Poitou-Charente myths, legends and history - Baudet or dreadlock donkeys

Baudet donkeys

Poitou-Charentes myths, legends and history

I hope your Christmas was a merry one, we had great fun in Poitiers with Ed, who even joined us on our traditional Christmas Day bike ride. Here is a little something I hope will entertain you and help get you through the post-Christmas slump.

 

Baudet or dreadlock donkeys

 

One of the cutest and most unusual things to originate from the Poitou area has to be our local breed of donkey, the Baudet du Poitou. These beauties are larger than your average donkey and famed for their size and strong bone structure, but it’s not that that attracts me. I adore their peculiarly scruffy look, with their long, chocolate brown, tangled coat that hangs like straggly dreadlocks, and their gorgeous large, furry ears. The dreadlocks form as they moult, when the falling hair becomes felted and attaches to the new hair growth, giving their skin a natural protection from the elements, and tradition dictates these are never brushed out. 

The Baudet donkey

 

They were valued for their breeding of mules, when sired with a Poitevin mare, the Mulassier, and records show they have been around for hundreds of years. Although the breeding was strictly kept in the Poitou region, the mules were exported worldwide and played an important role in the local economy, with the sale of one breeding male donkey earning you enough for a villa on the Atlantic coast. In 1846 at a fair in Champdeniers, 1,500 mules were sold in a single day and there were 18,000 mules born in 1867. With the decline in demand for mules after the Second World War, there was little need for the breeding donkeys and many farms repurposed their space, replacing them with cows. By the 1980’s the Baudets had almost became extinct with less than one hundred remaining.

Baudets at Dampierre-sur-Boutonne

 

I am delighted to say that they have made a comeback, thanks to a conservation breeding programme set up in Dampierre-sur-Boutonne, in the Charente-Maritime. This visitor site includes a museum area that explains all about their history, decline and rebirth, as well as allowing you to wander around the enclosures that are home to around fifty donkeys. You can also book to walk or picnic with a donkey or help at feeding time. If you visit in June, when we did, be prepared for off the scale cuteness as the paddocks are home to the long-legged, dark chocolate brown, velvety foals. They are skittish and full of mischief, but happy to be petted by their adoring fans.

 

A family day out at Dampierre-sur-Boutonne

You can also find them on the Ile de Ré, just off the coast from La Rochelle, where one of the most popular sights for tourists are the Baudets who wear stripy pyjamas on their legs. These give them an extra layer of protection from the flies and mosquitos found in the salt marshes they traditionally worked in.

I hope you have enjoyed getting to know the Baudet. Thank you for another year of reading my blogs, liking, commenting and sharing them. Hearing from you really makes my day. I hope 2025 is a healthy and happy one for you and your loved ones. My next blog will be my annual public and school holiday post, helping you to plan your travels in France. 

 

Happy New Year. 

Poitou-Charentes myths, legends and history - Le puits d'enfer

Le puits d'enfer, Exireuil, Deux-Sèvres

Poitou-Charentes myths, legends and history

 

Le puits d’enfer

We might have lived in the same small village in France for twenty years, but there are so many hidden gems locally, we are still discovering surprising places that are on our doorstep, or at least only about an hour’s drive away. One such place we visited this autumn was in Exireuil, just outside of Saint-Maixent-l’Ecole that has the fabulous name of le puits d’enfer or the wells of hell, and a tale to tell that goes back a thousand years too.

 

The legend of le puits d'enfer

One Sunday morning a farmer was preparing to go to church when he noticed two things, the first being that the hay field he had cut the day before was perfectly dry and at the optimal point to bring in to ensure a plentiful supply for his cattle, as well some left over to sell. The second was an ominous dark cloud on the horizon that warned of an approaching storm. 

Crossing the stream 

 

Should he continue to church, and risk losing the crop or miss mass so that his hard work would not be in vain. He chose to work, saddling his oxen to help bring the hay in under cover. In order to reach his pastures, he had to cross a stream in a deep, rocky valley named le puits d’enfer and although he made it there safely, on his return the sun had gone in, the rain had begun to fall and one of his beasts lost its footing on the slippery rocks. The farmer, his loaded cart and his oxen were never seen again. This tale is a reminder not just of the dangers of the wells of hell but that work, and profit, should never come before religious obligations.

 

The steps leading down the rocky gorge

Having read the legend, it was with some trepidation and excitement that one Sunday afternoon we parked in a carpark by a picnic area in Exireuil and set off into the unknown, wearing sturdy walking boots (and silently muttering a prayer). We could see nothing of the rocky valley that is around fifty metres deep, until we began descending the rough-cut steps that seemed to go down, forever. When we eventually arrived in the deep gorge of the small stream that is a tributary of the Sèvre Niortais river, it felt like we’d entered another world. The water tumbled over giant boulders, the trees were covered in hairy moss and lichen, and the dappled sunshine danced on the ferns covering the ground. It wouldn’t have surprised me to see fairies or other woodland folk going about their business in the shadows.

