Our lovely friends from Sydney, Redfern and Saint Vincent are staying with us in Closerie Falaiseau. They’re spending a couple of months visiting different parts of France and improving their French which is wonderful for Jean Michel because it means they can communicate directly.
Troglodyte houses in Rochecorbon when it wasn’t raining
We’ve been wanting to buy some wine in Vouvray and try out a troglodyte restaurant there. After closing for winter, Les Gueules Noires has just reopened so we book a table then phone Monsieur and Madame Freslier whose wine we first discovered over ten years ago through our trusty independant wine growers’ guide Gilbert & Gaillard.
Tonnes in the Freslier limestone cellar
It’s pelting with rain when we arrive at the cellar door. Mr Freslier senior, 88, shuffles out to meet us. He tells us how he and his uncle dug the wine cellars themselves out of the limestone cliffs. Madame Freslier arrives and takes us to visit the oak tonnes as they call the barrels here. We pass stacks of bottles glued together with drippings from the limestone ceiling.
Mr and Mrs Jean Pierre Freslier and Mr Freslier senior
Mr Freslier Junior joins us and we all sit around a long table tasting different types of white wine made from the local chenin grape. The sweetest of the still wines (vins tranquilles) is the vendanges tardives (last harvest), followed by moelleux, then demi-sec and sec. Then there are two sparking wines : pétillant is a natural sparkling wine with less pressure than the mousseux which is made using the méthode champenoise.
Old and new labels
We mainly buy the mousseux because it seems to be the most popular apéritif in the region and at 5.80 euro a bottle, it’s certainly a bargain. I’m disappointed to see the labels have changed. I really like the old ones.
Domaine Freslier – a family affair
During the tasting, we mostly talk about dinosaurs and fossils of which the limestone cliffs have preserved an amazing number (not the dinosaurs of course). We also talked about corks. Most corks these days come from Portugal. Mr Freslier is very reticent about using screw tops on his bottles because he says they don’t breathe which means the wine won’t keep while Madame Freslier says she would miss popping the cork!
Les Gueules Noires
The rain’s still going strong when we leave but Les Gueules Noires is just around the corner. It turns out that Jean Michel and I came here the first time we went to see the Fresliers, but it changed hands two years ago and the cuisine is more inventive.
Fireplace in Les Gueules Noires
The dining room is typical of troglodyte dwellings which, like Monsieur Freslier’s cellars, are made by digging directly into the limestone cliffs. There are only windows on the façade of course. There’s a fireplace but the room is quite chilly, which is not surprising with the awful weather we’ve been having. I don’t imagine they’re the warmest places in winter!
Sardine rillettes in filo pastry
The menu is on a blackboard and the waitress explains the different dishes, which seem to have a both a Belgian and Japanese influence. Among the entrées, we choose sardines rillettes in filo pastry and gravlax salmon with horseradish with some other interesting bits and pieces.
Irish gravlax with beetroot and leek sprouts, horseradish cream and roe
The main dishes include swordfish with mushrooms and maki, waterzooi (a Belgian chicken stew) and cold meat in aspic with French fries (well, probably Belgian).
Sword fish with mushrooms and maki
The desserts we chose are speculoos mousse (speculoos are sort of brown ginger sugar biscuits) and chocolate fondant with banana icecream.
Mixed meat in aspic with Belgian fries
I personally find the entrees the most interesting and the desserts a little heavy. The food is innovative and the ingredients obviously very fresh but the result is a little disappointing. The service is friendly and there is a good selection of local wines (we choose a bourgueil). The prices are reasonable, with the entrees and desserts at less than 10 euros, the main courses less than 15 and the desserts.
Les Gueules Noires, 66 rue de la Vallée Coquette, 37210 Vouvray, 02 47 52 62 18
Domaine Freslier, 92 rue de la Vallée Coquette 37210 Vouvray, 02 47 52 76 61
Donjon and dungeon are so obviously of the same origin that I was curious to know why the meanings are so different although both relate to feudal castles. What the French call donjon is what we call a keep in English, whereas the places where prisoners are kept is called oubliettes, from the verb oublier, to forget. No need to go into etymology there!
