Loudun

I decided to end my quest through France in a very small charming town called Loudun. I left Poitiers in the afternoon and started off on route D347. Loudun is about 54.2 km away from Poitiers, taking this route. It took me about 57 minutes to get to my destination. The population of this town is about 7,707. It's a town of charming old streets, old buildings, and beautiful views. 

Le Ricordeau 

As soon as I got into town I decided to first check into my hotel. I checked into the Le Ricordeau hotel located at 6 Place Boeuffeterie. The property was absolutely gorgeous! I decided to just let this day be a relaxing one for me. I hung around the garden and reflected on my journey as well as went swimming in the pool. The nice thing about going to this little town, is it doesn't attract many tourists so I have the ability to relax and enjoy the town without the busy hustle and bustle. Later that night, I ate at Le Ricordeau, my hotel. It is rated one of the best restaurants in Loudun. They have excellent food and it's presentation was beautiful.

Le Ricordeau

The next day, I was all ready for some exploring. Loudun has quite a few castles, so I decided to go check some out. I first went to La Bonnetiere Castle. Afterwards, I visited Coussay Castle. It's a beautiful Renaissance castle and has a nearby recreational park. I decided to visit one last castle for the day. So last stop was the Ternay Castle. This castle dates back to the 11th, 15th, and 17th centuries. This was probably my favorite castle to visit. Here, I did wine and cheese tasting, it was fabulous!

La Bonnetiere Castle

Coussay Castle

Ternay Castle

The very next day I went to the Saint - Hilaire Church. It's a very interesting 12th century church. The walls are decorated with painted murals. Loudun has quite a few museums in their town. I first visited the Acadian Museum. This museum follows Loudunais families who came in the 17th century to start a farming colony in "New France." Lastly, I visited the Romanesque Art Centre. This place has amazing carvings from the 12th century originating from the town of Loudun. This place shows how Loudun's architecture was influenced by the Romanesque Style.

Saint - Hilaire Church

Acadian Museum

Romanesque Art Centre

The very next day I visited the Loudun Aquarium. I never imagined there would be one in such a small town. Here, you can see many fresh-water exotic fish from Asia, Africa, America, and Oceania. They also have an outside pool where you can see the breeding tanks and the nursery tanks.

Loudun Aquarium

Following the museum, I did a nice afternoon hike in the Forest of Scévolles. This forest was named after a 16th century French poet,  Scévole de Sainte Marthe. It was such a pretty hike. I got to see a beautiful lake as well as some wildlife. 

Forest of Scévolles

I never imagined there would be so much to do and see in such a small town. This was definitely a great idea to come and visit Loudun, learn its interesting history, and see it's beautiful buildings and surroundings!



Resources: 
http://www.planetware.com/france/loudun-f-pc-lou.htm 
http://jcraymond.free.fr/Histoire/Lieux/L/Loudun/Tour/Tour.php
http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g616117-d1884491-Le_Ricordeau-Loudun_Poitou_Charentes.html
http://en.tourisme-vienne.com/chateau/chaussee-la/131/la-bonnetiere-castle-chaussee-la

Poitiers

The Notre Dame in Poitier
http://www.flickr.com/groups/historyantiquities/discuss/72157604604019816/page2/

Yesterday I left Niort and my next stop is Poitiers! It is 76.7 km away and takes just about an hour to get there. Poitiers is a country town with a lot of charm! It sits on top of a hill and overlooks two rivers. Poitiers has a lot of popular cafés, a lively outdoor culture, and a busy food and clothes market. I definitely think this is my kind of place! 

Lobby of Le Grand Hotel

When I arrived I first decided to check into my hotel. Because Poitiers does not have any luxury hotels, I decided to stay at a hotel that I found the best reviews on, Le Grand Hotel located at 28 Rue Carnot. It wasn't anything special but I hear they have good breakfast so I'll have to try it out in the morning! 

I was a little hungry so I had lunch at Le St Nicholas. It's a nice decently priced restaurant serving traditional food. I was able to sit outside and enjoy my food peacefully!

