French Diary 2003

Pre trip May 6

I'm just getting the last of the things tidy before we head out. I've been tinkering with lots of small things trying to get it all together and I can't think of much left to do. This z doc editor was the best thing I could find for recording a diary, so lets see if it will work for the whole thing.

May 7th

O'Hare airport, Chicago IL

     So far the first leg was without a major hitch. I began in grand style before we even left home by doing a slip and trip ending up on my back as we were leaving. I stopped to take out the trash. Big mistake.

     The train to the airport was surreal. I would occasionally doze off into dreams that were really images from memory that I would have done differently. I also imagined a very interesting sort of stage play involving 3 Hispanic men loitering at the Skidmore Fountain stop.

     The flight was relatively painless even with the pushy woman behind us. I read the book Holes during the flight finishing it with 20 minutes to spare before we landed. For a kids book it covers one or two large themes including sin, redemption and race.

     O'Hare is a funky place. Somehow I remember it as more rundown and dingy, but I haven't been here in 10 years so things would have changed. It's well laid out though small considering what it's called upon to do. It's definitely a hub for American Airlines.

     I like Chicago. My last visit outside of the airport was many years ago, but I had a native for a tour guide and really learned to appreciate it and it's place in Midwestern culture.

     Of special note is the Wolfgang Puck Restaurant at the end of the left concourse (K). Lots of the WP razzle Dazzle but still a nice place in the world of airport food court hell.

Tomorrow: Paris!

May 8th

     The last leg of the flight was a bitch. We sat on the runway for 1.5 hours before finally getting underway. The flight made good time, but I wasn't able to sleep more than a few minutes of the whole time. It got pretty miserable at the end. The saving grace was that we had a whole row between us after being ushered from the last row so the stewardesses could camp there.

     The trip from the airport really reminds me that the City of Light is also surrounded by some pretty nasty housing projects, in some ways as bad as a Watts or Columbia Villa, but high-rise and very visible.

     Le Meriden is a little rough around the edges, but one takes these things in stride. It's not 4 stars by our standards, but it does fine on the continent. Maria loves the bidet though I can't help but look at it each time and remember Henry Miller's story of taking an Indian man to a brothel in Paris and the riot that ensues when the unknowing tourist craps in a bidet.

Later

Took a nap after checking in and then went for stroll. Stopped in several shops along the way and bought snacks, cds, postcards, and cigars. Many things were closed for the weekend so they must be having a bank holiday. In the bookstore window we saw some sort of Harry Potter parody that looked like good fun. Also our first taste of the Tati store (A bit like Kmart). Had lunch at Café Le Rendezvous just in sight of the Belfort Lion. Croque de Monsieur and Orangina for lunch. A stroll back along the cemetery, and then to the hotel. Crispy, we head for bed.

May 9th

The Train to Dijon

After a strange night that seemed to go on forever we were up at 6 for breakfast at 7. We had gone to bed around 7 that night and managed to sleep in four-hour doses, fighting jetlag quite doggedly. It always seems to be that way anymore. One day in transit and then one day in agony.

     The cab to the Gare de Lyon was a joke. We stood at the taxi stand, afraid to wake the next man in line who was sound asleep. Eventually what seemed to be the Taxi inspector came along and woke old Rip VanW from his slumber, checking his license and scaring him half to death. Then, it was our turn to be frightened as we went tearing through the left bank like a crazed bumblebee.

     The wait for the train 2(hours) went quickly enough. We saw several dogs including a French bulldog on his way to Marseille with a couple.

     Another dog belonged to the hurdy gurdy man. Just a puppy, but being pulled along behind.

     The train was 25 minutes late departing which seemed to annoy a few people. If there was a reason we didn't hear it.

     I'm always in awe of the TGV. Rocketing along at almost 200mph the ride is incredibly smooth. The takeoff and ending are so subtle that one barely notices the transition until pulling into the station.

     Found the Hotel de la Poste after some searching. It appears in the middle of a name change. The room is a bit dinky but serviceable. It has a shower and a nice balcony facing out on the town. Downstairs is a nice restaurant and next-door is a cafe. The interior of these is a bit like a wine cellar with the exposed brick and dimmed lights.

     A good day shopping and exploring. Found antiques row and looked at quite a few things. We got Maria a shirt to make up for the one left behind, and some slippers for me to wear around the gite. Lots of strolling round the ville and lots of great building motifs.