Angers Castle Keep or donjon
Donjon, also written dongun, doignon and dangon in the past, is from the Gallo-Roman dominiono, attested in various forms (dunjo, dungeo, domniono, domnio, etc.), in turn derived from the Latin dominus meaning “master”. It was used for the part of the castle reserved for the master and his family. It was well-protected against seiges and also included strategic food and weapon stocks. Prisoners who needed to be particularly guarded were also kept there.
It seems that the first recorded instance of the word in English near the beginning of the 14th century also meant “an underground prison cell beneath the castle keep”. But it actually seems that it is more likely that the word derives from the Frankish *dungjo, *dungjon- (“dungeon, vault, bower”), from Proto-Germanic *dungijōn, *dungō (“an enclosed space, treasury, vault”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰengʰ- (“to cover, hide, conceal”),related to Old Saxondung(“underground vault, cellar”), Old High Germantung (“a cellar, underground living quarter”), Old Englishdung (“a dungeon, prison”), and Old Norsedyngja (“a detached apartment, lady’s bower”). (Thank you Wikipedia!)
So there you go, dungeon doesn’t seem to come directly from donjon at all which is disappointing somehow!
This Wednesday’s Bloggers’ Round-Up starts with a trip to Parc de Sceaux in Greater Paris with Andrea from Rear View Mirror to see the spectular cherry blossoms in bloom at the moment. Pierre from Paris on Demand invites us to the Orsay Museum to see an amazing collection of works from the 19th and 20th century from an private American collection. Marie from Europe Trip Tips, a new blog on my list, gives us a photographic tour of the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris. Enjoy!
Paris Day Trip: Parc de Sceaux
by Andrea from Rear View Mirror (formerly Destination Europe), a fellow Australian who, after 6 years of living in France, has given up herParis apartment to live a nomadic life slowing travelling around Europe, experiencing each destination like a local
If you can bear to leave Paris for the day but still want a typically French experience, Parc de Sceaux is a great spot for a classic picnic of baguette, cheese and wine. Although the park is a popular weekend destination for Parisians, it’s not widely known to visitors of the city. It’s worth a trip if you’ve already visited much of Paris and are looking for something different or if you want to see the stunning cherry blossoms in spring. Read more
A passion for France
by Pierre from Paris on Demand, aimed at helping tourists and Paris lovers to get to know the city of Light under a different perspective, offering news and updates on exhibitions, museums, restaurants, off-the-beaten-track addresses, events and tips to prepare their trip and understand the Parisian way of life
Starting on April 16th, the Orsay Museum will host one of the most awaited exhibitions of the 2013 Spring as it has gathered 70 masterpieces from the Marlene and Spencer Hays Collection. The Hays are an American couple from Nashville, Tennessee, who have developed a passion for art and France. Spencer has become a business mogul by selling, among other things, men’s suits, books and health insurance. Since the 1980’s century and as his fortune grew, he and his wife have gathered an amazing collection of works from the 19th and 20th century. Read more
The Sainte-Chapelle of Paris – in Photos
by Marie-Eve from Europe Trip Tips is a something Canadian, full-time travel blogger, amateur photographer, translator and copywriter living as an expat in France who’s been to over 17 European countries and keeps adding new ones every other week.
The Sainte-Chapelle had been a long standing item on my Paris to-do list, but for some reason, I’d never got around to it. I had deemed Notre-Dame and Sacré-Coeur more worthy of my attention – the former for its free entry, and the latter for the views.
