Poitou-Charentes myths, legends and history - La Dame de Chambrille

La Dame de Chambrille

Poitou-Charentes myths, legends and history

 

La Dame de Chambrille

One of my favourite discoveries this year was a mysterious granite rock formation (a geological oddity in an area where limestone prevails), located along a footpath, in the woods, not far outside of La Mothe-Saint-Héray, Deux-Sèvres. Its towering presence is enhanced by the legend surrounding it, and the fact ‘she’ has been named, La Dame de Chambrille (the lady of Chambrille). 

The towering presence of La Dame de Chambrille

 

Once upon a time, many years ago, Berthe, the beautiful daughter of a local squire fell in love with her neighbour, Guy de Tremont. Unfortunately, the elderly Baron de Chambrille asked for Berthe’s hand in marriage, to which her father agreed, despite poor Berthe’s despair. Some time passed after her wedding, when, by chance Berthe and Guy crossed paths once again, and soon began meeting in secret every night, only parting at the first light of dawn. 

 

The Baron became suspicious and followed his wife, watching the lovers before stabbing them one morning in a fit of jealousy. Berthe was petrified and became the rock with a profile of a lady’s face that bears her name, the Dame de Chambrille. Guy dragged himself, despite bleeding heavily, towards his home, where he died, his blood becoming the little red pebbles still visible in the stream that runs through the valley, his tomb, a flat rock found at the water’s edge. 

 

The red pebbles of Guy de Tremont

Like many similar tales, it might be a sad one and a little grisly, but I do love the magic of a good fairytale, and you have to agree, that rock does have an uncanny likeness to a damsel in distress, staring down at the stream where her lover’s body lay.

 

La Fouace

La Mothe-Saint-Héray is also home to a local delicacy that we have sadly yet to taste, though it’s not through want of trying. The fouace is a round brioche bun, but it’s not just a boulangerie speciality, it too has an interesting story behind it. The name comes from the Roman word ‘foacius’ meaning to be cooked under the ashes, or in the hearth, and it is from this same word you get fougasse from Provence and the foisee from Burgundy, among just a few to be found all over France. The Mothais fouace is said to be the real fouace, as not only was it mentioned in one of the Gargantua books by François Rabalais in 1534 but even in the Middle Ages, pilgrims on the Compostela route to Santiago would detour to stock up on these local delicacies, thanks to the reputation and quality of the local flour. I am always rather excited by a story that links the Chemins de Saint Jacques with food (see here). 

 

Until the war there were twelve fouaciers in La Mothe-Saint-Héray, but more recently the patisserie Favreau was the only holder of the secret recipe, that tradition dictates is only passed down to those who take over the business. Sadly, the Favreau patisserie closed in 2021, and when no buyer could be found, the recipe and manufacture moved to a local Mothais farm. It is now sold in the local COOP, but only from Wednesdays to Sundays.

 

In the spring of 2022 when we set off on our loaded Bromptons to follow the Sèvre Niortais river from its source to the Atlantic, La Mothe-Saint-Héray was our morning coffee stop on day one. We arrived on a sunny, Monday morning during the April school holidays, to find all the boulangeries were closed, despite our need for fuel with our coffees (thankfully the bar was open). Let’s just say by the time we arrived in Saint-Maixent-l’Ecole at lunchtime, I was running on empty. Returning one summer afternoon this year, to explore a bit more, we were able to buy our favourite flans at one of the boulangeries, that we ate in La Dame de Chambrille’s woods, but the fouace once again eluded us. 

 

The Orangery at La Mothe Saint Héray

The Orangery in La Mothe-Saint-Héray is also worth a visit, and as it’s always good to have a reason to return, maybe next time we will be lucky enough to enjoy a stroll around the beautiful gardens and a taste of a fouace. 

Advent postcards, Jouhé Deux-Sèvres

 

Advent postcard, Jouhé, Deux-Sèvres

Advent day twenty-two

Today’s cycling advent-ures postcard is from Jouhé, now part of the commune of Valdelaume in the Deux-Sèvres, and only around ten kilometres from home. This means it is often on one of our twenty or thirty-kilometre bike ride loops and it’s always exciting to see the tower of the château come into view on the skyline.