 

A family day out to le puits d'enfer

What followed was an afternoon of clambering around rocks, crossing narrow bridges, scampering up and down the sides of the gorge, where at some points hands and feet were needed to keep our balance, and generally having a great family day out. I am not sure what I expected to find at the wells of hell, but it exceeded my expectations and was worth heading off the beaten track to explore this hidden gem. We will return.

Le puits d'enfer, Exireuil

  

Free museum Sundays

Free museum Sundays

Free museum Sundays 

 

On the first Sunday of the month, many national museums in France offer free entry to all visitors, something we have been making use of since Ed was much younger. I will admit we rather gave up on museum visits for several years, but working in one has reignited my passion once more, and Adrian is happy to indulge me. 

 

It is worth mentioning that not all museums are national ones and without the financial support from the government, locally or independently run places (like our little museum at the Château de Javarzay) do not have the ability to offer free entries. There are also often seasonal restrictions in the busy periods during the height of summer, or for winter closures.

 

Yesterday we were up early and on the road to La Rochelle by nine o’clock, marvelling at the delicate pastel colours of the sky, a much-needed improvement to the low cloud and mist that has consumed our skies recently. The roads were quiet, and it felt like it was just us and deer in the fields who were out and about. There was an excitement to escaping for a day out that instantly lifted the weight of claustrophobia, caused by the rubbish weather and our lack of plans for 2024.

Île de Ré, by bike

 

Île de Ré, by bike

The morning was spent cycling on the Île de Ré, our first visit to this special island on the Atlantic coast since the beginning of 2020. Savouring every memory, our pace was gentle and relaxed as we enjoyed the fresh air, sea views and freedom. 

 

Our route took us to the pretty port of La Flotte, where narrow cobbled lanes weave between back-to-back cottages with white walls and green shutters, from the palest mint to a dark olive. I also noticed the trendy grey that is seeping into fashion all over is now adding its hues to the fifty shades of green found on the island houses. 

 

As we cut inland and explored new-to-us bike paths, we saw pheasants and the first hint of yellow to the buds on the frothy fronds of the mimosa trees. Colours caught my eye everywhere, from the bright reds of the camelias to the yellow of the forsythia. The island might get the full brunt of the Atlantic weather, which left our faces glowing a healthy pink, but the early season flowers bloom here weeks before they do at home.

Île de Ré, January 2024

 

On the southern coast we climbed dunes and watched sea wading birds and herons, as we breathed in the unique scent of salty air, listening to the cry of the gulls and the crashing of waves. Even the concrete German blockhouse defences now have a vibrancy that masks their dark side, thanks to colourful graffiti. 

 

Lunch was a picnic on a sunny bench, sheltered from the wind with the view of a church spire and surrounded by parcels of tidy vines, already pruned for the 2024 season. It was the perfect recharge for the batteries and even the uphill push, into a biting headwind, on the return crossing of the bridge couldn’t shift the smile on my ruddy-cheeked face.

 

Maritime museum, La Rochelle

Maritime Museum, La Rochelle

The afternoon took us into La Rochelle for a visit to the Maritime Museum, one of the national museums that opens its doors for free on the first Sunday of the month (except in July and August), saving us 16€ on two adult entry tickets.

 

It is a split location museum, with exhibits in two large halls and (more excitingly) three boats moored in the harbour. We began on the fishing trawler the Angoumois, before exploring the tug/pilot boat the St Gilles and then the star of the show France I, a meteorological vessel that was fascinating from the engine rooms all the way up to the bridge and the captain’s quarters. It was so much fun to climb, to pretend, to push buttons and to peek into life at sea, from the safety of a moored vessel.

 

Like all good museums it warrants a second visit as although the website suggested two hours for a visit, I’d recommend a full afternoon as there is so much to see. We hardly made a dent on the indoor sections, especially the history of the port of La Rochelle from the Middle Ages, through English rule, the Richelieu siege and on to the present day – where there was a lot to read and take in. There was also an interactive exhibition on climate change that deserved far more time than we had left in our day. Aside from climbing around onboard, Adrian was in his element at the current exhibition of Olympic sailing boats, as La Rochelle will host the sailing events this summer.

 

On the drive home I was in a reflective mood, inspired no doubt by a good day out and a fabulous sunset. As someone who spends most of the year checking our museums entry figures and comparing them to previous years, I asked myself if I felt guilty about getting free entry. Honestly, no. It helps us and many others to discover places we might not have otherwise visited and if they can afford to offer it, I’m happy to take them up on their generosity. I will certainly be recommending the Maritime Museum to our visitors this summer.

 

I have updated my annual French public and school holiday dates blog to include a bit about free museum Sundays and the European Heritage weekend that also offers free or reduced entry to many museums and other cultural sites, and this year will fall on 21^st and 22^nd September. 

Happy exploring.