It wasn’t until my most recent trip to Paris that I finally managed to visit the gorgeous Ile de la Cité, skip Notre-Dame altogether, and focus my visit on the well-hidden Sainte-Chapelle. Read more
Loches, like Azay-le-Rideau, is on the banks of the Indre. Château de Loches, which consists of the 10th to 12th century collegiate church of St Ours, the early 15th century Logis Royal built by Charles VII and the 12th century keep, said to be the first stone built castle keep in France, surrounded by a very thick wall, stands on a rocky promontory overlooking the very picturesque town which has several Renaissance houses. It is beautifully lit up at night. Jeanne d’Arc arrived here on 11th May 1429 after her historic victory at Orleans to meet the king. The local market, on Wednesday and Saturday mornings attracts people from throughout the region.
Mediaeval gate to Loches Castle lit up at night
Porte Picois and Town Hall in Loches, examples of Renaissance architecture
Typical street in Loches
Joan of Arc’s plaque
Tympanum of Saint Ours
Tomb of Agnès Sorel, Charles VII’s mistress, known as the Dame de Beauté (
Château de Loche, governor’s lodge
Château de Loches, royal dwellng and Agnes de Sorel’s tower
There are so many wonderful places to visit in the Loire Valley that newcomers to the region often need guidance. It’s pointless saying “Chenonceau is my favourite. You should go there” or “Forget about Chambord, there’s nothing to see”. Each of the châteaux is different and visitors will be attracted to one or the other according to their own individual tastes. My aim here is to give an idea of what each has to offer so you can make your own choice.
Château de Chenonceau
I only intend to talk about the “pleasure castles” here, and not fortified castles such as Chinon and Loches, or religious edifices such as Fontevraud l’Abbaye, or mansions such as Clos Lucé. I’ll start with the four “Cs”: Chenonceau, Chambord, Cheverny, Chaumont, followed by the royal castles of Amboise and Blois, all of which are located in the same general area, then Azay le Rideau, Ussé, and Villandry, which form another geographical group, with Valençay off on its own to the south. You can see more photos and further detail about each château by clicking on the corresponding name.
Chambord
Château de Chambord
The rooftops of Château de Chambord, along with its famous double staircase, are its best known features and must be one of the most stunning examples of architecture I’ve ever seen. François I, the star of the French Renaissance, was only 25 when he commissioned the château in 1519. Unfortunately, despite the presence of 2000 workmen, it wasn’t completed in his lifetime and he only stayed there for 72 days out of his 32 years on the throne! He used it as a hunting lodge of course and it was not furnished – he used to travel around with everything and everyone he could possibly need. But his son, Henri II, as well as Louis XIV, who also loved hunting, turned it into the château we know today.
Double staircase in Château de Chambord
There is a series of furnished rooms in one wing that can be visited as well. In the mid-nineteenth century, the Count of Chambord decided to open the château to the public and furnish some of the apartments with his own private collection, mainly consisting of royal portraits and other rather disparate pieces of furniture. On 1st May every year, there is a wonderful antique and second-hand fair in the extensive castle grounds that is certainly worth attending. There are several restaurants and souvenir shops in view of the château.
Rooftops of Château de Chambord
Open all year except 1st January, 31st January, 25th December. From 20/01 to 31/03 and 01/10 to 31/12: 10 am to 5 pm; 01/04 to 30/09: 9 am to 6 pm. 16 euros.
Le Saint Louis, Place Saint Louis – 41250 CHAMBORD
Au Fil du Temps, 11 Halle, 41250 Bracieux, France Tel. 0254460384 (8 km from Chambord)
Chaumont
Château de Chaumont
Château de Chaumont stands in a prize position overlooking the Loire and is best seen from the other side of the river. From April to October, it hosts a wonderful garden festival with a different theme each year. The château as it stands today was rebuilt from 1468 to 1511. It was bought by Catherine de Medicis, wife of Henri II (son of François I) in 1550. On his death, she forced her husband’s paramour, Diane de Poitiers, to swap Chenonceau, a gift from Henri, for Chaumont.
The bedroom of Cosimo Ruggieri, one of Catherine de Medicis’ astrologists, at Chaumont
The château was later restored by Prince de Broglie between 1875 and 1900, including the beautifully furnished state rooms and luxury stables with their exercise ring. The top floor of the château, currently in a somewhat derelict state, can also be visited, as well as the basement kitchens. Between the château, the stables, the grounds and the garden exhibition, you can easily spend the day on the Domain, which has no fewer than four different restaurants.
