The Foire du livre de Brive and the École de Brive.

The posters,bookmarks and leaflets were reprinted, the stickers had a whiff of ‘country’ this year.

‘Ce qui nous unit tous les cinq n’est pas une doctrine mais une amitié et une sensibilité commune liée au pays qui est le nôtre… Notre aventure ne laissera sans doute aucune trace dans une histoire de la littérature française au XXe siècle, et peu importe: nous nous serons bien amusés*.

First time I came across l’École de Brive was in Claude Michelet’s (1981); ‘Mon Père, Edmond Michelet’, on the life of his father; resistance leader of the first hour, Dachau survivor, legislator and multiple times minister under various governments/cabinets (1945, 1958, 1959, 1967, 1968 and 1969). Before the second world war he married and settled in Brive (his wife’s place of origin), were he became an active member of local Catholic and social initiatives and formed a group of friends to study, discuss and invite speakers from outside. It became locally known as ‘l'École de Brive

The Foire du livre de Brive and the École de Brive.

Maybe (or maybe not) the name was bound to reemerge when a new group formed around his son, 'farmer by day / writer by night', Claude. Neither a ‘school’ in the artistic sense nor literal sense of the word, it might be a ‘school of thought’ but mostly is a group of like minded friends (bande). In the book ‘L’Ecole de Brive, Son histoire, ses acteurs’ (Editions Laffont, 1996), Jacques Peuchmaurd (working for the publisher Robbert Laffont) tells the story of a series of encounters with writer Michel Peyramaure, by which he saw emerging this band.

So there this ‘fabulous director of the past’ who since 1954 had published a long list of historical novels; Michel Peyramaure. Jacques accompanied him to a book signing event at the open metallic market hall of Guierle in Brive, 1973. Jacques had been tasked by Laffont to work on a series ‘Un homme et son métier’, when they ran into Claude Michelet. Michel told him that this would be the guy if he was looking for a farmer for his series. So in 1975, ‘J’ai choisi la terre’ came out and sold 30.000 copies! A few years later ‘Des grives aux loups’, was expected to do equally well … it sold millions.

One of the 1.200 dedicated copies of his Marie des brebis and the lasted and last novel of Tillinac.

By 1980, Dennis Tilllinac surfaced when Jacques discovered a version of ‘Spleen en Corrèze’ abandoned on the desk of a fellow editor… All we have come to love about this ‘agitated Tintin’ was there; ‘acute, funny, tender, nostalgic, volatile, elusive and faithful’. So that made three, a bande, the Correziens of Laffont. By 1981 the town of Brive made an effort to restart the book-fair, this time inside the closed fruits and vegetable market hall of Georges-Brassens. And this time the time was ripe. Attracting readers ‘that would never enter a bookshop’, tired of the ‘Parisian intellectual terrorism’ of the 50 and 60 and the ‘dictatorship of the nouveau roman’ with its snobbish darkness. Readers that loved life, real persona’s, close to the soil, natural sentiments and an intimate relationship to the past.

By 1984 Christian Signol joined, in 1989 Gilbert Bordes, it was around this time the term ‘École de Brive’ (re)surfaced for this band of local writers reviving the great romantic and popular tradition of the nineteenth century. The Foire du livre de Brive became an event on the cultural calendar, a special ‘train du livre’ left Paris-Austerlitz carrying ‘a swarm of editors, academics of all kinds, critics and authors... returning to Paris on Sunday evening with rosy cheeks and alarming rates of chlosterol’*. Michelet signed 1.900 copies of ‘L’Appel des engoulevent’ in 1990, a few years later Signol dedicated 1.200 copies of his ‘Marie des brebis’. The 1990’s saw an acceleration of a social movement towards ‘La France profonde’, people started to retire earlier and earlier towards their village of origin.

Meet and greet the local authors…

Life in the city started to loose its luster, growing environmental awareness, longings for a return to human scale of living and production, a renewed interest in regional identities (supposedly opposing globalization) and a general appreciation for country living. The ‘rural exodus’ bottomed out in the 80’s and a reverse flow (led by retirees) made for some interesting new statistical trends in demographics. By the 00’s the Dordogne Department had the largest surplus of people dying over birth numbers, and the population was rising at the same time? The trend only accelerated with the terrorist attacks and COVID related lockdown of the 10’s. Tillinac’s ‘last’ (he died around the time of publishing) novel ‘Le Patio bleu’ (2020) is set against the dynamics of the well-off retirees returnees and a more and more desperate rural population taking-up their ‘yellow vests’.

