TRAVELING ACROSS FRANCE: NERAC, PAU, PARIS, REIMS
While my husband and I lived in France, we tried to visit as much of the country as possible.
In today's video I show:
- Nerac
- Pau
- Paris.
- Epernay and Reims (Champagne Region)
Have you been to any of these places? What was your favorite thing about them?
Saturday morning at the Nérac market
Saturday morning at the Nérac market - hear the sounds, see the sights!
Nérac : Lieu-dit « Pouy-le-Bas »
Le panoramearth est pris sur le coteau, en bordure de la vallée de la rivière la Baïse, qui quitte Nérac pour rejoindre Lavardac et confluer avec une autre rivière, la Gelise (qui elle, coule de l'autre côté du coteau, plus au sud-ouest). Nous sommes à proximité d'une petite route qui suit la crête du coteau. La vidéo commence par un zoom sur le clocher de l'église paroissiale Notre-Dame à Lavardac. Ensuite, le panorama se déroule avec, au creux du vallon, l'alignement de platanes, qui bordent la D930. La Baïse s'écoule plus loin, de la droite vers la gauche de l'écran.
Watch in Google Earth:
Download KML:
Latitude (dd): 44.164153
Longitude (dd): 0.299008
Google Earth/Maps search: 44.164153,0.299008
Altitude (m): 80
Date (y/m/d): 2008/08/15
Time (hh24 : mm): 09 : 14
Country: France
State/Region: Aquitaine
County/District: Lot-et-Garonne (47)
City: Nérac (47600)
Author: Krepper
A Great Visit to the Chateau of Pau, Episode 191
Join Us in France Travel Podcast, Episode 191 In this episode we talk about the good king Henry the 4th and his home town of Pau.
Perched on the top of a cliff with a FABULOUS view of the Pyrenees mountains which are close by, Pau is charming and makes for a lovely stop along the way as you explore the southwest region and head either to Lourdes or the the Basque country further west.
The castle, recently renovated, is a wonderful example of Medieval and Renaissance architecture, tower, turrets, and furniture included. It is fun to explore and imagine how different life was like when even a king had to worry about heating his home!!
Henry IV was born in the Chateau of Pau and left a lasting imprint on Paris. He was the person who made the Place des Vosges and major parts of the Louvre, but in THIS episode you will hear about his origins and his attachment to his home country in the principality of Bearn.
Timestamps for this Episode
[02:42] Henri IV, the French King whose first language was Occitan.
[03:48] Pau, the city on top of the hill: geographical location and the Gave de Pau, the local river.
[04:53] Circumstances surrounding the birth of Henri IV: the Wars of Religion that we’ll talk about at another time.
[05:25] The Castle of Pau started out as a wooden fortified castle. Most castles were built of wood in the Middle Ages, but this is not something most people know because they didn’t survive as well as stone castles.
[07:36] It makes sense to visit Lourdes and Pau on the same day.
[09:49] Gaston Phoebus turned the wooden castle into a stone castle, and it was renovated again in the nineteenth century.
[12:03] Henri IV’s parents were both of royal blood. His mother was a Protestant and his father a Catholic.
[13:44] The garlic and wine story about Henri IV.
[16:10] When Henry becomes king, the castle in Pau becomes his secondary residence.
[20:06] Louis XIII, son of Henry IV, renovates the castle in Pau to make it more genteel.
[22:40] The chateau in Pau at the French Revolution.
[24:00] The castle in Pau that we see today is what is left from the Louis Philippe era.
[25:30] The strange sleeping habits and sleeping arrangements of kings.
[29:25] Napoleon III structural renovations.
[31:51] The Béarn was annexed to be part of France under Louis XIII, not under Henri IV.
[35:14] Local foods you can enjoy when you visit Pau.
[36:30] How much time to spend in Pau and what else you can visit in the area.
[41:20] Pau is a nice mid-size French city, not so big that it’s expensive, but not so small that it’s boring.
[43:17] You can arrange to tour Pau with Elyse. We’ll talk more about Henri IV in other episodes because there is so much to say.
