PS from FRANCE
Just when you thought you had heard it all from France there is yet more. On our final full day we ventured for the last time down to Aubeterre and then we went on a guided tour through Villebois Lavalette village and Chateau. Why wait until the final day we hear you say…well the tours are only now just starting as the tourist season begins. Even the local restaurant is opening longer hours. Sue’s friend Susan arrived last Sunday and they both went to Brantome Monday and then we all went to Aubeterre and tour Tuesday. The village we have spoken of before, but this time we learnt of the location of Ursiline Convent, the oldest house in the village (15th or 16th century), the 12th century Church which has been renovated in the 17th century and in 1864. We have also told you of the covered market built in 1665, this time we were told the Council, towards the end of the 1800’s, wanted to demolish it. Everyone is now pleased they did not get their way. And so to the Chateau. The first chateau was built around 1000AD close to an ancient Roman road. In those days castles were built as towers on a raised hillock to show the importance of the local counts, in this case the lords of the Villebois. This original castle was extended by the Villebois family, then the Plantagenets and the Lusignants in the 12th and 13th centuries. Various other improvements were done in the following centuries. The castle was a prison after the revolution, then a police station and then a school. The chateau is now owned privately and is undergoing restoration. Various levels have been discovered as renovation work has carried on, thus the early history has been discovered by archaeologists. As the excavations have continued, so have the discoveries and they say much is still to be learnt. The posted photos give some idea of the work and also the shape of the chateau.
So this is really the end of our French blog as that night we returned to our abode and after a final clean reminded ourselves of the wine, cheese and especially the Pineau de Charante we will be missing. Wednesday saw us off to Bordeaux where we left Sue and Susan at the station to continue their journey to Barcelona while Moya and Kevin dropped the car off at the airport and boarded their plane to Dublin from whence the next blog will come.