Chaumont from the garden
Open all year round, from 10 am to 4.30, 5.30 or 6.30 depending on the season. 15 euro for the château, park and stables, and 20 euros if you include the garden festival.
Places to eat
If you want to combine your visit to Chaumont with a gastronomic experience in one of the finest restaurants in the region.
Domaine des Hauts de Loire, Route de Herbault, 41150 Onzain (across the Loire from Chaumont), 02 54 20 72 57, hauts-loire@relaischateaux.com, www.domainehautsloire.com
Chenonceau
Château de Chenonceau
Built from 1513 to 1521 and celebrating 500 years of existence this year, Château de Chenonceau spans the Cher River. It’s a ladies’ castle, built in 1513 by Katherine Briçonnet, decorated by Diane de Poitiers, extended by Catherine de Médicis and saved by Louise Dupin during the French Revolution! All four are featured in a wax museum in a separate building. The château should be viewed from all sides, so you should allow time to walk around the grounds themselves, which include Diane’s and Catherine’s gardens, a vegetable garden and a labyrinth. You can also walk (or cycle) along the south bank of the Cher River or hire a rowing boat in summer.
Diane de Poitier’s Bedroom
The sumptuous inside is completely furnished with several masterpieces and includes a visit of the basement kitchens. A free iPhone app (Découvrir Chenonceau) offers an introductory visit in 11 languages! You can taste the château’s own wine in one of the restaurants inside the grounds. Every weekend in June and every evening in July and August, the gardens are illuminated at night.
Open all year round, 9 or 9.30 am to 5 to 8 pm, depending on the season. 11 euros for the château and grounds, 13 euros including the wax museum, plus 2 euros for an audioguide.
Cheverny
Château de Cheverny
Château de Cheverny is another experience altogether. The domain has been in the same family for more than six centuries and open to the public since 1922. The château as we know it today was built between 1624 and 1640 by Count Henri Hurault and his wife Marguerite Gaillard de la Marinière. The sumptuous interior decoration is by Jean Monier from Blois. It is the only major château to have retained its original furniture and furnishings. Fifteen thousand bulbs are planted in the gardens each year, so if you can, time your visit for spring!
Painted ceiling in the grand dining room at Cheverny
Cheverny has two other attractions. The feeding of its 100 hunting dogs is very popular with visitors during the summer (although the kennels are currently closed for refurbishment) and there is a Tin Tin exhibition – Cheverny was used as a model by Hergé for Marlinspike Hall, Captain Haddock’s residence in the Tin Tin comic books.
Just next to the château is the Maison des vins de Cheverny et Cour-Cheverny, where you can taste and buy the local wines.
Late 18th century Erard harp in perfect working order
Open all year round. 9.15 to 9.45 am to 5 pm to 18.45 pm depending on the season. The dogs are fed from 1/04 to 15/09 every day at 5 pm and from 01/01 to 31/03 and 16/09 to 31/12 at 3 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesday, Thursdays and Fridays. Château and gardens, 14.50 euro, with Marlinspike museum 19 euro, with boat and electric car trips 19.50 euro, plus Marlinskpike 24 euro.
Amboise
Château d’Amboise
The Royal Château of Amboise stands in a stunning position overlooking the Loire, best seen from the little island called l’Ile d’Or in the middle of the river. It became a royal residence in the mid-14th century and was a favourite with many French kings, from Louis XI to François I. It has an exceptional collection of Gothic and Renaissance furniture. An unusual feature is a wide ramp inside the château used directly by horses and carriages. Saint Hubert’s chapel is thought to be the last resting place of Leonardo da Vinci whose home in Amboise, Le Clos Lucé, contains scale models of many of his inventions.