That remains an interesting contradiction that is well represented within the École de Brive, Michelet gave up his farm to write. Peyramaure, Tillinac, Bordes all ‘localliers’; journalists paid to live in the country. Laussac, Muller, Soumy, Viollier all on a teaching salary. Living in the country is great, as long as you do not have to make a living there… This year (2021) the 39^th Foire du livre de Brive was held, had to skip a year due to COVID. The posters, bookmarks and leaflets were reprinted, the stickers had a whiff of ‘country’ this year.

The stickers had a whiff of ‘country’ this year,looking forward to the big 40^th

Find out more about the landscape, history, vegetation, the villages and life on the causse:

 The index of this blog.

*) ‘What unites us all five is not a doctrine but a friendship and a common sensitivity linked to the country which is ours… Our adventure will undoubtedly leave no trace in the history of French literature of the 20th century, but whatever : we will have had a lot of fun.’
Dauzier P. et Tillinac D., 1991. Les Corréziens. Éditions Robert Laffont. ISBN 2-221-07232-4

The Vézère Ardoise: Pompadour.

The magnificent cross-country (steeplechase) race course.

A Mecca for equestrian enthusiasts, Pompadour, the City of the Horse (la Cité du Cheval), has been labeled Terre de Jeux 2024, and welcomes foreign delegations to prepare for the Paris Olympics, 2024.

The Haras National de Pompadour, contributed to the birth of the Anglo-Arab horse breed in the XIX^th century, whiles the Société des Courses de Pompadour has been organizing horse races since 1837. Pompadour hosts 160 days of sports-, culture- and tourist-related equestrian events every year. The two major events are the Grand National Pro Elite and the Grande Semaine (young horses national finals). Other events include horse breed shows and Harness racing (where horses pul a driver in a sulky).

The Puy Marmont equestrian stadium.

The Puy Marmont equestrian stadium (4), the racecourse (5) and its magnificent cross-country course (steeplechase), are all set against the backdrop of the Pompadour castle (2), providing a setting rich in history and local heritage.

Madame de Pompadour

The name ‘Pompadour’ conjures-up associations with french court intrigue and style.

Even to the non-horse enthusiasts the name ‘Pompadour’ might conjure-up some associations with french court intrigue and style (hairstyle, porcelain). Today, the French Presidential Élysée Palace has a Salon Pompadour (as do many posh hotels)to receive special guests, hold meetings and occasional dinners.

The intrigues starts as Jeanne Antoinette Poisson is born to François Poisson (1684–1754) and his wife Madeleine de La Motte (1699–1745). Or was she? Her biological father might have been either the rich financier Jean Pâris de Monmartel or the fermier général Charles François Paul Le Normant de Tournehem. Any how, Le Normant de Tournehem became her legal guardian when François Poisson was forced to leave the country in 1725. From the age of 5 Jeanne Antoinette received the finest quality education and was recognised for her wit and charm. Tournehem arranged for Jeanne Antoinette to receive a private education at home with the best teachers of the day who taught her dancing, drawing, painting, engraving and the theater.

Part of the castle are open to the public.

At the age of nineteen, Jeanne Antoinette gets married to Charles Le Normant d'Étiolles who fell passionately in love with her. She vowed to never leave him till death or King would set them apart. Jeanne Antoinette visited celebrated salons in Paris, where she crossed paths with principal figures of the Enlightenment, including Voltaire and Montesquieu.She opened her own salon at Étiolles, which was attended by many of the cultural elite (among them Voltaire and Montesquieu). Her salon, as well as her grace and beauty, attracted the attention of king Louis XV. By 1744, she divorced her husband, moved to Versailles and became the king's mistress.

To become a member of the French court however, she required a title. And here enters the Pomdadour castle and family. The House of Pompadour reached its political height 1513, when it was elevated to a marquisate.The king acquired it, when due to the lack of a successor, it became vacant and gave the estate, with title and coat-of-arms, to Jeanne Antoinette. Allowing for the Marquise de Pompadour to make her formal entry on 14 September 1745.

As a member of the French court, and the official chief mistress of King Louis XV, she took charge of the king's agenda, was a valued aide and advisor, and remained influential till her death (at Versailles). The Marquise de Pompadour was a major patron of the arts and the philosophes of the Enlightenment. Some historians argue that the critics of Pompadour were driven by fears of her overturning of social and gender hierarchies that she, as a woman born outside the aristocracy, represented.

