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Our guide, René, poled
strongly as we explored channels of the great marsh, Grande Briere. We
had embarked at his island homestead on Ile de Fedrun.
"My family has
lived here for over 400 years!" he said in his local French dialect.
All the families share the marsh's wildlife, the fish and wild fowls.
But each family brands the webbed feet of its own geese and ducks, he
said, pointing at a nearby barnyard flock. |
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Réné
poling on Grande Briere
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We rounded a bend and
were puzzled by a man-made
construction of tall reeds. "It's one of our community hunting blinds.
We learn
from boyhood to be very patient when we hunt!" he exclaimed and poled
into the
structure to give us the hunter's feel.
Our poling tour of
Grande Briere passed too quickly
as Rene explained the intricacies of living in this unique
environment. As we debarked at his small farm he proudly showed us his
abode
with its thatched roof. All the island homes are thatched using marsh
reeds. It
has been like this from the beginning. The French government even
provides tax
breaks to maintain our unique lifestyle, our heritage!
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Grande
Briere marsh hunting blind |
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Farm
and thatched roof home, Ile de Fedrun |
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Incredible
Tour
Grand Briere marsh is near
the medieval walled town of Guerande, one of many incredible stay-over
locations on our western semi-circle trip from Toulouse to Amboise,
France. Our
plan was to fly into Toulouse's international airport, relax and
enjoy
the city for a couple of days, then take a leisurely auto tour,
stopping for a
week in Armagnac and three days each in La Rochelle, Guerande, and
Amboise. The
auto provided for convenient exploring. The tour exceeded our
expectations with unique sites and friendly villages and towns that
foreign
tourists rarely experience. It was an easy train ride from Amboise back
to
Paris for our return. Come join us.
Toulouse
France's fourth largest
city is called ville rose for
the warmth of its ancient brick construction. Its old-quarter lanes and
squares
invited exploration. We started at Basilica St. Sernin, constructed in
the 12th
century with a distinctive Romanesque style. Our next stop was Place du
Capitole, bustling with open-air cafes, street vendors, and the
beautiful
capital building. Nearby Place Wilson' s fountain and merry-go-round
attracted
many families. Other highlights included renowned 16th-century Pont
Neuf Bridge spanning the Garonne River and the splendid Renaissance
estate
home, Hotel d'Assezat. After a full day of Toulouse's sites, we enjoyed
incredible local cuisine with lamb cutlets at the comfortable restaurant
L'Envers
du Décor.
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Place
du Capitole, Toulouse |
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Place Wilson fountain, Toulouse |
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Armagnac
Our next stop was a
week-long rental of a 200-year-old
house with pool (only 400 Euros!) in the Armagnac-Tenareze (Gers)
region
northwest of Toulouse. The home was outside the walls of Larressingle,
France's
smallest fortified village with fifty residents. The walls,
beautifully
illuminated at night, extend above neighboring vineyards and
sunflowers. It was
the perfect base for explorations. Relaxing days included short drives
to
explore medieval villages along pilgrim route St. Jacques de
Compostelle and
enjoyable countryside walks. A list of highlights demonstrates the
region's
allure:
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Larressingle's
fortress walls and gate |
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Sunflower
field |
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The nearby village of Fources
is an original "bastide"
with circular
treed center surrounded by half-timbered, arcaded homes. It presents s
an
enjoyable open-air market and café scene. Condom takes
pride in winding
narrow old-quarter streets, a Gothic 16th-century cathedral,
and Three Musketeers
history. Lectoure hosts a
large
main-street market with stands of flowers, crafts, fruits, vegetables
and
regional specialties. La Romieu is proud site of 14th-century
Collégiale St. Pierre with a strikingly beautiful cloister and large
towers. |
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Lectoure's
street market - butcher stand |
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La
Romieu's Collegial St. Pierre cloister |
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Nérac provides a range of charms with its Henry IV
chateau, stone bridge over
the Baise River, and old-quarter streets winding uphill on either side.