     The Chinese takeout was a kick. Very good-looking dishes. There was also an Italian grocery store that was to die for. Another dog story comes from the West Island White guarding the coffee grinder and poking his head out of the door.

     Very tired after our day in Dijon exploring we had an early night and had a takeout supper on the balcony. Things get going late in France as the shops don't even start closing till after six and the cafe traffic goes on for awhile before people start looking for a place to have dinner.

May 10th

Up early for a continental breakfast at the cafe downstairs. Bread and butter, mini croissants cafe au lait, and some very good sweet OJ. We got our gear organized and then went strolling back to the station to pick up the car.

     Our little Citroen Saxo is a devilish little creature. Plenty of room, but the pedals are quite close together and it's tough to get into 1st gear like all French cars. The rental agent was a decent sort who spoke English well enough and got us going with no upsell. He also told us that the 2CV I like is now quite expensive and only one garage in Nice sells and services them.

     Parked in the place Grangier after some hullabaloo and having to go out and back in again. Then some more shopping as the market was now in full flight! The Brocante had some decent Absinth pieces but at a Dijon price. In the stalls I bought a tapestry with the arms of the Hospice de Beaune that I rather like.

     The food hall was glorious as usual, and fully decked out. Bought a bottle of something like mead, some eggs, and some very good ravioli made with dry ham and cheese. Also bought another another shirt for Bootsy from the H&M store.

     Then off to Thoisy la Berchere and Les Laurier.

May 10th continued...

     The drive to Thoisy from Dijon was good after we finally cleared the traffic nightmare that is a French city of 250,000. The mustard fields and the rolling hills caught me off guard much as they did the first time we came this way. Amazing and beautiful country. Arrived at the Gite early and were wondering what to do when Sue the owner showed up with fresh linen and lots of stories.

     One of the last guests had really made a mess of the place and had stuck them with a really nasty phone bill. It was an ugly and cautionary tale. She's also in the middle of getting things down for her daughters wedding in a few weeks time.

     Dinner of the pasta, bread and emmental cheese was fantastic and were now washing it down with some mead from the Dijon food hall by the name of Hydromel.

 May 11th

Home at Thoisy

Up at 8 and then back to bed after a meal of leftover pasta (still damn good) we slept until 12:30 Still recovering from Jetlag I think.

     Pottered, wrote postcards, and then set out at 3:30 for a drive. First through  Saulieu then out into the Morvan for the first time.

     Lac des Settons was nice. A triangle shaped lake flush with holidaymakers and small boats. We almost killed a small poodle that leapt in front of the vehicle.

     We past quite a few motorcycles including a scooter rally also heading west.

     Chateau Chinon is a nice town on a hill overlooking the Morvan. Former president Mitterrand was a hometown boy and his first big political office was as mayor of the town. He's credited with doing much for the area and it's obvious quite a bit of public works money made its way to the otherwise ordinary town.

     We found a gift shop open and bought a few things. Honey was its theme and there must be quite a bit of apiculture in the area.

     Home for supper. A quiche with cheese and bacon for Maria and me had salad with French ham. We split some absolutely divine new potatoes. The variety was lady Christi...? Very good and worth importing.

     In bed by 8:30 and I was dozing by nine.

Monday

After a not too restful night we were up by 8:00 and to breakfast. Today's was hash browns w/onion, 4 slices of VERY thick bacon, a fried egg, and bread with butter.

     Out into the countryside for a drive south we headed first for Nuit St.George. The road goes through Beaune and just a few miles past into the middle of wine country and we were there.

     The main reason for visiting was to see the cassissium, or factory where they make crème de cassis. There was a great small tour through the factory where everything is fermented and the small museum to the fruit and its production. In the shop we went wild. Four big bottles, three small, three other types of beverage, and stuff. 107 Euros later we walked out wondering how we were going to get it all home. The fire.  A stroll round the town, then off to Beaune. We like Beaune. It's a neat town with a super character. I hit the Athenaeum store hard with more breakables (eek) and also the Hotel Saulx gallerie for three more prints to add to the others I don't have framed yet.

     Stopped at the hyper Champion on the way out of town, then off to home.

    Dinner was smoked sausage, boiled and buttered new potatoes, and bread w/butter. Desert was the leftover cheesecake, and for an aperitif we tried a Kir Royal. The champagne was a bit dry and I used more cassis than needed.