Pompadour greatly influenced and stimulated innovation in what is known as the "Rococo" style in the fine and decorative arts: through her patronage and the constant refurnishing of the fifteen residences she held with Louis. Again, this style was seen by some as a pernicious "feminine" influence.

Village and castle

Map of Pompadour.

The stronghold of the Lastour and Pompadour families, the château was founded in the 11th century. In 1182, Richard the Lionheart attacked the castle as part of his campaign against the supporters of France’s King Phillip II. Although nothing remains of the original Lastours castrum, the Château de Pompadour (2) rebuilt in the 15^th century, is registered as a historical monument. Part of the castle are open to the public as are the gardens (great views of the race course), the Marquise stables and the Orangery stables (3).

Monumental wall painting in the Chapel of Saint Blaise.

The Puy Marmont equestrian stadium (4) is just outside the castle, a walk around the village should include the Chapel of Saint Blaise (6). Restorations often allow for modern elements to be introduced (most often windows), but here all of the interior walls became the canvasfor artist André Brasilier who spent almost five years creating a monumental (over 300m²) wall painting depicting stories from the Bible.

The castle, with its Marquise and Orangery stables.

When we first visited Pompadour in 2018 found the railway ‘suspended till further notice’, and the station (1) served by buses. The same notice was still around in 2021, and a visit to Vignols revealed this might not change anytime soon.

The Vézère Ardoise.

The town of Uzerche.

The beauty of the country, is so various, and in every respect so striking and interesting, that I shall attempt no particular description ... The water rolling over their rocky beds, and dazzling the eye with the luster of cascades ; in every ease the features are interesting and characteristic of the scenery. Some views of singular beauty riveted us to the spot; that of the town of Uzerche, covering a conical hill, rising in the hollow of an amphitheater of wood, and surrounded at its feet by a noble river, is unique.

The immense view from the descent to Donzenac is equally magnificent. To all this is added the finest road in the world, every where formed in the most perfect manner, and kept in the highest preservation, like the well ordered alley of a garden … The view of Brive, from the hill is so fine, that it gives the expectation of a beautiful little town, and the gaiety of the environs encourages the idea; but on entering, such a contrast is found as disgusts completely. Close, ill built, crooked, dirty, stinking streets, exclude the sun, and almost the air from every habitation…

Arthur Young’s travels in France, 1787.

Brown Limousine cows that leisure in the grassland.

Upstream from Terrasson the Vézère river erodes into the central plateau, revealing veins of slate (ardoise), and providing access to Uzerche at the heart of the forests of the Vézère headwaters. Under the name Vézère Ardoise, 47 communities grouped themselves into a Pays d'art et d'histoire.As the name suggests, the Vézère Ardoise is shaped by two main features: the Vézère river that cuts through the area south-east/north-west, and the ‘bande de schistes ardoisiers’ that cuts roughly south-west / North-east. The Vézère Ardoise area has a large number of villages and small towns, each with its own attractions and hicking trails.

Vézère river

Map of the Vézère Ardoise.

The ‘Garonne and Dordogne river were the two breasts which suckled Bordeaux’. The lower reaches of the Dordogne end in Bergerac, the Vézère middle section with its towpaths for gabares ended at Terrasson (at Souillac for the Dordogne proper). Up from there, it was one-way traffic descending by floating. Though the Normans did manage to reach and sack the monastery of Vigeois in the 9^th century.

Uzerche at the heart of the forests of the Vézère headwaters was a ‘entrepots a la flotte’ (as was Argentat for the Dordogne proper). The flotte was a fleet descending wood by floating, each flotte was determined by the time, the place of departure and the interested merchants. Products included merrain (wood processed to make wine-barrels), carrassonnes (chestnut wood cut to serve as stakes to support vines in vineyards), feuillards (flexible branch split in two which is used to make barrel hoops), brasses (bundles of wood), charcoal as well as wine, chestnuts, juniper seeds, Limousin livestock products and produce of local mining.

Bridge build of slate crossing the Vézère river.

The river pattern directed the movement of people, goods and animals. Salmon migrated up river, wood floated downwards depending on the season. Bordeaux was the beacon for the Corrèze bourgeoisie, it send its children there to study and embarked there for the Americas. In the years 1786-1788, studies consider the possibility to push Vézère navigation as far as Tulle (up the Corrèze branch) by the construction a total of 24 locks and some diversion canals. Work restarted under the name ‘Canal du Duc de Bordeaux’, 6 locks got constructed between 1826 and 1828 on the middle section of the Vézère.