 

The château at Jouhé is privately owned I had the pleasure of meeting the new owners recently and offering them a guided visit of the Château de Javarzay. Both châteaux have undergone losses over the years, a major fire being the cause of extensive rebuilding at Jouhé in the 1600’s, leaving a logis and the impressive four storey square donjon, built around a courtyard. 

 

Once the madness of the festive period is over, they have promised us a reciprocal visit and I can’t wait, especially as they too have the mysterious circular markings on some of their ancient stones that we have at Javarzay. It is great news that the new owners have plans to bring Jouhé back to life and hold events there in the future and it would be fantastic if we can work together, sharing our remarkable buildings.

 

Jouhé is not only home to a château, but it also has a Tilleul tree that is classified as “remarkable”. I have a soft spot for trees and especially classified ones, but I think anyone would agree this tree is impressive, even in winter. It’s perfect positioning next to the château just adds to its charm.

Advent postcards, Villemain Deux-Sèvres

Advent postcard, Villemain, Deux-Sèvres

Advent day sixteen

Today’s cycling advent-ures postcard is from the tiny village of Villemain, a mere three kilometres from our home. It is neatly tucked into the French countryside, so it’s not even somewhere you would drive through on your way to somewhere else. 

 

We will often set off on one of our quick ten-kilometre bike ride loops that take us through Villemain. Sometimes the route finishes with Villemain and then a whizzing downhill back home. Other times it starts with a gentle incline past goat and cow farms before a real leg and lung stretcher as we climb into the woods on the ridge.

 

If you do find yourself there, I think there are a few reasons to stop and take a moment. The first is the village war memorial. Rather than a sculptured rectangular memorial depicting the names of those lost, Villemain's is a statue of a French soldier painted in the palest blue uniform. Set on a plinth behind iron railings, it is always bedecked with flags for Victory in Europe Day on 8^th May and for Remembrance Day on 11^th November.

 

The second reason to stop is the Georgelet goat cheese farm. Any award-winning cheese farm whose cheeses are shipped all over France is worth a detour in my book, and they win gold medals most years at the national agricultural shows. They make a variety of the local speciality goat cheeses including Le Mothais sur Feuille which comes wrapped in a chestnut leaf and the pyramid shaped Chabichou de Poitou. Twice a week the farm shop is open, selling local produce as well as their cheese, but we can also stock up at the Saturday morning market in Chef-Boutonne, which is exactly what we did today, so that’s one bit of my Christmas shopping finished.

 

Advent postcards, Bellevue, Pays Mellois, Deux-Sèvres

Advent postcard, Bellevue, Deux-Sèvres

 

Advent day eleven

Today’s cycling advent-ures postcard is from the abandoned village of Bellevue, a surprise find in the middle of some woods in the Lambon valley. 

 

We were out for the day, on our bikes, ticking off the Terra Aventura circuits in Celle-sur-Belle and Prailles, near Lac du Lambon in the Deux-Sèvres. The theme of the Prailles course was Resistance but it had nothing to do with The Occupation during World War Two. This area of the Pays Mellois was an important stronghold for the Protestants during the religious wars in France five hundred years ago. Forced to meet in secret, they were adept at hiding their faith from the authorities and there are many signs still visible today that show how they resisted against the Catholics. There is also a local museum dedicated to their story, that is on my list of places to visit next year.

 

What began as a cycle ride along quiet rural lanes lined with fields and vineyards, changed abruptly as we turned onto a narrow track at the edge of a field, and descended into a wood. We followed the map and clues, and soon ended up deep in a forested valley with no other signs of life aside from the birdsong. It was a real adventure, although rather tricky manoeuvring the bikes over the stones, roots and logs in the pathway. As we reached the river Lambon, it was one surprise after another. First the ruined stone walls of houses from the abandoned village of Bellevue came into view, now mostly consumed by the foliage of the forest, and then a medieval stone bridge appeared (and I do love an ancient cobbled bridge). If it hadn’t been for the handy information panels explaining the plight of the Protestants and illustrating rural life over the ages, it would have felt like we’d become lost in a forgotten world.

 

You can find more information on this 5.5km walk on the tourist office website here. I’d definitely recommend it, but it’s probably better to do it on foot, in dry weather, rather than attempt it on bikes.

