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?

Orange

The Gagnons decided to visit Orange, in part because of Mario's great interest (some would say obsession) in Roman history.

The first monument visited was the Arc of Triumph, dated from the early 1st Century, and celebrating Caesar's victory against the Gauls. That's obviously not counting the continuous resistance led by Asterix and Obelix.

The arc has some beautifully preserved carvings of various military themes. It has survived to this day in part because it was not mined for stones during the Middle-Ages, but rather incorporated into the defensive wall protecting the city. It has since undergone important restorations. It is interesting to see how it has served as a model for numerous other arches in France, including the Arc du Carrousel and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

The other very important monument in Orange is the Roman theater. It was partially mined for stones and was also buried under a shanty town, but was dug out and successively restored over the last few centuries. It is still used today for theater and lyrical performances. In fact, during our visit, some features were hidden by stage props for the evening performance. The stage wall is the largest one remaining from the Antiquity, and greatly contributes to the quality of the acoustics. It is part of a vast complex of Roman buildings found in central Orange.

There was also a more modern theatre - from the Renaissance.

All in all, a fascinating visit through history...