The arrival of the railway made the river redundant and redirected movement towards the center of l'étoile Legrand; Paris (1842). By the beginning of the 20th century some 25.000 Correziens lived in Paris (40.000 by the 1920’s). Dynamic uses lost in importance to stationary uses; the construction of hydroelectric dams (1899 and 1930) not only blocked movement, it ‘regulated’ the river flow. The saute de saumon in the Vézère gorges is a reminder of the ecological conduit the Vézère ones was, and now recognized as a Natura 2000 is regaining.

Ardoise

Slate production restarted in Allassac.

Slate mines/quarries in Correze were located on a line which runs from Thiviers (Dordorgne) to Traverssac. North-west to south-east the towns and villages of Juillac, Lascaux, Chabrignac, Vignols, Saint-Solve, La Roche, Voutezac, Vertougit, le Saillant, Allassac, Esperrut and Travassac. Corrèze slate enjoys an unrivaled reputation for quality due to its geological structure. Unalterable, resistant to bending, perfectly waterproof and resistant to shock - and therefore to hail.

By the 19^th century the arrival of the railway and electricity (for pumps evacuating ground water) gave a boast to production, while phylloxera decimated the local vineyards at the same time. Production peaked on the eve of the First World War. After the Second World War, competition from other roofing materials, easier to standardize in size and appearance, and the continued labour intensiveness due to the lack of mechanization led to the mines decline (the last operation stopped in 1977).

By the end of 20^th century the use of asbestos based roofing alternatives go out of fashion. And renewed interest in French slate, particularly its best quality grades, leads to the reopening of production in Travassac (1989) and Allassac (2006)

The Pans de Traverssac.

Most closed mines are at best deemed ‘of little interest’ (with the exception of the Pans de Traverssac) and more often a public safety issue. Heritage linked to slate is best visible in the local architecture. Apart from roofing material the quarries provide(d) “leftovers” with a wide range of uses: paving interior and exterior floors, building stones, mulching, lintels, fireplaces, table tops and garden decorations. The black angular stone characterizes the architecture, like the black stone Cesar tower of Allassac.

Towns and villages

‘Suspended till further notice’; Brive-Limoges.

The steepening incline of the rivers ones powered small industries dotting the landscape with cottage industries, and provides hydroelectric power today. (Pre)Industrial heritage includes the Papeterie de Vaux and Forge de Salignac-Ledier, coalmines of Cublac, abandoned railways Hautefort- Terrasson (1899-1939) and Brive-Thiviers (1898-1940), and the since february 2018 ‘suspended till further notice’, Brive-Limoges served by buses between Objat and Pompadour.

The south-west corner provides the setting of Claude Michelet’s tetralogy ‘Les gens de Saint-Libéral’. Set in the fictional village named after the Saint-Libéral chapel in Brive, and allusion to the ‘Le dernier bastion de la liberté’ that the life on/off/with the land engenders to the author. These seminal works revitalized and brought the to the mainstream the littérature du terroir, the Brive book-fair (with its Prix littéraires du terroir) as well as the école de Brive (the contemporary current of the terroir novel). Though filming was done in Saint Robert the exact location of Saint Libéral keeps internet forums busy, buzzing and divided.

Claude Michelet’s tetralogy ‘Les gens de Saint-Libéral’.

The area is home to brown Limousine cows that leisure in the grassland, chestnut-, walnut- and apple orchards, produces the AOP Pomme du Limousin. The slate produces the terroir (soil) for the minerally Coteaux de la Vézère wines. The area also host some of the Most beautiful villages of France; Saint Robbert and Ségur-le-Château. Pompadour famous for its horses and castle, of special interest to those equestrian enthusiasts. Orgnac-sur-Vézère with its modern stained glass windows, Yssandon and its tower. Vigeois with its pont des anglais and parish church of Saint-Pierre, is the starting/ending point of the long distance walk through the Vézère gorges. Donzenac has an interesting historical walk around the village, but its main claim to fame are the Pans de Travassac.

Cesar tower of Allassac.

Find out more about the landscape, history, vegetation, the villages and life on the causse:

 The index of this blog.

Limoges: The Four des Casseaux

Four des Casseaux as part of a small museum.

The Saint Etienne bridge is one of two medieval bridges of Limoges (the Saint-Martial bridge being the second), building started at the beginning of the 13th century. Bridge is a 130 meters long, a ‘sister’ of the old bridge in Terrrasson and a link in the pelgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. Originally, the land on the banks of the Vienne, located between the Saint Etienne bridge and the ‘Four des Casseaux’, was known as the ‘Port du Naveix’ (today referenced in the ‘Rue du Port du Naveix’ (or N520). Since the manufacture of porcelain was established in Limoges, firing was done in wood-fired ovens. Wood was later replaced by coal, which in turn gave way to gas or electricity.