After lunch I went to Notre Dame la Grande! Oh la la! This church was absolutely stunning! I was intrigued with all the detail. I spent so much time studying the detail of the Notre Dame that I was already ready for dinner. I went to Alain Bouti a restaurant on rue Carnot that serves regional dishes such as cailles au pineau, which is quails cooked in a brandy liquor. It was actually very delicious despite my picky tastes. 

http://culinarylab.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html

The next day I went to the Cathédrale St-Pierre. Now this was beautiful. This church started in 1162 but was not finished until 1379. It has a mix of styles including medieval, roman, transitional, and gothic. There are lots of neat carvings and beautiful stained glass. This was probably my favorite place to visit in Poitiers. 

Afterwards, I went to lunch at Bleu Sel. They serve delicious sandwiches and salads at a very reasonable price. Lots of students come here for lunch. I then went to the church of St-Hilaire-le-Grande. It was cool, but I enjoyed Cathédrale St-Pierre much more. This church was built in the 11th century over a Roman graveyard. 

Resources:

http://france-for-visitors.com/atlantic/poitiers/index.html

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/poitiers-notre-dame-la-grande

http://www.francebalade.com/poitou/poitieregl.htm

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/poitiers-cathedral

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/poitiers-st-hilaire-le-grand

Niort

Niort

I left La Rochelle and took the N11 to Niort. It took about an hour and is 67 km away from La Rochelle. I left Rochelle kind of early so I got to Niort just in time for lunch. I stopped at cafe Le Ricardo and had lunch on the terrace while watching passerby's. 

Le Ricardo

I stopped by the tourist place to find some information about places I could visit in Niort.
After lunch, I decided to check into my hotel, Hotel Particulier. It's a historic townhouse in the center of Niort and close to the railway station as well as the Sèvres River. I really like this hotel because it's small: only has 14 rooms and 2 suites. 

Lobby of hotel

Outside common area

My Room

Niort lies party in the valley and also on hills. There is a castle that remains that was built by Henry II of England and Richard Coeur-de- Lion. It consists of two big square towers that now is the place of a museum of folk art and tradition. I got to visit and it was just so gorgeous! 

Other places I got to visit were the 15th-16th century Church of Notre Dame that was nearby the castle as well as the old Town Hall. Niort has lots of older buildings! The next day I got to visit the Musée du Pilori which is an archeological museum, the natural history museum, and the Musée des Beaux-Arts! I'm having a fantastic time here.

Other interesting facts about Niort is that they are a city of trades and art. They were a medieval port and were very famous for making leather!








Resources: 
http://www.cityvox.fr/bars-et-boites_niort/le-ricardo_60086/Profil-Lieu#lieu
http://bridge-maximumcard.blogspot.com/2008/09/france-old-niort-bridge.html
http://www.booking.com/hotel/fr/particulier-la-chamoiserie.html?aid=312313&label=hotel-174034_images-1&utm_source=tripad&utm_medium=SPPC&utm_content=images&utm_term=hotel-174034&lang=en
http://www.france.othen.fusionticket.co.uk/page2/page2.html
http://www.citymaphq.com/france/france_general/niort.html
http://www.justtourfrance.com/Poitou-Charentes/town.asp?town=Niort&area=Deux-Sevres&county=Poitou-Charentes

La Rochelle

I took the D137 from Saintes to La Rochelle. La Rochelle is on the West Coast of France. I got here pretty late and decided to just relax in the hotel room. I decided to stay at the Best Western Masqhotel. It's a very modern and high rated hotel. 

Front of Masqhotel

My room in the Masqhotel

The first thing I did in the morning was go to Le café de la Paix de La Rochelle. This is a very popular cafe that was created in 1793 and originally named Cafe Military (now called Peace (Paix)). It's a historical monument that has beautiful decor inside.

Le Cafe de la Paix

Inside the cafe

My meal at Les Flots

After a nice cappuccino at the cafe. I went to France's National History Museum; a.k.a. Muséum d'histoire naturelle de La Rochelle. It was really interesting to see and the grounds were very gorgeous! Afterwards I decided to go to Les Flots for dinner. It was a very nice restaurant with delicious food and tasteful white wine.

Cute sea animals & birds at the History Museum

Aquarium

The next day I went to Aquarium La Rochelle. There was so much to see it was so much fun. My favorite mammals to see were the sharks and the sea turtles. This was so cool, I recommend this place to everyone!