     Finally, postcards as Mia does her pedicure. As I got some addressed the ink ran out so it's abandoned for now.

Tuesday

     After staying up until 2am reading some Edgar Rice Burroughs I slept in a bit. Mia was up early and made a huge fry up with sausages, fried egg, hash browns, and a sort of ham and cheese battered sandwich. Very nice!

     Then back to bed to sleep, and read more. Finally about noon I roused myself and took a shower. It was my choice of destinations so we did local towns. First to Arnay le Duc. Funky small town with an exhibition on the arts of the table. Bought a knife at the Tabac that looked cool. It's actually for horseman with a hook to dig stones out of a horses hooves.

     Then over country towards Pouilly en Auxois. Stopped at a Shopi and the shop dedicated to regional products. Passed the Grill Campanile that I mean to return to soon for dinner. A visit to the tourist center in Pouilly that is in a cool sort of old tower and then a stroll round the town. On the way back we hit a Gam Verte and finally the Atac there for dinner and supplies.

     We've quite come to like French TV. Nice People, a Loft Story knock off has been fun, though not as fun as loft Story. The other shows are fun also. It's a great was to pick up the language.

    Dinner was a quiches with ham and potatoes, and chocolate pudding for afters.

 Thought a lot today about the amazing scenery we see every minute. The incredible rolling hills a lush green valleys are really something. The way the light plays across the country through the rolling clouds seems to be unreal at every turning.

Wednesday

     Up early this morning and out of the door by 9am we set off in search of several Chateaux to investigate.

     The first was Nuit, but it seemed as if it was only open by appointment. It was a nice renaissance edifice with well kept up grounds. Small by comparison to the others we saw today, it was still very pleasant to see in a nice setting.

     On then to Arnay le Franc, which was pretty impressive. Currently under a restoration effort, many of the rooms were really gorgeous. The painting in even the unrestored part were amazing and the wooden floors seemed to have survived well, better than the stone tiles of which not many of the originals are left. It has a nice courtyard and nice grounds. The tour book in English helped. Designed by Italian renaissance architects it was inhabited up until 1940. There was some interesting furniture including a cabinet made with an incredible bone inlay.

     Lunch in Tonnere. A cafe meal of Jambon de Bayonne (dried ham), steak in pepper sauce w/frittes (and strangely good ketchup, Geant brand) and a nougat ice cream with raspberry syrup. After un cafe we hit the road again hoping to make it to château Tanlay by the 3pm tour.

     We got there in a rush just as the church bells were chiming 3 and joined the tour. Another renaissance chateau, Tanlay really is beautiful from the exterior. The grounds are laid out very appealingly, with the stables walled off into another part of the grounds. The current Comte, son of the last of the Tanlays, resides there still with his wife and young family. He's modernized one floor of the North (?) wing where they all reside. The interior is in some ways not as well preserved as Ancay le Franc, though in others it's superior. Much of the art work is still on the walls along with various souvenirs from the career of the previous Comte who was an ambassador for France. His medals from several nations adorn the walls of one the galleries. The wonderful tromp loeil gallerie was amazing. At 27 feet, it was actually 42 feet until trimmed by a fire in the 1800's. Two great chaise lounges were there, each with a small rise at the end. On, in two pieces was called a broken duchess.

     Just outside we stopped in a gift shop that turned out to belong to a woman from Toronto! She was about 40 but had come to France 20 years ago and been in Tanlay for 8 years.

     We stopped through Chablis  and looked around, wandering up to Petit Pontingy which is where the Chablis grape and wine were first developed. They closed just after we arrived but it was nice to there and see it.

     The last Chateau we saw was Monfort. We noticed it on the way home up on a hill, an imposing wreck of a place. We took a chance and headed up the winding roads around the hill and through the small village. It wasn't open, but is currently being preserved by a local preservation society. They give tours in July and August. The original 13th century outer walls are gone, but much the towers remain, it has an impressive view of the country side below.

     The home after a stop at the Petit Casino for bread and stuff. Dinner for me was potatoes w/butter, smoked sausages and the end of a baguette, with our chocolate pudding for desert. Maria choose the locally canned beef Burgundy and it was a major effort to open the bloody thing the jar cracking in the process.

Thursday- the hunt for Chateau

     Up fairly early but w/ a big breakfast of egg, smoked sausage, and potato things, we set out in search of chateau.

