Dreaming of a longer stay in France ?

Many people dream of spending more time in France than just taking a holiday.  To have a place of your own as a base and have the time to wander off exploring without a timetable , that’s the way to really discover a place. We’ve done this many times and really enjoyed being able to live “like a local”…..buying fresh produce at the many markets and taking it home to try out those dishes you’ve experienced in local restaurants…….eating with the locals in their favourite little bistros and routiers………discovering new wines through visits to local producers at the source.

duck confit - a local speciality

french onion soup , excellent on a cold winter's day

tarte tatin - what more can one say ?

And then there is all the history.

Chateau de Commarque

Chateau de Neuvic

Abbaye de La Sauve-Majeur

Having the time to explore by car or by foot…to follow the paths less travelled and see the countryside through all seasons, not just when it is full of tourists. That’s the real way to know a place.

Port Sainte Foy et Ponchapt

terrace overlooking the river

Well, my friends Thida and Eric have just the place for you. They have a wonderful house beside the Dordogne in our village. In their garden is a renovated carriage house just waiting for someone with an adventurous heart to rent for a longer stay , like a year or even more.

one of the charming bedrooms

the beautiful main house and garden

Is this for you ?

They are happy to answer all your questions through their website

https://www.labatellerie.com/holiday-cottage

and we are happy to offer advice where we can.

rêves heureux

Inauguration of the Gabarre

It has been a busy month so far, and it all started with a little ceremony on the quai. This village has a long history as a river port and because the Dordogne can be shallow in parts and fast flowing, a flat-bottomed boat called a ‘gabarre’ was used for this. I have heard it explained that , as the boats could only travel in one direction , the current being too strong for sailing back upstream, they were sold on arrival in Bordeaux and the crew had to walk back home and build another boat for the next trip.  Hard work !

the 'Montravel"

  

We have a small museum overlooking the river , the Maison du Fleuve, with lots of interesting exhibits explaining the history and importance of the river to the development of the village. What does ‘fleuve’ mean ? Well, in french, ‘fleuve ‘ is the word for a river that flows into the sea (eg, the Dordogne, the Seine). “Rivière” is the word for all those waterways that flow into the fleuve. What would be referred to , in english, as a tributary.

on the quai

The management of the museum decided to commission a replica gabarre (admittedly a small one) to sit at the quai beside the museum. Naturally, the arrival of the exhibit required a party in celebration. The craft is called "Montravel" in honour of the wine appellation here.

Montravel AOC

The Confrerie de Montravel - brotherhood of
Montravel connaisseurs

The maiden voyage of the Montravel was taken by monsieur le maire and other dignitaries accompanied by a jazz band , as one does. There was a little cheating as the boat was powered by an outboard motor for this event so that it could manoeuvre against the current, but all on board appeared to have a grand time.

Monsieur le Maire, etc, having fun

After the speeches and official photos, the bands played, the wine flowed, and a small luncheon was served under the marquee.

even the local rowing club turned up

The local car enthusiasts club was invited to procession through the town and then parked their wonderful vehicles on the bridge for all to inspect and admire.

we finished up on the terrace of the bar on the corner -
joined by any friends who happened to pass by

It was a very entertaining day.

The things you see…..

Opened the front door this morning and there they were enjoying a coffee at the bar on the corner…

no speeding problems here

For those who don’t know about these pilgrims, there are dozens of trails starting from various places in europe and all finishing at the cathedral in Compostela in northern Spain. They are known as the Camino de Santiago, or the Way of Saint James.

The story is that the remains of Saint James were taken from Jerusalem to northern Spain and a cathedral was later built over their burial place. Apparently, there have been pilgrims travelling there since 812AD .

Sainte Foy la Grande is on one of these pilgrim ways and we have a hostel in Port Sainte Foy especially for them. This is the second time this year that we have seen a pilgrim with a donkey travelling through town. Some are doing the walk alone and some are in groups, all carrying their backpacks, a walking stick in hand and a scallop shell ( the symbol of the walk) on display to show their purpose. There are brass scallop shells set in the footpath showing the way through the town. We are on the route between Vezelay  Cathedral in northeastern France and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port near the Spanish border.

showing 'the way'

Some pilgrims do a section of a route just for a few days, some travel for weeks or even months. I’ve heard of some who return every year to complete another section with the goal of eventually doing a whole route.

Hope these two are enjoying the journey.

bon voyage