I went to Tour de la Lanterne. This place is really interesting because it is a lighthouse that was built in the 1400's and once used as a lighthouse. In the 19th century they used this place as a jail. Graffiti from all the prisoners decorate the walls.

Resources: http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&biw=1273&bih=584&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=Le+café+de+la+Paix+de+La+Rochelle&fb=1&gl=us&hq=Le+café+de+la+Paix+de+La+Rochelle&hnear=Le+café+de+la+Paix+de+La+Rochelle&cid=16221883927061386832

Saintes

Tuesday, September 28th

My cappuccino at l'Eden

Before I left Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire I sipped on a cappucino while thinking about my journey ahead at l'Eden Cafe on 25 Avenue Felix Gaillard. I decided to take my journey to Saintes, France. Here, there are many Roman ruins, so I thought it would definitely be an interesting journey. Saintes is about 54 km from Barbezieux, so it was only about a 55 minute drive going down the D700 and D137 routes. 


Before I got to Saintes I stopped in Pons which is also famous for their Cognac. I found a neat tour I thought I should take advantage of that took me to Hennessy Cognac only 13.2 miles away. I hopped on a Hennessy boat and crossed the Charente River. This also included learning how they make cognac, a visit to the museum, and a cognac tasting.

Hennessy Boat

Cognac Tasting

I finally decided to make the trip back across the river to Pons and back on the road towards Saintes. Saintes is along the Charente River, the same one I took the Hennessy Boat across. I decided to stay at Relais Du Bois Saint Georges. It's such a fun hotel located in the "sunniest part of the Atlantic Coast." All rooms have their own theme which makes the stay very interesting! It's so nice to enjoy the close by beaches, vineyards, and delicious wine!

Relais Du Bois Saint Georges

Roman Amphitheater

There is so much history and battle that took place in Saintes, such as King Louis IX defeating Henry the III as well as being known as a Pilgrimage site. Saintes is also popular for producing brandy, tile, iron goods, and pottery. When I arrived I went to visit the Roman Amphitheater. It was really neat to see! 




Resources:
http://hipparis.com/2009/06/15/smiling-cappucino-only-in-italy/
http://www.frenchconnections.co.uk/en/guide/placeofinterest/152893-hennessy-cognac
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/518467/Saintes
http://historic-cities.huji.ac.il/france/saintes/saintes.html#brief_history
http://www.booking.com/hotel/fr/relaisdubois.html?aid=322736

Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire, France

12 septembre 2010:

Bordeaux, France

Oh la la! I will definitely miss the beautiful cathedrals and the fabulous vin! I couldn't get enough of the wine. I did lots of wine tastings and vineyard tours. It's interesting that Bordeaux is the largest wine region in the world.  Bordeaux definitely had a lot to offer to tourists.

Bordeaux Wine

On my way to Barbeziuex-Saint-Hilaire, I stopped in Saint-Denis-de-Pile. I decided to stay at Chateau de France to see how life in a chateau would be like! It was beautiful, and I had so much to do I didn't want to leave. After a morning swim in the pool I took a private tour of the vineyards and cellars located on the property. The tour was accompanied by wine tasting. Chateau living was definitely a lifestyle I could get use to. There were so many nearby activities to do such as golfing, horseback riding, hiking, and visiting the sandy beaches! 


I just arrived at  Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire. It's approximately 84.3 km from Bordeaux. This town is known as a "market town." The town's north side is a vine covered countryside. 


The town is famous for their breed of chicken. The chicken is called "la poule noire de Barbezieux" and almost went extinct until they were saved to revive their popularity and are now bred successfully in the town.

A few other interesting things about Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire is that their main economic activity is their cognac production. Very delicious and famous! It was interesting to take a tour of how they make the cognac. They even have certain types of wood the barrels are made out of. Their hot spring provides their town with central heating as well as rheumatism, circulatory problems, and respiratory breathing. I visited the hot springs and it was very fun! The have one of the largest aquatic center's in Europe called the Les Antilles. It is centered around a lagoon. It was very fun to see all the people that go to the aquatic center and have a good time. 

Resources: http://www.cognacetapes.com/itineraires/en/cognac-and-traditions.html