     The first one, Pasange, was on the way to Bussy Rabutin. Medieval and perfectly preserved from the outside it was really something, and right on the main road. The moat and drawbridge were still in use! Classic look with four towers and a keep.

     On the road after that we passed the town of Brain. Took a photo for laughs.

     Bussy Rabutin was not well sign posted but we found it anyway. Maintained by the Monum group, it was built in the style of Ancy le Frank originally, but one wall was taken down which opened up the courtyard. Mainly known as the home of one man, Roger Bussy-Rabutin, it really is a gilded cage. The paintings in the ground floor salon were rough but deep in meaning and in joke with all of the inscriptions. The tower with the "prettiest room in France was quite nice and full of symbolism. Roger's soured affair was evident almost everywhere. The other paintings were also great to see including the hall of heroes. The renovations were still going on, and the investment by the French Gov't had taken it a long way. Great gardens.

     Then to Flavigny. New to us was the farm restaurant. It smelled great, though we had our own picnic. We got a photo of Maria standing by the window where the chocolaterie had been in the movie Chocolat.

     More Chateaux were rooted out. Grignon with it's hilltop place and tank parked out front, and Lantilly with its closed but beautiful garden.

     Semur en Auxois was interesting and full of neat shops including a prize-winning butcher. The cobbled stone streets kept us bouncing, but the exterior walls and fortifications were inspiring.

     Epoisse yielded a neat Chateau and park, but it was the fromangreie that was a hit. The shop was small, but it had only the best.

     Bourbilly was neat once we found it, and we made friends with a tailless cat.

     A drive by of Missery and a glimpse of our own home Chateau on the final stretch rounded it out.

     We had just got in when Sue called and asked us round for pizza. We figured out the phone card then also and made some calls.

     A nice supper of home made pizza and a tour of some other gites. They were a bit rough. Lots of chatting our faces off. Also we did get on the webcam.

Friday

     An early day for us again. We were up before 7 with the intent of visiting a flea market at Rouvray. We were led to believe that it began at 8am, but on arrival we found it to be starting at 2pm. With a whole day ahead of us we headed up to Auxerre. Looking at the map Maria had a giggle when she saw the town of Orgy, and we decided to stop in and check it out for a laugh.

     We got to Auxerre just as things were starting to open. It really is a great place to go shopping. Lots of clothes and for the ladies, many lingerie and shoe shops as well as beauty products and salons. We stopped in the Monoprix and Maria bought some nice frillys and accurately guessed her sizes.

     As we strolled through town Maria mentioned that she heard bagpipes, and sure enough, as we passed under the clock arch into the open square we came upon the Auxerre Celtic festival. The band was a Breton bagpipe band and there were people in traditional Breton costume dancing in front. There were several booths selling all sorts of Celtic/Breton things including a very sweet apple tart.

     We went for a walk down on the river bank, stopped at an unhelpful tourist office, and then back passing a really neat restaurant built in a canal boat.

     The road back through the countryside was a giggle. We found Orgy after some exploring, and then just to send me over the edge we found the town of Anus. I know it's juvenile, but I laughed until I was sick.

     The flea market was small but we found some postcards. Then back into Saulieu. We stopped at Bernies shop and I bought a tea towel, oven mitt, a cookbook, and a vegetable peeler. In the town we stopped at the patisserie and the sporting goods store.

     A quick stop at the Atac for beverage and ice cream, then home for a quiet evening watching TV and staying up to 11:30 to watch Nice People. The Finnish guy got voted off which was a bummer.

Sunday

A very lazy day for me. We were up at a reasonable time, but after a huge breakfast of eggs, potatoes, sausage, and buttered bread awash with hollandaise I wasn't good for much. We sorted out our piles of souvenirs into more manageable assortments and discussed how better to get them home, and then settled down to write postcards.

     I went back to bed to do mine, and after six I read for a short time before falling asleep.

     I finally surfaced about 3pm.

     After a call to Sue and Henry who were able to lend us a tape measure, I showered and we went out to Reglois. There was an Aussie couple from Brisbane there and we all had a natter and coffee before the ordeal

     The measuring done and the information emailed, we came home to make some dinner before we headed to the cinema. Spaghetti carbonara with diced thin ham and bread was the menu du jour.

     L'Etoile Cinema in Saulieu was really fun. The projectionist woman rolled in right at 8:30 though her partner was there to watch the door. Not much on snacks besides Mentos and Haribo candies, but a very nice theater converted from an ancient building. It abuts the school and looks like there was a giant clock on the facade at one point.