 

Château de Javarzay, opening this weekend

Château de Javarzay, Chef-Boutonne

The Château de Javarzay, Chef-Boutonne 

My Five Top Tips for making the most out of your visit

 

This weekend I am delighted to once again be part of the team opening the doors to welcome visitors to the Château de Javarzay. Situated in Chef-Boutonne, in the southern tip of the Deux-Sèvres department, this fairy tale château with its towers and turrets really is worth a visit if you live nearby. 

 

There have been a few changes to the opening times this year, and our out of season hours (March, April, May and October) will be 14h to 17h30 on Saturday afternoons and 10h to 12h30 and 14h to 17h30 on Sundays, plus afternoons during the school holidays in April and October. From the beginning of June until end of September we will be open daily, 10h to 13h and 13h45 to 18h, except Tuesdays.

 

My first Top Tip for enjoying your visit is to ensure you give yourself at least an hour, as there really is a lot to see.

 

The Château de Javarzay is one of the first Renaissance châteaux in the Poitou region and now houses a fully interactive and multimedia museum. What remains of the building today is a tiny part of what it once was, but even with only two of its original twelve towers, there is a lot to see and to keep the visitor entertained.

The stonework of the Château de Javarzay

 

The museum is split into three parts, and I just love that the start of your voyage through time is a slow and steady climb up a spiral staircase, housed in a conical-roofed turret, complete with tiny leaded glass windows with views over the lake and the grounds. 

 

Ancient roof timbers at the Château de Javarzay

In the part of the museum featuring the history of the château, you can see the timbers and stonework up close and learn all about this beautiful building dating from 1513. One of my favourite things to do is to walk the circular path on the outside of the round tower, that gives you an almost 360º view of the park. As you would expect for a five-hundred-year-old residence, a number of families have called it home over the years and it is reputed to have had a Royal overnight guest too. If you happen to visit when I’m working, I’d be happy to let you know about some of the other residents who I’m sure are ‘in residence’ now. 

 

The recent renovation project was about so much more than just the necessary building works needed to ensure the château is preserved for the next generation. The museum has been completely re-imagined and is now a multimedia, interactive, bilingual experience that received rave reviews from visitors from all over the world last year. My Top Tip number two is to sit and listen to the rich tones of the voice of the château as he tells his story.

Coiffes (headdresses) of the 19th Century

 

The top two tower rooms, complete with cathedral like roof beams, house the part of the museum that is all about the life of women in rural 19^th century France. Why did women wear bonnets? When did they swap the bonnet for the more decorative headdress or coiffe? What was the daily life of the seamstresses who travelled from village to village to make and clean these works of art? With turret towers, fairy tale windows and lots of lacework, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair” always comes to my mind when I am up there. 

 

Try our fun Photo Booth the Coiffomaton

My Top Tip number three is don’t miss our fun photobooth where you can have your picture taken wearing the coiffe of your choice.

 

The museum dedicated to Jean-François Cail

The third part to the museum is dedicated to the French industrial revolution and one major player, Monsieur Jean-François Cail, who was born in Chef-Boutonne in 1804. Despite his humble beginnings, Jean-François Cail went on to achieve great things and the short film about his extraordinary life is worth watching. Most people leave with a sense of disbelief that someone who had such an impact, worldwide, isn’t as well-known today as his compatriots like Gustave Eiffel or Isambard Kingdom Brunel. As well as working in the sugar refining industry, Jean-François Cail was also involved in the French manufacture of the British designed Crampton steam engine. 

Crampton steam engine

 

My Top Tip number four is that no steam train fan will want to miss our fabulously detailed, scale model Crampton engine on display.

 

The château itself is set in a large park with a fishing lake, lots of picnic tables, a children’s play area and a riverside walk along the Boutonne. My Top Tip number five is don’t forget your picnic. After lunch, why not follow the 8km walk around Chef-Boutonne that starts at the château and takes in a number of lavoirs, one of which is at the source of the Boutonne river, and another has a little surprise waiting for you through a window.  

Tèrra Aventura

 

The Nouvelle Aquitaine has a fabulous Geocaching App, Tèrra Aventura and the château is one of the sites that has a treasure stash just waiting for you to find. It is also situated on the V93 cycle route that cuts across the south of the Deux-Sèvres department from the Charente to Niort and any cyclists can be assured of a warm welcome.

 

I know for many of you, a visit here will only be a virtual one through my shared photos and words, but for those of you who do live in Nouvelle Aquitaine, I hope this has whetted your appetite for a visit to Chef-Boutonne and if so, I look forward to seeing you at the Château de Javarzay very soon.

