Medieval Castle --Château de Chinon

After walking up a cobbled stone road, winding around the ramparts, we arrived at the castle.  The fortress, from the time of  Henry II of England who died there in 1189, overlooks the village below lined with half- timber medieval houses.  Two centuries later the castle witnessed Joan of Arc's recognition of the dauphin, later Charles VII.  From there she left to "accomplish her miraculous and tragic destiny".   We visited a nearby church in the village below and found it to be the church where Joan of Arc prayed for 2 days in 1429 while she waited to visit the dauphin.  It was an amazing experience to be there in the same church almost 600 years later!

Renaissance Castle--Château de Chenonceau

We decided to head out Friday after school for the Loire Valley for a quick week-end of discovering castles from different historical periods.  After a five hour drive north we finally arrived at the Castel de Bréhémont along the left bank of the Loire River.  On Saturday morning we visited the Château de Chenonceau on the River Cher.  In my opinion, it is one of the most beautiful castles and almost impossible to describe in a few lines. It is a Renaissance château but with interesting innovations:  a straight staircase instead of a spiral one and, for the first time, rooms designed around a central vestibule.  It has been called "The Château of Six Women" (two of them queens) who lent to it their womanly virtues of "beauty, charm, elegance and grace" for 400 years.  Diane de Poitiers, duchess of Valentinois and royal mistress, created a garden for royal visits and had a bridge built across the Cher to link the castle to the left bank.  Upon the death of Henry II, Diane de Poitiers was forced to give up the château to Catherine de Medici, who had a two-story gallery built on the bridge and  added a park and several out buildings. 

Clermont-Ferrand, Puy-de-Dome and the Parc National des Volcans

Roger and I enjoyed a one day excursion to Clermont-Ferrand and the surrounding area.  Clermont-Ferrand is the only large city in the Auvergne and is known to historians as the home of Vercingétorix, who rallied the Arvernes to defeat Julius Ceasar in 52 BC.  The city has a busy commercial center and is the headquarters for the Michelin tire company.  There is a small old center dominated by the Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de l'Assomption.  It was built of special black volcanic stone enabling its pillars to reach record heights at the time.

We found the Parc National des Volcans about 1/2 hr. from Clermont-Ferrrand.  Stretching 90 miles, north to south, the park contains about 80 dormant volcanos. They are relatively young, 60,000 to 80,000 years old, which explains why their shapes are so well preserved.  We headed out on what I consider the most challenging and fantastic hike of my life!  We hiked to the top of the Puy-de Dome, the highest volcano in the Mont-Dome range, for a magnificent panoramic view of extinct volcanos, craters, domes, and caldera cones and basaltic plateaus.

Neighborhood Pique-Nique

We were invited to a super barbecue in the neighborhood.  French potato salad (French string beans and potatoes in a vinaigrette) with pork kebabs and sausages on the grill.  Other salads, a great selection of cheeses and desserts rounded out the meal.  The BBQ is even served in courses like any French meal!  Afterwards, we all played boule and the ruler even came out on several close calls!

Le Marché au Puy en Valey

I have had a great time grocery shopping and cooking in France.  I found two big grocery stores; the Super U and Intermarché.  I also found a great butcher shop where I bought some very interesting cuts of meat and poultry.  I brought along many of my favorite French cookbooks and have had so much fun cooking.  I have only made one typically American dinner otherwise every lunch and dinner has been "la cuisine française".  My next trip to the butcher I plan to buy a guinea hen to make Pintade aux Choux et Marrons.  (guinea fowl with cabbage and chestnuts).  It goes without saying I love the marché where I buy the freshest fruits and veggies.  Here is a photo of the Saturday morning marché in Le Puy en Valey.

Le Puy-en-Valey

Le Puy-en-Valey (about 30 min. from Grazac) is our closest city.  It is built up on the puys (solidified lava peaks)  that rise from the valley.  These peaks are crowned with huge statues; one of St. Joseph and one the the Virgin Mary.  The Romanesque cathedral, Notre Dame -du- Puy, is also built on a large pinnacle, reached by a steep, stone staircase.  The town becomes particularly colorful on Saturday mornings at "le marché en plein air".

Visit to Chambéry and Annecy

We spent 2 days in Chambéry, an elegant old city in the Rhone-Alp region about  2 hours from Grazac, visiting our Fulbright friends Sally and Lee.  The town's highlight is the 14th century Château des Ducs de Savoie.  We took a drive to Annecy, a lovely town surrounded by the crystal clear Lac d'Annecy.   The town is know as "Venice of the Alps"  as there are canals, decorated with huge baskets of flowers,  meandering through the old part of town.