Amboise interior – photograph by Kathy Stanford
The beautiful panoramic gardens afford wonderful views of the Loire, the old town with its half-timbered houses and the surrounding countryside. The very extensive Friday and Sunday morning market along the river is one of the best in the area.
Open all year round from 9 am to 12.30 pm and 2 pm to 4.45 pm from 15/11 to 28/02 and from 9 am to 5.30 to 7 pm from 1st March to 15th November. 14.60 euro.
Places to eat
Chez Bruno, 38-40 Place Michel Debré 37400 Amboise, tel 0247577349, cell 0620562551 or 0617844228, http://www.bistrotchezbruno.com (just opposite the château)
Le Shaker, 3 Quai François Tissard, 37400 Amboise, 0247232426 (on l’Ile d’Or, the island in the middle of the Loire with a breathtaking view of the château)
Blois
Château de Blois
Like Amboise, the Royal Château of Blois is built on a promontory right in the middle of the town overlooking the Loire River, and encompasses several different architectural styles from mediaeval times to the 17th century. At the end of the 14th century, the château was bought by the Orleans family and nearly a century later, Duc Louis d’Orleans became Louis XII and brought his wife, Anne de Bretagne, and his court to Blois. They modernised it all, so to speak, with stairs at each end and balconies on the first floor, decorating it with their emblems, the porcupine for Louis and the ermine for Anne.
Guardroom in Blois
François I, whose salamander is a recurring theme, lived in the château after he ascended to the throne in 1515. The Duc de Guise was assassinated in the King’s Chambers on the orders of Henri III in 1588 after plotting to take over the throne and Catherine de Medicis, wife of Henri II (son of François I) and mother of Henri III, died there the next year at the age of 70. The interior is extremely rich and colourful with many fine fireplaces and majestic pieces of Renaissance furniture. There is also a lapidary section with gargoyles, statues, pediments and other bits and pieces taken from buildings on the site. There is a sound and light show in the summer.
One of the sumptuously decorated bedrooms in Château de Blois
Open all year round from 9 am to 12.30 pm and 1.30 to 5.30 pm in the winter months and 9 am to 6 or 7 pm from 01/04 to 31/10. Sound and light show at 10 or 10.30 pm. Château 14 euro; château + sound and light show 21 euro.
Considered by many to be a “jewel of the French Renaissance”, Château d’Azay le Rideau was built on an island in the Indre River by a rich financier in the early 16th century during the reign of François I and combines the Italianate and French styles. It is more sober than the larger châteaux and one of its most striking features is its monumental fireplaces. The château was abandoned after the French revolution and redecorated by the Marquis de Biencourt. In 1898, the 4th Marquis had to sell out and it was not until it was bought by the State in 1905 that renovation began.
Philippe Lezbahy’s Renaissance bedroom in Azay-le-Rideau
Now most of the rooms are decorated in the 19th century neo-Renaissance style, but the royal apartments still have some older pieces. A wonderfully reconstructed Renaissance bedroom with copies of authentic soft furnishings and rush-matting on the walls is accompanied by a very instructive video. The roof space, opened a couple of years ago after major restoration, is the most remarkable example of Renaissance master carpentry now on show.
One of the monumental fireplaces with François I’s emblem, the salamander, in Azay-le-Rideau
The natural moat forms two “mirrors of water” reflecting the ornately sculpted frontons and pointed roofs of the château. The lovely jardin à l’anglaise or landscaped garden is the perfect place to wander on a fine day and affords stunning views of the château.
Open all year round. Every day from 10 am to 5.15 from October to March, from 9.30 to 6 pm in April, May, June and September, from 9.30 to 7 pm in July and August. Closed 1st January, 1st May, 25th December. 13 euro.
Places to eat
Le Lavoir in the castle grounds and a large choice of restaurants in the town itself.
Ussé
Château d’Ussé
Known as “Sleeping Beauty’s castle” because it was one of the châteaux that inspired Walt Disney, Château d’Ussé overlooks the Indre River. Cycling towards it in summer with sunflower fields on either side is an unforgettable experience. The original 11th century castle has been rebuilt several times, which explains its 16th-17th century aspect today. The grounds were redesigned in the 17th century by André le Notre, Louis IV’s landscape architect, who masterminded the gardens of Versailles.