 

Château de Javarzay, 11 Avenue des Fils Fouquaud, Chef-Boutonne 79110

 

The souvenir shop at the Château de Javarzay

 

  

Advent Day Twenty-two, silver sparkles

Silver sparkles

Advent Day Twenty-two

Blog post planning

It would be fair to say that my blog postings have been a little haphazard to say the least this year, so one of my New Year resolutions is to be more organised. I’m already thinking of ideas for 2023 as well as planning some challenges to keep up my kilometres on the bike. 

 

Next year is a special year for us as we will celebrate our silver wedding anniversary in April. Twenty-five years of marriage is certainly worth celebrating and I’m thinking of adding lots of glittery, silvery bling to my life, our bike rides, and the blog.

 

The French for silver is argent and it just so happens there is an ancient royal silver mine museum, Les Mines d’Argent des Rois Francs, in our local town of Melle. It has been too many years since I was last there, so I’m planning to combine a bike ride with a visit once the tourist season opens again. Then I thought, why stop there? France has many places with argent (or similar) in their names, so it seems appropriate to try to visit as many as possible (twenty-five would be nice), with our bikes this year. Within a thirty-kilometre radius from home, as well as the silver mines, we have the village of Couture d’Argenson and the river Argentor that flows through the pretty village of Nanteuil-en-Vallée, before joining the river Charente near to Verteuil-sur-Charente. The possibilities are endless, and I’ve even found the Hotel d’Argenson, on Rue d’Argenson - in Paris no less.

 

Méli, the mascot of the Pays Mellois tourist office

The market town of Melle is also the home to the local tourist office where I recently spent an afternoon brainstorming ideas for their 2023 blog posts. This was equally terrifying and exciting. I was delighted to have been invited and it was great fun, but also rather daunting being the only Anglophone in a group of nine, five of whom worked for the tourist office. We began with introductions about our backgrounds and then set off on an adventure where fantasy mixed with legends, and no idea was deemed too weird or off-topic. I even found myself crossing an imaginary crocodile pit by rolling across it on a cushion. 

How to plan a blog post - photo courtesy of Office de Tourisme du Pays Mellois

 

Generally, the ideas for my blog just seem to plop randomly into my head, often while out on the bike. Now that I’ve experienced a real-life brainstorming session, I’ve no idea what new ideas might have been unlocked in my head, but I’m already looking forward to ‘pushing my envelope’ or ‘picking some low-hanging fruit’ and sharing something with you.

 

If you’d like to check out some of the previous blogs from the Pays Mellois tourist office, you’ll find them here.

 

 

Advent Day Fifteen, Little Donkey

My new friend

Advent Day Fifteen, Little Donkey

“Little donkey, little donkey,

On the dusty road

Got to keep on plodding onwards

With your precious load”

 

Little Donkey was one of my favourite Christmas carols when I was growing up, and I had riding lessons, many moons ago, on Shetland ponies – yes, I was the short, chubby kid on the short, chubby pony. Sadly, after falling off one too many times, I lost my confidence and that is where my love for horses ended.

8-year-old me, with a Shetland pony in 1979

 

My bicycle is my pony, taking me off on wild adventures to pastures new, and since falling in love with cycling, I have never felt the need to swap it for a horse. I watch way too many Ambulance, A&E and Helicopter Medics programmes to feel happy around horses. I know you can fall off your bike and suffer injuries, but it is rarely the bike’s fault, unlike horses, who seem to enjoy throwing off their riders and then kicking or stamping on them for good measure. I’d go so far as to admit to having thought them a little bit evil, until I was introduced to equitherapie or equitherapy - the broad term for a range of equine-assisted activities for people who have physical, emotional, cognitive, or social difficulties.

 

The local Mellois branch of the France Alzheimer association, run by two French ladies, reached out a few weeks ago, in desperate need for some bilingual volunteers. Set up in 2017, with one volunteer supporting four families, it has now grown to two volunteers helping sixteen families, two of whom are British. Each month they run a number of different sessions for both patients and carers, including games therapy afternoons, walks, talking therapy sessions and an equitherapy afternoon at the local riding stables.