The 'reverse flame' kiln.

A large part of the wood needed by the factories was stored on this land, where it arrived floating down the Vienne river. Upstream, the valleys of Vienne and Taurion were densely forested. Loggers decended their lumber by the water. Arrived at the ‘port’ (or terminus), it was stopped by a large wooden comb spanning the river, known as the ‘ramier’. Wood was stacked, dried and turned to charcoal before use. The ramier disappeared when coal started arriving by railroad (opened in 1856) gradually replaced wood as fuel for the many factories in the city. The main ramier, known as ‘the great ramier’, first built in 1761, was finally demolished in 1897.

The 'chromolithograph', a printing press using stone slabs.

Today the Four des Casseaux is part of a small museum, with at its center the kiln build in 1902. First constructed for the Gérard Dufraisseix and Abbott (G.D.A.) company that later became the Royal Limoges which is still operating the adjacent factory. Classified historical monument since 1987 it is the last surviving example of a technology that flourished in the city since 1878 and made 'Limoges porcelain' its 'white gold'. The 'reverse flame' kiln measures 7.5 meters across and is almost 20 meters high.

Exhibits brought together by 'l'Association Espace Procelain'.

Consuming 16 tonnes per firing the oven has two stories for a first firing at 900º C in the globe on top, and a second firing at 1400ºC at the bottom. The building by itself is interesting, added interest are the exhibits that were brought together by 'l'Association Espace Procelain' (who manage the site). My first time to encounter a 'chromolithograph', a printing press using stone slabs.

French electricity accessory maker 'Le Grand' started out producing tea ware.

Spooky porcelain dolls, medical equipment, tokens and electricity stuff. Turns out the French electricity accessory maker 'Le Grand' started out producing tea ware. And outside 'the biggest porcelain piece ever produced in Limoges', an over 5 meters long (2 tonnes) high tension isolator.

A morning well spend on a rainy day in Limoges.

A morning well spend on a rainy day in Limoges.

Day trips by train: Limoges.

The landmark Gare des Bénédictins.

Limoges, the capital of the former Limousin region, an hour by train from Brive. Entering the city through its landmark 'Gare des Bénédictins' (1), take some time to marvel at the art-deco glass windows, the lines of the dome.

Once outside, you can appreciate its distinct 60 meter high clock tower and adjacent park with its fountains. Though the station opened in 1929, the design of its structure predates the art-deco ideas, and was revolutionary because it was build over the railway lines, instead of next to them. The result was a very large hall topped with a metal dome and copper roof.

The interior is art-deco inspired by the Limousin: chestnut and oak leaves in the metal work, statues dedicated to the four provinces served by the station and references to the world famous Limoges' porcelain industries.'

Map of Limoges.

La Ville Haute
Leaving the station behind you will find Limoges a surprisingly walkable'city, the third city in France to be awarded the full 'four leaves' under the Ville Fleurie label: the fountains of the Champ de Juillet are the first of 18 and the park only a small part of the 680 ha of maintained green spaces and over 300 protected remarkable trees in the urban environment. Turn left at the end of the park to reach the tourist office via the Place Jourdan to pick-up a city map, or walk straight to the historic centre of the Ville Haute. Even with a map you should prepare for some searching as the plan does not follow a modern grid.

Les halles centrales.

Roads, alleys and buildings do not seem to follow any particular orientation. The church of Saint-Michel-des-Lions (2) is for example worth a visit but has entrances on 3 sides making it a passage way from the pedestrian streets to the Place de la Motte with its 19th century metal structured covered market. Les halles centrales (3), built between 1885 and 1889, are a very fine example of late 19th century architecture (open Tuesday to Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Thursday to Sunday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.).

The Verdurier pavilion.

The Verdurier pavilion (4) was built in 1919 (architect Roger Gonthier; same as the Gare des Bénédictins). An octagonal building adorned with mosaics and porcelain stoneware, originally a refrigerated market, it served as a bus station for 30 years. Listed as a historical monument in 1975, was restored by the City in 1978 and became an exhibition space. The Cour du temple (5), connects rue du Temple to the rue du Consulat through a covered corridor. A beautiful 16th century ensemble of granite and half-timbered mansions, decorated with arcaded galleries and an elegant Renaissance staircase.

