Choir Boy or Court Jester?

I heard the clip clop of the horses and ran to the window.  What a surprise.  Swans were trying to take off using the canal as their runway.  Their big feet beating the water sounded like horses.

Having not done any research before coming to France I was surprised to discover that Burgundy has many chateaux.  They are all so varied in size, style, condition, furnishing, etc.  We were given La Route des Chateaux en Borgogne du Sud at the tourism office.  This brochure alone had 17 Chateaux we could visit.  At one per day we could be kept busy a long time.  Narrow, curvy, country roads force you to slow down, relax and take in the scenery.  Now that it is September many are only going to be open on the weekends.

This is Chatau de Cormation XVII.  The first decades of the 17th Century saw the rebuilding of a large number of chateaux.  The building of a castle was an essential component of social recognition.  A castle was not built in order to have a beautiful country house, it was to make a statement about its owner.  (Some things never change.)  The medieval site is retained to affirm the family's antiquity.  This chateau originally of the du Ble family could boast of belonging to the oldest nobility in the kingdom.  They were already recorded as noble in the charters of the Abbey of Cluny in the year 1000!

This is the privy closet which later became the boudoir or sulking room.  The tub is draped in cloth because the sides of the tub would become slimy.  Do you like the toilet?

There were amazing paintings on the walls and ceilings.  The study had a great deal of gold leaf.  Gold was used to reflect candlelight which makes a dark room seem brighter.

Another view of the chateau from the back.

A piece of art along the canal.

My shoulder has healed enough that it is time for me to re-learn how to handle the lines.

We left Jerry and Arlene in Montchanin.  We went to Montceau-les-Mines, Genelard, and then Paray-le-Monial where we stayed 5 nights while Wilco had a much needed break.  It was a chance for us to go exploring which we enjoyed.  We spent one night in Genelard where we went to a boulangerie that had wasps flying in the display case with the pastries. Montceau wasn't very interesting but the marina was decent.  The tiny market was overpriced. I did find a top to buy at a woman's clothing store.  Retail therapy is important once in a while.

Paray-le-Monial is a lovely town with beautiful mosaic streets.  It has gained in importune and is a major centre of Christianity and pilgrimage dedicated to the cult of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  We met Canadians Marc and Mary whom we hope to see again next year.  They were a wealth of information.  Thanks to their advice we had a couple of lovely dinners in town.  Trois Pigeons was good with a nice setting and La Basillique was excellent.  The Charolais beef is amazingly tender.  The Basilique is run by 4th generation owners with the next generation learning the hotel and restaurant business.

Now a little history:  Marguerite-Marie Alacoque entered the convent of the visitation at Paray-le-Monial in 1671.  She had a series of "visitations" and wrote down the revelations made to her, thus initiating the worship of the Sacred Heart in France.  This town is dedicated to the Sacred Heart and pilgrimages have been repeated every year since 1873.  Even Pope John Paul II made a pilgrimage to Paray-le-Monial.  Today someone with "visions" is diagnosed as schizophrenic, given medication and possibly locked away in a mental hospital.  Back then people who heard and saw things could be persecuted as witches, or become saints as happened with Marguerite.

A view of the basilica from across the canal.

Hotel de Ville (Town Hall) dating from around 1525-1529.

Another view of the Basilica.

We are in the Brionnais and Charolais regions of the southwestern corner of Burgundy.  This is where the more distinctive white muscular Charolais cattle are raised.  They are feeding on beautiful green pasture lands and are delicious eating.  Everywhere we have been driving and cruising we have seen fields and fields of these beautiful cows.  No feed lots for them.  It must be time for them to go to market as trucks filled with them have been driving by.

It was time to visit Chateau de Digoine considered by some to be the jewel of the Charollais region.  It is pure 18th century classicism with formal french gardens and a greenhouse set in English parkland with ornamental ponds and an Italianate theatre on 75 acres.  We didn't stick around for the inside tour.  We were tired of not understanding a word of the tour guides.  We peeked in some windows and it did look very special.  This is the front view.

We enjoyed a walk around the grounds.  This is what we saw in the back.  The castle is being restored and the gold leaf on the balconies is beautiful.

Even better, it is berry season.  I had to stop and stuff my mouth with their delicious blackberries.  The country roads are lined with blackberries now ripe for the picking.  We see people stopping their cars, armed with bowls picking fruit.  We aren't that organized.  When we take our walks we simply pick and eat as we walk along.

Here is the side view with the greenhouse on the left and the kitchen gardens in the foreground.  Since no one lives in this chateau (or maybe they do?) we couldn't resist helping ourselves to a bit of fruit from the trees in the garden.

On to Roanne where I met up with these two characters.  I think they're trying out for the church choir.  Either that or court jester.

Here is the local church with a tiny timber house next door that has a definite tilt to it.  Roanne is a town where we had one of the best meals of the season.  Troisgros is a Michelin 3 star restaurant who share their kitchen with Le Central (right across the street from the train station).  We had lunch at Le Central.  We took a chance (not completely understanding the menu) and ordered the reasonable 3 course prix fix lunch.  It was delicious!  I noticed they had crepe suzettes for dessert on the menu. They were kind enough to make that substitution for me.  I was in heaven!  To top that off, they served meringues afterwards.  Oh my!

After that amazing lunch and a walk around town we drove to Le Chateau de la Roche.  This chateau would be just the right size for us.  Originally built on a river that has since been damned up, it now sits in the middle of a lake.  Can't you just imagine a princess coming out of the front door? I think my darling granddaughters would do well in that roll.  They already have their princess dresses.

Side view of Le Chateau de la Roche.

It is always interesting seeing what the eggs look like when I open the carton.  I love the speckled egg.

My second painting of Girl in the Mirror inspired by Picasso.  I think I will call her Claire.  The deformity in her face is caused by a wrinkle in the canvas.  I can't imagine how this will be stitched.  Claire and I will have some deep conversations as I add my stitching and hopefully make her come to life. 

The weather has changed dramatically.  Last week it was hot and humid.  A storm blew through and now I am sitting writing wearing sheepskin boots, long sleeves and a down vest.  I am thinking of putting my down vest.  I am thinking of putting on my down parka instead.  It is still possible we will have another heat wave before fall starts.