The Alzheimer's support group equitherapie session

 

Today was my first volunteer session where I met T and his wife and helped with the translation as he got to grips with grooming his horse Narciss, checking her hooves and walking her around the paddock. Despite this being the first time in many years he had been near a horse, he bravely agreed to mount and enjoyed walking around the arena with the others, although I think he was more taken with the grooming than the riding. There were certainly lots of smiles from everyone as they bonded with the (thankfully) docile beasts.

 

Afterwards, there was time for chatting, coffee drinking and cake eating before we wished each other a bonnes fêtes. I will definitely be back to help out again next year. 

The magic of French markets

At the Saturday morning market in Chef-Boutonne

It’s early November and the Saturday morning market in Chef-Boutonne may be quieter than it’s been all summer, with the weekly live music sessions all but a faded memory, but it still has an important role to play for the locals. 

 

It has become a regular thing for our friends to cycle down to market and enjoy a catch-up chat, a coffee, and a croissant, but it was something that for us had to fit in around Saturdays working at the château. Now that the château’s doors are firmly closed until next March, and all I can do is keep my fingers crossed all winter, in the hope there will still be a need for an extra pair of hands and a bilingual tongue, it does mean I’ve now got more time to enjoy the market.

 

Typically, our friends had other plans for today; a social lunch at the village pizza restaurant, which we’d declined as we’d pigged out on burgers, chips and a café gourmand dessert selection in Poitiers with Ed and Pearl yesterday. This, coupled with hardly any kilometres cycled this week meant a pizza lunch wasn’t calorie-compatible with our regime. Plus, the weather, which had been wet and wild yesterday morning, was calm and sunny today, meaning we didn’t want to miss out on a bike ride into market.

Poitiers catch-up with Ed and Pearl

 

Within ten minutes of arriving, and before we’d even made it to the boulangerie for croissants to accompany our coffees, we had chatted to ten different people. They were a mix of French and English, some were friends from our village, some were people I’ve got to know from working at the library or the château, and others were just acquaintances. Mostly it was a quick bonjour, followed by a few words to catch up on life before another friendly face pulled them, or us, into a new conversation. One friend who we hadn’t seen for ages, joined us on the terrace of the bar and over a coffee in the sun we found the time for a catch up that has eluded us all summer. It couldn’t have been better planned, even if we’d tried.

 

It was our final encounter that was the most unexpected. As we sipped coffees and tried to capture every crumb of flaky croissant, a man approached our table, asking if I was Jacqui Brown. With a little trepidation, I confirmed that I was, and he then thanked me for the last blog post I’d written, saying how much he’d enjoyed it. Woah! Thank you, sir. Every friendly face we met this morning made my day, your kind words were the icing on the cake and just emphasised the magic of a morning spent at a French market. 

That feeling of belonging, of community and the deep-rooted tradition that French people have been making the time for each other like this for generations. It is humbling to think this is now part of my life too.

Weekend fun on the Brompton

 

Even with a strong headwind for the seven-kilometre return, I couldn’t help grinning as my legs turned the pedals and my lungs filled with fresh air.

It was nothing short of a perfect start to the weekend, although we did miss the usual banter from our cycling buddies. 

Time is a funny thing

Early morning light in Melle, Deux-Sevres

Time is a funny thing

 

Before the blackbirds began their pre-dawn chorus this morning, we were both up, showered and breakfasted. I’d rummaged in the freezer for a soup for lunch and a quick peek outside revealed just how dark it is before the village streetlights flicker into life. The washing machine and dishwasher had both run before the overnight cheaper electric ended at seven o’clock and the washing was hung out, albeit in the dark. 

Fresh off the ferry in Dieppe

 

We have only been home from the UK for a few days, so we lost an hour last Friday lunchtime as our ferry crossed into French time. We then gained an hour in the early hours of Sunday morning as we said goodbye to European summertime and our early start today was because Adrian is working with clients from Abu Dhabi who are three hours ahead of us, or four hours ahead of the UK. By the time the village church bells rang the midday Angelus, his working day was almost over, even if our body clocks had no idea whether it was lunchtime, dinnertime or siesta time. 

 

One thing I do know is that I need to make time for my yoga class this evening, even if it means more juggling of mealtimes. Time spent in the UK meant time away from the yoga mat, and yesterday was an off-the-scale busy day that saw us leave the house before seven thirty in the morning (for Adrian’s annual fasting blood test in Melle), followed by my last day at the Château, and I didn’t get home until fifteen minutes before my quarter to nine (in the evening) class was due to begin. Funnily enough I opted for time with Adrian, dinner, and a glass of wine, instead of yoga.