A must-visit is the butchers quarter.

A must-visit is the butchers quarter(6) surrounding the rue de la Boucherie, with its well preserved medieval wood-framed houses, butchers house and very peculiar chapel of Saint Aurélien, guardian saint to the butchers. The chapel dates back to the 14th century and still supports a wood clad roof and tower. Looking around at all the wood you get a feel of a medieval town, and immediately understand why so little of this type of city-scape survived the fires, revolutions and 'modernization'. The chapel was sold-off after the revolution as a nationalized asset, but bought back by the butchers brotherhood who owns it till this day and continue the worship of Saint Aurélien. Though privately owned the chapel is open to the public.

The Saint Etienne cathedral on the bank of the Vienne river.

La Cité
From the 'Ville Haute' it is a small walk to a second historic area surrounding the Saint Etienne cathedral(7) on the bank of the Vienne river. Wood-framed houses flank the streets that lead uphill towards to the cathedral,Musée de Beaux-Arts and the botanical gardens (8). In 1370 the Cité opened its gates to the ‘French’ (Capetian) whiles the city stayed loyal to the Angevin (‘English’), this did not end well for the Cité that was largely destroyed after a siege.

Musée de Beaux-Arts and the botanical gardens.

The Saint Etienne cathedral was (re)constructed over a 600 years period in a mixture of styles, prominent are the early attempt at flying buttresses with relatively small openings between the cathedral walls and massive blocks of counterweight towards the outside. Water from the roof is channeled through the buttresses away from the building to exit through the mouths of dog-like ornaments sticking out over the sides. Restoration brought back some of the colorful interior decorations providing an insight into how colorful and elaborately decorated medieval churches ones were.

Colorful and elaborately decoration of the Saint Etienne cathedral.

When we visited, the museum had spilled over into the botanical gardens with a temporary exhibition of sculptures. The botanical garden provides space for 3000 different plant species and has a great view over the Vienne river and towards the old Saint Etienne bridge. The area around the bridge (dating back to 1203) is pleasantly green and here you can hike over the banks of the river towards the Saint Martial bridge and walk back on the opposite side. Or walk upstream towards theMusée du four des Casseaux (9), located next to the 'Royal Limoges' factory.

This part of the river banks was ones the place were 'rafts' made of wood from the upstream forested areas would arrive for use in the large numbers of porcelain kilns that produced the world famous 'Limoges'.

There are a number of producers within the city.

Porcelain
Many references in the street and buildings, market, exhibition, kilns. Though the number of kilns has gone down and the use of charcoal has stopped, a select number still thrive. The kiln of Casseaux was constructed in 1884 and operated till 1995. The kiln and factory were declared a national (industrial) heritage and transformed into a museum.

Musée National Adrien Dubouché.

For those interested in Limoges porcelain the dedicated Musée National Adrien Dubouché(10) has the largest collection in the world. For those interested in buying there are a number of producers within the city (in alphabetic order):

Bernardaud (27, avenue Albert Thomas), Bruno Mercier (1, boulevard Louis Blanc), Harviland – Pavillon de la porcelaine (3, avenue du Président Kennedy), Morpho blue (14 rue de la Boucherie), Perl porcelaine et recherche de Limoges (9, boulevard Louis Blanc), Porcelaine Arquie Limoges (3, rue Font Pinot), Porcelaines Lachaniette (27, boulevard Louis Blanc), Raynaud Limoges (14, ancienne route d'Aixe), Salamandre – Porcelaine de Limoges (5, rue Haut Cité).

Detourism: Bordeaux.

Take the TGV straight from Charles De Gaulle Airport.

Avoiding Paris

For those who would like to visit the south-west of France but avoid the hassle and pressures of Paris, we highly recommend you to visit Bordeaux, southwest of France. With over a million inhabitants, the metropolitan area of Bordeaux has a pleasant atmosphere with 'everything you did hope to find in Paris’ without many of its draw-backs.

Find out more in our earlier posts; You are not a wine lover?! Day trips by train: Bordeaux (1) and You are a wine lover?! Daytrips by train: Bordeaux (2). To visit the vineyard outside the city, have time to explore the museums or sample the nightlife, you should spend a few nights in Bordeaux. Spend a day our two in Bordeaux on your way-in or out!

Bordeaux Saint Jean train station.

TGV from Charles De Gaulle International Airport
You can take the TGV (High-speed train) straight from the Charles De Gaulle International Airport in Paris (CDG) and reach Bordeaux in about 3.5 hrs.