Costume exhibition at Ussé – photograph by Loire Valley Time Travel
Inside, monumental fireplaces and beautiful 18th century furniture and tapestries offer a backdrop to a life-like exhibition of mannequins in period costume which changes each year. The parapet walk offers access to rooms containing scenes from Sleeping Beauty and everyday life in the 19th century. A lovely Renaissance chapel stands outside the château.
Open from mid-February to mid-November, 10 am to 6 pm 17/02 to 31/03 and 1/09 to 11/11, and 10 am t 7 pm 01/04 to 31/08. 14.50 euros.
Valençay
Château de Valançay
Valençay, rebuilt in 1520 by Jacques 1er d’Estampes and extended in the 17th and 18th centuries, was bought by Talleyrand in the 19th century at the instigation of Napoleon to welcome foreign dignitaries. Its sumptuous Italian arcaded gallery makes it a reference in the field of Renaissance architecture while its domed towers, dormer windows and bull’s eyes are perfect examples of the neo-classical style.
The King of Spain’s Chamber at Château de Valançay
The inside is furnished just as it was during Talleyrand’s time, with elaborately embroidered Empire chairs, ornate tables and sumptuous chandeliers. Magnificent vaulted cellars house the kitchen, pantry and cellar in which one of the best tables of Europe was prepared.
Renaissance Room in Château de Valançay
The château is surrounded by a lovely formal garden and a landscape garden. Two nights each summer, the château is illuminated with 3,000 candles, and costumed actors and trumpeters revive the imperial celebrations of the past.
Open all year round. Every day from 16/03 to 11/11 from 9.30 to 10.30 am to 5.30 to 7 pm. 14.50 euros.
Villandry
Château de Villandry
Also built overlooking the Loire, Château de Villandry is a château for garden lovers and the last of the major Renaissance castles to be built in the Loire Valley. It was the home of neither a king nor a courtesan but of Jean Le Breton, François I’s finance minister. He demolished the old feudal fortress, except for the keep, in 1532 and replaced it with an extremely elegant and richly decorated purely French Renaissance château. When the Marquis of Castellane bought it in 1754, he revamped the interior in the neo-Classical style. Unfortunately, he also destroyed the harmony of the outside, adding balconies, balustrades and trompe l’œil windows.
Villandry gardens
The gardens were much more successfully refurbished in the early 20th century to recreate the ambiance of a Renaissance garden. An arbour of grape vines leads to a large parterre, designed as a Garden of Music. The Garden of Love is on the other side of the canal. The garden combines flowers and vegetables and its true glory can best be experienced from the top of the château. A shop sells seeds and plants and other garden-related items.
Another view of the gardens at Villandry
Open all year round. The gardens are open every day from 9 am to 5 pm to 7.30 pm depending on the season. The castle is open from 9 am to 9.30 am to 4.30 to 6.30 pm from 16/02 t 11/11 and during the Christmas holidays. 13 euro, gardens only 8 euro.
ACCOMMODATION
And if you’re looking for an authentic place to stay in a central location, why not check out our rental accommodation for two in the mediaeval quarter of Blois – Châtel Rose. Click here for more information.
FURTHER READING
For more articles about France from other bloggers, see All About France
You no doubt read Susan’s description of a country “Charcuterie” in yesterdays’s bloggers’ round-up. But she doesn’t just spend her time buying “persillé” – she also runs a business. Susan and Simon and Célestine, their 1953 Citroen Traction Avant vintage car, who has just acquired a little sister called Claudette, take visitors on luxury tours of the Loire Valley, visiting châteaux and tasting wine. What more can you ask of life? My post on My French Life this month gives all the details!