 

Halloween

When we arrived in France eighteen years ago, Halloween was low key. Our village had a few enthusiastic mums and lots of elderly mamies keen to see the dressed-up little ones and ply them with sweets. Everyone met outside the village hall early in the afternoon and together with our little monsters we would traipse around the streets filling up on bonbons. Long before darkness had fallen, we were all safely home where the fatigue of a long afternoon walking, fought against the inevitable sugar-rush from the Carambars. Time has moved on; Ed has grown up and I’ve realised just how out of touch I am with Halloween. 

A hidden pumpkin at Château de Javarzay

 

A few months ago, Halloween at the Château de Javarzay was mentioned. Should we close the season on a high with something special on Halloween for the children? It falls during the school holidays here in France and from November, the château will be closed until next spring. The answer was a unanimous YES. We found Halloween colouring sheets, all featuring castles with turrets and towers, just like our château. Decorations were hung in the entrance, and we teamed up with the library to end the day with a fun story time for the four-to-six-year-olds. Following on from the success of our Easter egg hunt, we hid twenty numbered paper pumpkins in and around the château, and each group were given an answer sheet to fill in where they’d found the pumpkins. Sweets and colouring sheets were given to all successful hunters. 

Halloween at the Château de Javarzay

 

I was expecting a slow trickle of families throughout the afternoon, the children dressed up in simple outfits, like Ed and his friends had over fifteen years ago. I was wrong. From the moment we opened the doors at two o’clock, until we cashed up at half past six and let the librarians take over, we were inundated with families and groups. There were witches, devils, skeletons, mad scientists, super heroes and more, plus it wasn’t just the children who were dressed up, the mums and dads had 100% entered into the spirit of Halloween with outfits, face paints and accessories. It proved to be one of our busiest days of the season with the only downside being we massively underestimated the quantity of sweets needed. Some of our visitors had driven over an hour just to join in our Halloween experience and although it was an activity aimed at the children, there were plenty of triumphant parent faces too when they’d successfully found all the pumpkins, especially our golden pumpkin. We had so many positive comments on the château visit and the fun they’d had, I was blown away.

Our village cemetery on Toussaint

 

Yesterday was All Hallows’ Eve, today is a public holiday in France for Toussaint, All Saints’ Day and tomorrow is All Souls’ Day, a day to remember those we have lost. Nothing quite says Autumn to me like the carpet of flowering chrysanthemums we see outside florists and garden centres, destined to add colour to the cemeteries here in France. Family members will have made time over the last few days to tidy graves and leave their potted chrysanthemums to remember their loved ones. 

A carpet of chrysanthemums

Our UK visit was for Dad’s funeral, which despite the circumstances, was a day filled with family, friends and a lot of laughter, just as he would have wanted it to be. Ed was nothing short of awesome as he played the guitar and sang one of Dad’s favourite Irish songs during the service and we couldn’t be prouder of him. He’s certainly come a long way since the timid little pumpkin of 2004, not too keen on scary costumes and always the last one in the doorstep sweetie grab. How time flies.

Our little pumpkin 2006

The tree of the year

The tree of the year 2021

August 

 

As our third canicule (heatwave) of 2022 gets going with temperatures of 35º as I write this, it has struck me that not only has the beginning of August often been significant for us over the years, but its weather can be unpredictably changeable too. One year ago, we helped Ed and Pearl move into their new flat and the first photos of them on their balcony shows them in long trousers and jumpers, dodging the rain – something we got quite used to doing last August.

 

Two years ago, we were in the Pyrenees having conquered the Col d’Aubisque and the Col du Tourmalet, among other iconic mountain passes, on our Bromptons in temperatures that reached the high 30’s. Our next stop was the Pays Basques, where the cols might be lower, the mountain profiles less jagged, but the gradients of the climbs are killers – although we can’t wait to return.

 

Three years ago, we were in London celebrating all things bike, including enjoying the Brompton factory tour, the London Freecycle and completing the Ride London 46 sportive (46 miles or 80 km). In a sea of lycra and high-end road bikes, we did it on our Bromptons, with huge smiles on our faces and I was wearing a dress.

