or all of her annual leave, volunteering in Lourdes.

On the surface, Lourdes appears to be the Catholic’s answer to Disneyland, I probably should point out right now, that I am Catholic.  I think this gives me some right to comment as an ‘insider’.  

My mother would disagree; she’d ask me when was the last time I went to Mass?  Anyway, we can have that debate another day.  

The streets of Lourdes are lined with trashy tourist shops selling you every religious piece of paraphernalia that you can think of and some you never even dreamed of.  Leave it to the Catholics to master the art of selling candles through vending machines.  

I can’t wait to see these in churches – credit cards accepted!  I’m sure the collection service will soon offer a ‘tap and pay’ function.  Come to think of it, that’s a really good idea!

Even regular shops are marketing under the guise of religion, like the designer shoe shop called ‘Mary’s Sandals’.

What I do like, is that once you cross into the Sanctuary of Our Lady Of Lourdes there is no commercial activity and entry is free.

With Paula’s insight we left with a greater appreciation of Lourdes and enormous respect for what she, and thousands of volunteers like her, do.  Over 6 million pilgrims visit Lourdes annually to seek physical and spiritual wellbeing.    

Religious or not, you can’t help but be affected by what goes on here.  It is an example of real faith, something you may or may not believe in, certainly something you cannot judge.

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In between cycling and the odd day trip, we spent the rest of our time relaxing at Le Prielle; we could usually be found on the comfy chairs in the garden catching up on emails.

And yes, me trying the catch-up on the blog.  Still failing!

We pointed out to Simon that a little table would be nice, so Simon whipped one up!  Tripod the cat, often kept us company.  There are a number of cats but she (or he) seemed to hang out with us the most.  Real name is Boot’s, but she earned the nickname after she lost a paw in a trap, spent days missing and finally hobbled back home. Gorgeous cat, loads of personality.

Don, relaxing at Le Prielle, Madiran
Don relaxing with new coffee table, Le Prielle
Tripod – 3 legged cat

Le Prielle was a lovely and we had a wonderful week.  It’s in a great location from which to explore the region.  The Applebys are wonderful hosts, the gites comfortable and equipped with everything you need – yep, that includes my favourite appliance – a washing machine!

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