Roman
history is well displayed at the gallo-romaine 4th-century villa of
Seviac with
beautifully preserved mosaic floors and walks. A great 30-km. circle
tour from
Larressingle includes famed Flaran Abbey (1150 A.D.) with simple
architecture
and prized art collection, Valence-sur-Baise with its beautiful square
and
great lunch-stop restaurant, and Cassaigne with its Armagnac
distillery, worth
the tour and great tastings. Another major highlight is 13th-century
Labastide d'Armagnac in the neighboring region of Landes. The village
is
perfectly proportioned with a large medieval square, beautiful church,
friendly
merchants and great restaurants. Nearby is Notre Dame des Cyclistes, a
small 12th-century
Gothic chapel, now a Tour de France museum with many remnants,
including a
Lance Armstrong winner's jersey. |
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Armagnac
distillery cellar at Cassaigne
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La Rochelle
The
1000-year-old Atlantic port of La Rochelle merited a three-night
visit. The
Old Port entrance is unforgettable with ancient towers and vistas into
the old
town. We climbed the multitude of steps to Saint-Nicolas Tower (1372 A.D.)
for
lookout views of the harbor and ancient city. We passed through the
clocktower
gate into the pedestrian-only streets of the old town to the ancient
church St.
Saveur (12th-century),
the city hall castle, the cathedral,
and Orbigny Bernon museum with varied historical collections in a
Renaissance
estate. Nearby Charruyer Park provided a pleasant stroll on the town
outskirts back to Old Port with its great restaurants and cafes.
We took a day
to enjoy the island of Ile de Re, connected by a convenient bridge from
La
Rochelle. A 30-km. tour on rented bicycles from La Flotte village
circled along
the sea and through interior farms and pine forests. The highlight was the
harbor
and fortified village of St. Martin. It made for a pleasant
lunch stop. We next drove to the eastern end of the island, past
harvested
salt marsh fields, to visit Ars village with narrow
pedestrian
streets lined with white facaded homes. |
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St.
Nicholas Tower, La Rochelle
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La
Rochelle Old Port and city gate with clock tower
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Cafe
scene at La Flotte
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Ars
church spire
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Ars
resident cyclist
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Guerande
In sourthern
Brittany, near the mouth of the Loire, Guerande is fully enclosed by
1,300-meter-circumference 15th-century fortifications. The walls
are
testimony to Brittany's medieval dukes' preservation of their lands from
foreign
rule. Four gates provide access, including the largest, Porte Saint
Michel,
with twin towers that housed the guard unit. Narrow, winding streets
invite visitors to major sites including Collegiale St. Aubin and the
oldest structure,
Chapelle Notre Dame (1100s).
We stayed three
wonderful days at a B&B near the ancient city. Each evening we
dined at an
excellent Guerande creperie with the cuisine for which Brittany is
renowned. One
day we drove to nearby Ile de Fedrun on Grande Briere marsh to meet
guide René
and explore his home waters. The old village of Kerhinet also displayed
beautiful examples of the region's thatched homes. On another day we
rented
bicycles in nearby La Baule on the Atlantic coast and toured past
salt-water
marshes, prized for France's best table salt, and the charming villages
of
Piriac-sur-Mer, Le Croisic, and Batz-sur-Mer. Guerande, its surrounding fresh and salt-water marshes,
and
its nearby Atlantic villages will remain forever on our list of France's prized
regions.
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Guerande's Porte Saint Michel at night |
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Happy tourist
in Guerande old town |
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Amboise
The last stay
of our tour was equally unique and relaxing. From a convenient
B&B in a
historic estate of Bléré village we enjoyed three major Loire Valley sites:
Amboise,
Chenonceau, and Loches. The first day we enjoyed Amboise's charms of
cafes and
shops looking up to the Renaissance castle on the hill. A highlight was
our
tour of Clos de Luce, Leonardo da Vinci's home for the last three years
of his life. This
chateau felt warm, full of Leonardo's presence with great displays of art and
inventions, surrounded by an enjoyable garden park. On another day
we
rented bicycles in Bléré and toured to the the Loire Valley's most
renowned
chateau, Chenonceau. Its incredible history of Renaissance-era French
kings and
queens warranted a half-day visit. Most interesting was the devious history of
Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici. On our last day we drove to
nearby
Loches and discovered the medieval remains of a 10th-century
dungeon with history back to Richard the Lionhearted and a castle with
history
that includes Joan of Arc and Charles VII.
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Chenonceau
Chateau over the Cher River |
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Garden
Scene at Clos de Luce |
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Amboise
town gate & clock
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