 

Four years ago, Ed had just completed the Ride London 46, raising money for the mental health charity MIND on the coldest, wettest August day you could imagine.

 

Five years ago, we were into the final preparations for our Tour de Rêves four-hundred-and-fifty-kilometre charity bike ride around the Deux-Sèvres department raising money for a children’s make a wish association.

 

Probably the most significant event was eighteen years ago, when we were just days away from packing the cars and moving our lives to France – although how has it been 18 years, I have no idea. Our arrival in France coincided with the end of a heatwave and the beginning of a wet and stormy few weeks.

The V93 between Melle and Celles-sur-Belle

holiDAYS out and about

 

Memories and good times are not always about the big events in life or the long-distance adventures, or even the impressive mountains we climb, sometimes it’s the simple things that put a big smile on my face. This summer, rather than going away for a holiday we are making the most of our holiDAYS out and about, mostly involving the bikes.

 

This week’s first adventure might have only been a twenty-one-kilometre bike ride from the local market town of Melle, but with some clever planning it was still a fabulous day out. We set off along the old railway line voie verte (green way) that is now part of the V93 cycle route, that crosses the southern end of the Deux-Sèvres department. It has been a favourite route for us for more years than I care to remember and comes into its own on a hot summer day.

 

We took our time to enjoy the cool, shady path, where trees and ferns line the sides of the old railway cutting, and it feels like you are in a green tunnel, before you emerge back out into sunshine and fields of sunflowers all around. It is only eight kilometres to Celles-sur-Belle, but rather than follow it all the way, we dropped down at a bridge to make an exciting detour. 

The tree of the year 2021

The tree of the year 

Last year, a local chestnut tree was voted l’arbre d’année (tree of the year) and cycling to see it was on my summer wish list. Sitting at a crossroads of quiet, rural lanes this chestnut tree, named "La talle à teurtons" which roughly translates from the old French dialect as the people’s tree, is thought to be at least six hundred years old. It is mostly hollow on the inside, with patterns on the gnarly bark that were mesmerising and had to be touched, traced and hugged. Over the years it has held a reputation as a meeting point, where lovers could conceal themselves within its trunk, although we saw no evidence of any secret trysts. It was difficult to drag ourselves away from such magnificence, but there were other local treasures awaiting us.

Lavoir de Villiers in Melle

Melle 

Back onto the V93, we stopped at a shady bench by a spring and enjoyed a homemade flapjack, before heading back to Melle, arriving via one of the most impressive lavoir (wash houses) in the area. 

Lavoir de Villiers Melle

The oval pool surrounded by a cobbled path, reflects the stonework of the temple-like structure with high arched windows. The traditional lavoir roof was designed to encourage air flow while allowing some protection from the elements for the women doing their weekly washing.

Les Rêves du Monde, Melle

 

Our first point of call in Melle was the church of St Pierre, one of three impressive Romanesque churches in the town. Every two years Melle puts on a contemporary art festival that this year has the theme of Les Rêves du Monde (the dreams of the world). Outside the church, we found our first art display, a collection of wooden bricks that children of all ages can use to build their dreams. Having built a mini tower, while Adrian looked on, we set off to the marketplace, admiring the super cycling facilities outside the office du tourisme – lockable bike parking, with power for charging batteries and a fully equipped tool station with air pump.

Melle cycling facilities

 

The kiosque, or bandstand, housed another art installation, the lattice work creating some stunning light and shadow patterns. We then followed the narrow streets of the old town ramparts, passed the summer beach at the Hôtel de Ménoc, which isn’t a hotel, but was a noble family home that in parts dates to the fourteenth century and is now an exhibition space. Our final destination was the St Hilaire church where the ornate stone carvings, especially of the knight on his horse are always worth a moment of careful inspection.

 

Eglise St Hilarie, Melle

We are incredibly lucky to have all this on our doorstep, but sometimes it is easy to forget that there is always something to see, we just have to make the time to slow down and enjoy what is around us.

 

Thank you for all your lovely comments on Ed and Pearl’s challenging week. I’m happy to report that their second week went without a hitch, and they packed in lots of days out before safely returning their first set of holiday makers to Poitiers. They are currently in a beautiful gîte situated in the middle of a forest in the Creuse. The trees are proving a cool and calm oasis from the heatwave raging outside of the forest - proof, if any were needed, that it is essential we plant more trees, everywhere.