Le Montellier

From the white rocky terrain of Provence, with its densely blue skies, and dry winds, we drove north and east to Ain, and specifically the area called La Dombes. Again the landscapes were totally different, and we looked forward to another distinctly different set of adventures.

You’ve heard the expression “My home is my castle”. Well, during our stay in La Dombes, our home was literally a castle!

Built in the 1300s, this fortress started as a single tower, and then was expanded over the centuries to become a large castle, complete with moat, drawbridge, secret walkways and all the other bells and whistles you’d expect in a castle.

We were lucky enough to get a tour of the castle from the wife of Richard le Montellier who is a descendant of the family that has owned and lived in the castle throughout most of its history. We also met the lord of the manor himself. Both were charming and personable people, and incredibly calm considering their first of 8 children was getting married on the day of our departure!

Tristan contemplating how a song by Coldplay would sound on a harpsichord...

Needless to say, our life at the castle was quite lovely with quiet reading area in the sun and the occasional visit by the pet donkeys.

And sleeping in the Admiral's bedroom was not too shabby either...

We spent our first day in Dombes exploring the area, starting of course with a local marché, this one in St. André de Corcy. Along with a selection of fruits, vegetables, meats and cheeses, we also found some intriguing pastas – one filled with aubergine and mint, another filled with Parma ham and fig. Our first lunch in La Dombes was one of our best yet!

In the afternoon, we went to Pérouges, a medieval town that spirals up a hill, with cobblestone roads lined with shops and cafes and actual homes that people still live in. So do dogs and cats.

One of the specialties of Pérouges, is galette which we of course had to try. Although it may not have been the most delicious dessert we’ve had on this trip – and we've had a LOT – Pérouges was a delightful town with lovely quaint views at every turn and a wonderful field of wildflowers to greet us.

And speaking of flowers, we had anticipated seeing fields and fields of sunflowers in Provence, and although we did pass many huge fields, because of the extreme heat, the big flowers had passed their prime when we were there. However, we were thrilled to discover that as we drove north into Ain, the sunflowers were just hitting their peak. We couldn’t resist stopping for a shot or two.

 

Did we mention the name of the next village over?