Trains leave from the TGV train station in terminal 2 of the airport. You can book your tickets in advance online through: https://oui.sncf/en .

Select: [Train]. From: [Paris Roissy Charles de Gaulle Airport]. To: [Bordeaux (FR)(New Aquitaine)]. Booking up to 3 months in advance will get you great deals.

TGV train station in terminal 2 of the airport.

Fly to Bordeaux from many European destinations
Ones you include Bordeaux into your travel plans many destinations in Europe are just a short flight away. And the "Terminal billi" is specially dedicated to low-cost airlines EasyJet, Ryanair and WizzAir! Look-out for great offers! Some of the destinations served are:

Destinations
Marseille (France)	London (UK)
Nice (France)	Madrid (Spain)
Strasbourg (France)	Malaga (Spain)
Amsterdam (Netherlands)	Milan (Italy)
Barcelona (Spain)	Porto (Portugal)
Basel (Switzerland)	Prague (Czech Republic)
Berlin (Germany)	Rome (Italy)
Brussels (Belgium)	Tenerife (Spain)
Lisbon (Portugal)	Venice (Italy)

Please check full flight schedules at: www.bordeaux.aeroport.fr/en

Bordeaux airport is served by airport coaches connecting with the city centre and the St.Jean train station. Cheapest way has been the bus (line 1) a single ticket €1.70 OR a 1 day pass €5.00, if you would stay like to spend few days in the city of Bordeaux. The extension of tram line A is supposed to reach the airport any time now, keep you eyes open as this would be a real improvement.

Direct train to Terrasson, easy & comfortable.

How to get from Bordeaux to Terrasson?
There is a direct train to Terrasson (2 hrs, route 25 via Périgueux to the direction of Brive-la-Gaillarde), it’s easy & comfortable.

Day trips by train: Bordeaux (2).

Saint-Emilion is a beautiful little town.

You are a wine lover?! You are in luck. Bordeaux is the dynamic capital of the Nouvelle- Aquitaine region at the heart of the vineyards. Taking the early train, Bordeaux is a 2 hours train ride away from Terrasson, and heading back by the end of the afternoon will give you enough time to explore the historic center. To visit the vineyard outside the city, have time to explore the museums or sample the nightlife, you should spend a few nights in Bordeaux. Spend a day our two in Bordeaux on your way-in or out (see detourism post). Leave your luggage at the consignes counter of the Saint Jean train station and explore Bordeaux lightweight!

Map of Bordeaux wine area.

The Bordeaux wine area is divided into five sub-regions: Médoc, Graves, Entre-deux-Mers, Rive Droite and Sauternes, all benefit from the same temperate oceanic climate. As the saying goes; ‘Le merlot fait le beau, le cabernet fait le bouquet, le teinturin fait le vin.’ The main red grape varieties in the region are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. A teinturin grape is a red wine grape with dark skins and flesh, also known as malbec. The three white grape varieties are Semillon, Sauvignon and Muscadelle. This mixture of grape varieties is at the core of the Bordeaux vs. Bourgogne ideological divide.

Theatricality of the wine-growing chateau.

Bordeaux vs. Bourgogne
‘Having more than one grape variety is one way of making corrections. I am opposed to artifices which allow repentance. I like the idea that a grape variety is a key, the unique key that opens up a terroir and allows it to reach its truth and mystery.’ *

Burgundy is the French wine par excellence, it corresponds to the French idea of what a good wine should be. Bordeaux is often seen as ‘foreign’, characterized by order and balance. It represents measure, symmetry and domestication of nature. Bordeaux appellations makes no allusion to the ‘terroir’. It is the owner who marks the quality of the vintage, producing wines in accordance with the reputation of the chateau. Cosmopolitan, international and quality viticulture: shared belief in progress and investment. But there is also a certain form of theatricality in the wine-growing chateau, invented by the Bordelaise to market their wine.

If Bordeaux is the product of a human-will, this opposes burgundy’s ideal of a prevailing terroir, openness to nature, mystery or spontaneousness. Invented and sculpted by man the Bordeaux vineyards are a real garden at the cost of draining and moving soil. Burgundy presents itself as a vineyard of its unchanging terroirs. Bordeaux is a blended wine, Burgundy is married to its Pinot Noir. Bordeaux pragmatism of vs. Burgundy idealism?

Almost every classified cru has changed hands since the original 1855 classification. Since the turn of the century tycoons, investors, moguls and the world wide nouveau riche have descended on the Bordeaux vineyards. An excellent bourgeois or grand cru has become more of a commodity.