Now before you go any further, I’d just like to tell you about a competition I was invited to enter recently. You may remember that I received an honour award from Expat Blogs last year thanks to your help. They are currently running an expat contest. You’ll find my entry, “Ten Top Châteaux in the Loire Valley, if you click here. Please feel free to make a comment and twittter the post if you enjoyed it. You might help me win a prize.
And now for Susan, Simon and Celestine!
Introducing Célestine, Susan & Simon of Loire Valley Time Travel in France
What better way to visit the beautiful French châteaux of the Loire Valley than in a shiny black 1953 Citroën Traction Avant!
When I learnt that Loire Valley Time Travel is run by two fellow Australians, I was curious to hear their story and learn more about their tours.
Susan and Simon lived in England for many years before coming to the Loire Valley. Susan, the tour leader, worked in one of the world’s leading heritage organisations and has a particular interest in textiles and costume. Having originally trained as a hotel manager, she is passionate about the food and recipes of the Touraine region.
Simon, the driver, was formerly a professional musician and teacher. He loves Célestine and thinks that 80 km/h is the perfect speed to cruise through the countryside. He’s very willing to stop and have visitors take photos or just soak up the scenery. After all, none of the historical sites in the area will disappear “if we take 10 minutes longer to get there,” he says. Read more
Some more Australian connections for this Wednesday’s Bloggers’ Round-up, starting with Phoebe from Lou Messugo, who takes us on a visit to Châteauneuf in the south of France; Susan from Days on the Claise who describes her local charcuterie in Touraine and Carolyn from My Sydney Paris Life who gives us a very moving description of the beautiful Nissim de Camondo museum in Paris. Enjoy!
Châteauneuf, my secret hill village
by Phoebe from Lou Messugo, a traveller, francophile, expat, mum and foodie now living in Roquefort les Pins where she runs a gîte after many years of travelling and living in Asia, Eastern Europe and Australia.
The Alpes-Maritimes is bursting with a multitude of pretty hill villages, called “villages perchés” in French, built during the middle ages in strategic spots on mountain tops and hill sides. There are at least 15 within half an hour’s drive of Lou Messugo, all with their own charm and more or less renovated/developed for tourists or left in an authentic untouched state. But there is one so close and yet so hidden that many people visiting the area wouldn’t even realise it exists. (I’d be prepared to bet a significant amount of local residents don’t realise there’s a medieval “perched” bit either). I’m talking about the village of Châteauneuf de Grasse on the outskirts of its famous neighbour, Grasse. Read more
La Charcuterie
by Susan from Days on the Claise, an Australian living in the south of the Loire Valley, writing about restoring an old house and the area and its history, and running Loire Valley Time Travel.
The charcuterie in Preuilly is well patronised and they have a good range of products. Most are made in house, some brought in. French charcuteries focus mainly on value added pork products — often cured, but sometimes simply cooked and ready to eat. They also do salads and prepared dishes. This is because many of them, like the one in Preuilly, are also traiteurs (caterers). Read more
A Legacy of Beauty and Remembrance: Musée Nissim de Camondo, Paris
by Carolyn Barnabo from My Sydney Paris Life, writing about global families and change and life in special geographic places that have captured her heart
Earlier this week, Clive and I visited Paris’s Musée Nissim de Camondo. In the days since then, we’ve often found ourselves returning to the story of the family whose sad, horrific history shaped our experience of spending time in what was once their home.
The first time I read about Musée Nissim de Camondo was in Edmund White’s ‘The Flâneur’ (2001). I know little about ‘decorative arts’ and tire quickly of stately homes brimming with historic furniture and all manner of objects — I’d rather explore the gardens and grounds outside. But White’s recounting of the de Camondos’ personal story grabbed me and I’ve had this museum on my Paris to-do list ever since. Read more
I don’t know how much you know about Jeanne d’Arc, as she’s called in French, but most people probably remember that she was a peasant girl who heard divine voices, then, disguised as a man, led the French army to several victories during the One Hundred Years’ War after which she was sold to the English and burnt on the stake for heresy in Orléans at the age of 19.
