Looking for churches and other France adventures.
Posted in Dolmens & Other Archeological Tidbits on May 22nd, 2007
After our week in the Drome, we will cross the Rhone to visit our good friends in Ardeche. We saw many lovely churches there last year, which I hope to document in the future. I was not aware, though, that Ardeche was a veritable treasure trove of megaliths and dolmens. Above and antique postcard with [...]
Posted in Drome - Other Items of Interest on May 21st, 2007
This very interesting ancient building is in the back roads of the Baronnies, a wild, less populated, higher elevation area to the east of our house. <>
This building dates to medieval times when it functioned as a toll house to collect a toll from travelers on this road.
Posted in Drome - Churches on May 21st, 2007
This town has been proclaimed one the the “most beautiful villages of France” and this fractured Romanesque church is surely of interest.
Most of the village dates from medieval times. This village was part of a Knights of Malta commanderie.
The village also retains remnants of its medieval past in that until recently there was only a [...]
Posted in Dining Delights From All Over on May 21st, 2007
I went looking for a truffle picture and the first one that came up was this sample from a truffle store in our neighborhood, St Paul Trois Chateaux. Drome Provencale is one of the main truffle- producing areas in France, along with the Perigord.
It’s nice to think of tripping over one of these $500 a [...]
Posted in Drome - Churches on May 20th, 2007
Working on this one too–for more info.
One site mentions “the priory with its beautiful renaissance facade and the Romanesque church.” I think this is a picture of it below. The village itself sounds lovely, as do many in the Baronnies.
Posted in Drome - Churches on May 20th, 2007
Mirabel-aux-Baronnies is a small village in the Baronnies, the wild natural area to the east of our location. The Drome website notes that you can visit the ruins of the castle, the fortifications and a 12th-century lookout tower, the Chapelle du Calvaire, the chapel Notre-Dame de Beaulieu. Another site mentions Eglise St-Julien. Don’t [...]
Posted in Dining Delights From All Over on May 18th, 2007
After all the hard work of hunting down a particularly toothsome spectacle of Romanesque churchdom, nothing satisfies quite like a rotisserie chicken brought home fresh from the market, perhaps accompanied by some crispy bread and fragrant fresh cherries and peaches.
As all Francophiles know, everything tastes better in France and chickens are almost a different species [...]
Posted in Drome - Other Items of Interest, Roman Ruins on May 18th, 2007
Across the way from the Romanesque Cathedral in St Paul Trois Chateaux is the Musee Archeologique de Tricastin. Besides the usual array of local “finds” the museum also houses pieces of a Roman mosaic floor.
And we brake for mosaics!!
There’s other items of interest as well!
Posted in Church Previews, Drome - Churches on May 18th, 2007
Aleyrac seems to be a truly magical place. It became a ruin
wayback in 1389 but still possesses many notable features
and is located in a wild and beautiful site.
The western facade with its three windows surmounted by a bell tower.
The pentagonal apse.
Interior ornamentation of the nave and the cornices.
Under the first span of the nave spouts [...]
Posted in Church Previews, Drome - Churches on May 16th, 2007
All I can say is ‘Wow!’
Just found this photo and I’ll need to get some more information, but it is sure interesting. More later.