The Cité du Vin.

Wine in the city
Fortunately, Bordeaux wine is not limited these snobbish hundred or so ‘star labels’. Those represent only 4,000 out of a total of 115,000 ha. Surrounding the city there are over 7,000 chateaux vineyards. Together, they produce more than 10,000 different Bordeaux wines. And if you widen your scope you will find the vineyards extending into the Côtes de Duras and Côtes du Marmandais. And particularly the ‘rive droit’ bordering Bergerac wine area, with its appelations Montravel, Rosette and Pécharmant that can take on Saint-Émilion, and its Monbazillac equaling Sauternes.

In Bordeaux, the wine merchants (cellar men) offer you thousands of references, red, rosés, whites, crémants. There are some 250 guided tours of the city, its vineyards and its wine. If this is what you are looking for, the website of the tourist office (https://www.bordeaux-tourisme.com) is a good place to start. Bordeaux world is famous for it’s wine production, but there are no vineyards or wine makers in the city itself, two ‘wine destinations in the city stand-out.

The Cité du Vin
Bordeaux has gone through a remarkable transformation since the days it was known as ‘the black pearl of the Aquitaine’. Under mayor (and former Prime Minister) Juppé decades old dossiers on public transport, markets and infrastructure started to move. But Bordeaux was also in need for modern statement architecture to mark its maritime entrance. A High-tech ‘cathedral of glass and metal, curved and rounded, where with the help of innovative technologies, visitors will be able to discover ancestral savoir-faire’, ‘a place to celebrate wine, its culture, its economy, its traditions, and the men and women who produce it.’ The architects were given the explicit instruction not to construct a traditional wine cellar or wine barrel, the building ‘evokes the swirling of wine in a glass’. Reserve 2 hours to visit and end at the roof terrace to sample a glass of wine.

Musée du Vin et du Négoce de Bordeaux
Close to the Les Hangars (Médoc) river ferry stop this museum is everything the Cité du Vin does not like to be. Old equipment representing 2000 years of wine production in the region, housed in the building of the royal broker of Louis XV. Discover three centuries of history and fame in the vaulted cellars built in 1720. The Museum offers; Self-guided tour with tasting of 2 Bordeaux wines(€ 10.00), Wine workshops (€ 40.00) and a 3-hour guided tour: Bordeaux city center + Tasting of 4 wines (€49.00).

Guided tours of the vineyards and its wine.

Excursions to the vineyards
To visit the surrounding vineyards the tourist office in Bordeaux offers half day and full day tours, they include visits to chateaux, vineyards and villages like Saint-Émilion to taste the famous Bordeaux wines.

No other wine is associated with its ‘city’ the way Saint-Émilion is.

Saint-Émilion
‘Saint-Émilion is maybe too much: too immaculate, too typical, too glorious, too opulent, too touristy. Saint-Emilion is a beautiful city ... The only thing one can find fault it with is its lack of mystery.’**

The quote above is from 1989… today Saint-Émilion has become the ‘bucket-list’ destination of the global globetrotter class. Do not worry if you not like french food, you will find tapas- and sushi-bars, and if you do not like wine, the ‘Irish pub’ will pour you a pint of Guinness. Asian women in school-girl coseplay-outfits…

No other wine is associated with its ‘city’ the way Saint-Émilion is, perfectly placed for the 80’s tourism – product promotion trend it is slowly becoming self-defeating. Tourists attracting tourist services and facilities, which in turn attract more tourists.

Ligne du Médoc
For the independent traveler train line 42 Bordeaux – Macau – Point de Grave (Ligne du Médoc) travels through the Médoc vineyards with stations in Pauillac and Margaux.

Excursions to the vineyards.

Wine Marathon
“Wine Marathon” for all you Marathon enthusiasts and tasteful people!!!

'The world's most idiotic Marathon (according to the UK telegraph): ”Who could possibly have thought it a good idea to combine a 26.2-mile run with a feast of oysters, cheese, entrecôte and foie gras, all washed down with up to 23 glasses of wine? Well, the French, of course.'

The Marathon du Medoc (www.marathondumedoc.com/en/) runs through the vineyards every September, registration opens in March!

References

*) Burgundy winemaker quoted in Kaufmann, 1992. As published in: Tentative d’autocritique Bordeaux-Bourgogne. In: Kauffmann J-P, 2014. Voyage à Bordeaux.

**) Voyage to Bordeaux, 1989. In: Kauffmann J-P, 2014. Voyage à Bordeaux