Tapisserie de la Reconnaissance: Joan of Arc recognises the Dauphin Charles
Chinon, on the western tip of the Loire Valley, is where she first gained access to the royal court in 1428. She was 16 at the time. I won’t go into any further history because it’s a bit complicated and isn’t really my thing. Suffice to say that historians do not agree on her real participation. Some believe she was mainly a mascot while others maintain that she was a skilled tactician and a successful strategist, although it hardly seems possible when you consider her background and age.
Joan of Arc in French history books
Anyway, the reason I’m writing about her here is that, when we visited the Castle of Chinon a couple of weeks ago, there was a whole room devoted to her, with many illustrations showing various faces of the Maid of Orleans. I only regret that I didn’t note the dates and artists. I found it quite amazing to see how differently she was depicted.
Joan of Arc looking very Venetian
Joan of Arc disguised as a musketeer
Joan of Arc brandishing her banner
Joan of Arc hearing the voices in a pastoral setting
Joan of Arc on the stake in Orleans
Joan of Arc no longer disguised as a boy
But the one I liked best was at the end. It’s a poster by William Haskell Coffin to encourage Americans to buy war saving stamps during World War II. This time, I thought to take a photo of the information as well. Isn’t she just what you’d imagine a 15th century peasant girl to look like!
Joan of Arc held up as an example to American women!
For years, I didn’t go to Monet’s garden in Giverny because I was told there were too many people. Now we go at least twice a year! The best time to visit is at lunch time, when there aren’t any groups and few people queuing. And to avoid the queues altogether, you can either go to the Impressionism Museum (an offshoot of the Orsay Museum) first and buy a double ticket, or buy your ticket on-line. Both the garden and museum are open from the beginning of April to the end of October. These photos were taken in July when the famous nympheas are in bloom, but every month is beautiful. The tulips in April are stunning and the roses in June are out of this world. Then you can eat outside under the trees at the historical Restaurant Baudy down the road (don’t forget to check the inside).
Nympheas in Monet’s gardenYou can see the famous bridge in the backgroundNymphea pond with fuscias in the foregroundFrom the other side of the nymphea pondI love the weeping willowsThe house from the nymphea gardenFrom the bottom of the garden looking towards the houseMonet’s houseView from the window of Monet’s bedroomClaude Monet Foundation, 84 rue Claude Monet: open every day from March 29th until November 1st included 2013 from 9.30 a.m. till 6 p.m. – last admission 5.30 p.m. http://fondation-monet.com/en/Musee des impressionnismes Giverny, 99 rue Claude Monet:openMarch 29th to October 31st, 2013 every day
from 10am to 6pm last admission at 5:30pm. Open on Public Holidays www.museedesimpressionnismesgiverny.comRestaurant Baudy, 81 rue Claude Monet – Musée Hôtel Baudy 27620, Giverny, Tel 02 32 21 10 03,http://www.restaurantbaudy.com/
When I first visited Château de Chaumont in 1997, I found it very delapidated. Last summer we spent a wonderful afternoon there during the annual garden festival. I discovered yesterday that it has been totally renovated inside and is now quite stunning! The château as it stands today was rebuilt by Pierre Ier d’Amboise en 1468, then by Charles II d’Amboise from 1498 to 1511. The construction was continued in 1562 when Diane de Poitiers was ousted from Chenonceau by Catherine de Medicis. It was restored by Prince de Broglie between 1875 and 1900 at which time the stables were also added.
Chaumont in summerThe entrance to the château with its stone friezeThe bedroom of Cosimo Ruggieri, one of Catherine de Medicis’ astrologistsCatherine de Medicis’ bedroomA view of the Loire showing an allegorical bas reliefThe main staircase with its beautifully sculpted central pillarThe dining room with its Gothic fireplaceOne of the many grisaillesThe library with its Aubusson tapistriesMonumental fireplace in the Grand SalonThe inner courtyard with its Renaissance staircaseStables built by Prince de Broglie in 1877