     The film was Bon Voyage. A good movie set in 1940 at the start of the German occupation before they arrived in Paris. Great costumes and good music. We actually were able to follow the story and enjoyed the film

     Home for some ice cream and cassis for Maria, then to bed.

Monday-A very Gray day.

Monday saw us sleeping a little later and leaving a bit later than was good for any sort of sightseeing in distant towns. We hit Pouilly about 10 and as the plan involved going to the town of Gray it didn't look too good.

     We squirreled through Dijon ring roads and finally made it to Gray just as things shut for lunch. The city government office/Mairie was in a historic building with Burgundian tile roof and the remains of the old chateau behind.

     Boating is a popular recreation there and canal boats were to be found in abundance. I meant to go back and look at the waterfall things similar to the one I had seen in bath, but the weather got the better of any wandering intentions. We cooled our heels for awhile, first at the Krystal Bar, a friendly little bar right near the tourist office. Sandwiches and drinks for 11 euros. Not bad. The tourist office opened at 1350 and there wasn't much useful info to be had had

     On up to the town of Champlitte and it's Chateau which had been turned into a museum of rural life. Not my cup of tea, though for that sort of thing it was well done. There was a room at the right end that had a window that looked into what the Chateau might have looked like in it's prime, but the rest was a bit of a downer. The view from the chateau was excellent

     As we wound our way back after stopping in the post office we came on two other castles, one not open to the public, but the other turned out to be quite bit of fun. Rosieres is a very old fortress, constructed at the time of much warring and designed to look over the whole grange. Currently the property of a very nice sort of family we were welcomed in and sent up into the castle with an English guide. Little has been done to the place since some additions in the 1700's and time has preserved much of it quite well. The upper floors were pretty spooky and the roof with it's massive oak beams and tiles was impressive. A great deal has been done by the current owners to restore parts of the castle and draw people in, though with anything like that the work is never complete. We left feeling very good about our visit and feeling very kindly towards the nice people who owned it.

     By this time it was 5pm so we headed off towards Dijon for groceries and home. Squirreled through Dijon, found the big but unimpressive Intermarche, and then after a pit stop at McDo we hit the motorway home. That's when things got interesting.

     Bombing along, I missed the turn off for Pouilly and suddenly we found ourselves at the gates of the toll motorway. Panicked as we entered we were immediately waved over by a Gendarme. He checked us out head to toe and I was let off with a warning for not wearing my seat belt correctly. He was actually quite patient with us for a cp but explained that there was no way to pull a uturn and that we would have to continue to the next exit.

     The next one was near Semur en Auxois and we covered the distance in almost no time at all. The toll was only 1.80 euros, which was a relief. The we hauled it around and headed for home. 

     Dinner was sausage and cassolet. I keep hoping cassolet will get better, but it never does.

Tuesday, Going underground

The weather was iffy today but out we went towards Les Grottes. It was on our list since some chateau would be closed on Tuesday.

     We arrived with 30 minutes until the next tour and relaxed and read for a bit.

     The tour was nice and les grottes was pretty amazing. The neolithic paintings were really something. Even the graffiti was ancient. The bit that said R.a. 1772 killed me. It was on the order of wookie Hole or the Oregon caves.

     Out and into Avalon we hit the Auchon for lunchtime and had a good chuckle at the checkout line. Two checkers and one only for 10 items or less. That killed two hours and we stopped at mcdo before hitting the road.'

     The next few hours were spent squirreling around the countryside on back roads that never seemed to end in search of chateau that seemed to exist only in some mapmaker's diseased mind.

     We made it to Epoisse just before 5 and picked up four rounds of cheese for gifts.

     We made it home for Nice People and dinner. Mine was carrots with Boursin and smoked sausage.

     No desert.

Wednesday - The pilgrimage

After discovering the ease and relatively small cost of the motorway it formed our decision to visit Chalon sur Saone, a town just south of Beaune on the A6.

     It's a town steeped in photographic history, as well as the sight of the Kodak factory for France. It's the home of Nicephore Niepce, the builder of what's recognized as the first Camera, and also home to the Niepce Museum.

     We made great time on the motorway, cutting the two hour drive down to 35 or 40 minutes even with road construction` all at a cost of 4 Euros each way. Money well spent when the cost of gasoline is at around $4 a gallon.

     We saw a strip mall with large stores on the way into town so we stopped and shopped in the Geant. The largest hypermarche we seen yet with great selection of most things. We ended up buying a duffle bag for our excess and also books one and two of the Scorpion series of comic books.

     We hit the center of two about 11:15 and found the tourist office, but the Niepce Museum closed at 11:45 so we elected to spend some time roaming the streets and get to the museum at 2pm when it reopened.

     The old town part of Chalon is dedicated to pedestrians, so aside from the odd delivery van and small scooters it's a wonderful place to  and window shop. Lots of neat shops and things to see. The open air food market was going on so we browsed through. I bought another mandolin, a bigger one, as well as some pocketknives that were rather c3 on inspection, but what did I really expect for so cheap?

     Lunch at the Cathedral restaurant was great. The plat du jour was roast porc in gravy with potatoes, mushrooms and spinach. I actually went against my rule and tried the mushrooms just to be fair, but was unimpressed. Desert was the special and a cafe, the special being a sort of fruit flan, though the center piece was a prune which Maria scooped up.

     Some more strolling and a trip to the pharmacy as well as a walk down by the river. Pharmacies are often open at lunch time, and they seem to be on every street corner. Henry says it's because the French are hypochondriacs.

     The Niepce Museum was inspiring in a way that few other museums have been for me. To see the first camera and some of the heliographs struck me squarely. Lots of unique things there from the camera collections and the camera in the wall, to the camera obscura and the exhibit in minute photos.

     After we strolled a bit more than headed back towards home. After barely getting out of the small underground lot was got on the road and stopped in at the Geant strip mall. There we discovered the Buffalo Grill, which gave me a good chuckle. It looks a bit like some big BBQ joint from home, complete with windmill.

     The Go Sport store was pretty bland, though I picked up a small Rugby ball. I found nothing of interest in the golf stuff. I'm constantly looking there for things for Dad.

     Back home on the motorway after stopping for food at the Quick. We managed to get home in time to get sorted out before Nice People started.

     Dinner was potatoes with Boursin, corn, and spiced sausages.

     Lots of snacks to eat up before we go. Also lots of packing to sort out. Wrapped up a pair of boxes to mail tomorrow and began to think about how we're going to organize everything.

Thursday - The beginning of the end

Today we began to prepare for the last leg of our trip and consolidate the packing. Laundry was started and we assembled the many souvenirs not already mailed. After some discussion of the process and more sorting out we packed the green suitcase with linens, cassis, and whatever else would fit. Some things would have to go as checked baggage, including the cutlery and sharp things.

     In the after noon we got presentable and headed down to Autun for a last visit. We stopped in at the post office and mailed the salad spinner and things as well as the cheese for Jewel. I distributed some pins, which were well received.

     I finally found a Tabac with the Lagoulie things I was coveting. A pen, lighter, and two nice tire bouchons. Each in it's own gift box. Very nice stuff.

     On the way home we hit the garden center on the road just out of Autun and bought a grape vine of the Italia variety. the actual Chablis kind we needed to get in Chablis, but that was last week.

     Nice people greeted us on our return. We're  really addicted to these silly shows.

     Dinner was a risotto with tomato sauce and burgundy sausages with New:23/5/03 20:50

A very pleasant last day in the Gite. The knowledge that our holiday was in it's last phase weighed heavily on us, but I for one am ready to do something else for a bit.

     We worked on packing the rest of our things and Maria tidied up the place a bit. Mainly gathering up all of our gear and getting it sorted. The extra bag helped, though I wish we'd found a bigger one.

     Getting my carry on bag sorted was a chore and I'm not exactly sure how it all went in in the first place. The only holdout has been the cassis glasses. The just don't seem to work.

     In the afternoon we went out to the Morvan Maison du Parc. It's a nice setting there. The ecomuseum, herbarium and farm setting were ok, but what really got my attention was the museum of the resistance. A very good small museum, put together when some of the maquis were still alive. There was a cell here in Thoisy, and Missery just up the road was very active as well.

     Then back for an early supper and more pottering. We watched Nice People and then Sue stopped by to settle up for the electricity. We had a nice chat with her, and talked about Shanie's up coming wedding. The Vin d'honneur sounds like quite an issue. Her various relations seem to be quite an interesting group.

     We finally had our stroll into the village for some partial glimpses of the chateau. It really is a pretty little town.