[44:00] Thank you Patreon supporters and personal update. Hanging out with a Labrador Puppy.
[46:00] French people don’t get fresh bread from the bakery for breakfast!
[48:00] Please tell people about your favorite podcast episode and let them know that we’re on Alexa, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more.
[49:22] Rail strike about to get under way in France.
[51:30] Best way to connect with me.
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Cruise Bordeaux aboard Hotel Barge Rosa | European Waterways
The Bordeaux region, with its special ‘terroir’, has been producing wine for around 2,000 years and some of the château estates have gained worldwide recognition for their superb and long-lived vintages. On your cruise aboard Rosa between Boé and Castets, there will be the opportunity to learn more about the complex science of viticulture on tours to such places as Saint-Emilion, including of course a tasting of some fine wines. We will also explore the countryside surrounding the Val de Garonne and see towns such as historic Nérac and elegant Marmande.
Cruise Highlights:
- Tour of the famous Saint Emilion
- Visit the impressive Château de Duras
- Visits to ancient Bastide villages
- Cruise across the 1,900 foot Agen aqueduct
- Wine, cheese and Armagnac tastings
- Visits to the village of Le Mas d’Agenais and the colourful market of Casteljaloux
- Tour of medieval Nérac and its castle
Bordeaux, with 247,000 acres, is a wine-producing area three times the size of Burgundy. Bordeaux is the largest fine wine-making region in the world, as well as the most legendary. More than half the fine wines of the world come from France and about half of these are from Bordeaux.
Although the reputation is built mostly on red wines, especially those from the Médoc, St-Èmilion and Pomerol districts, the region produces the entire gamut of wines, including dry and sweet whites, and rosés.
Bordeaux is a region of such tremendous diversity in geography, soil, weather, and winemaking tradition that it produces a myriad of wines, each with a unique character. The range of Bordeaux wines is reflected in its 57 appellations, 61 grand cru classés, more than 9,000 wine-producing châteaux, and 13,000 wine growers.
What is hotel barging?
Despite the growing popularity of cruising, especially on large river vessels, hotel barging is still a little known niche concept. Most hotel barges started life as cargo vessels but have since been painstakingly converted to offer luxury boutique accommodation for small groups of up to 20 passengers.
This is cruising, but in a very different style to ships plying the big rivers or oceans. The pace is slow, with a 6 day cruise covering maybe just 50 miles along a rural canal. Passengers can walk or bike the towpaths as their floating hotel glides gently along. Guests enjoy an intimate atmosphere, high levels of personal service and immersion into the culture, history and gastronomy of regions of Europe such as Burgundy, the Midi, or the Italian Veneto.
Every day there is an excursion, perhaps to a chateau, a vineyard for a wine tasting, or some other ‘off the beaten track’ location. About half of European Waterways’ bookings are for whole boat charters, ideal for families. Otherwise, clients book a cabin to join other like-minded people. A ‘slow boat’ European Waterways barge cruise offers the ultimate in experiential travel. A truly unique experience!
European Waterways offer luxury hotel barge cruises on the beautiful canals and rivers of Europe, such as through Burgundy, the Midi, Alsace, the Po Valley, Holland and the Scottish Highlands.
The exclusive collection of hotel barges accommodate up to 20 passengers who may charter a whole barge with family or friends, or join a small group of like-minded travellers on an individual cabin basis.
Each barge is fully crewed with a Captain, chef, hostesses, deck-hand and tour guide. The 6-night cruises include gourmet meals, fine wines, open bar, excursions and the use of facilities such as bicycles and spa pools.
Nérac : Le Pont Neuf
Nérac est une ancienne cité gallo-romaine comme en témoignent les nombreuses mosaïques trouvées notamment dans le Parc de la Garenne. Nérac fut d'abord, sous le règne de Marguerite d'Angoulême, sœur de François Ier et de Jeanne d'Albret, une capitale de l'Esprit, un foyer culturel et spirituel, accueillant notamment Clément Marot, qui y trouve « un asile plus doux que la liberté » et Calvin qui y fait étape avant de rejoindre Genève. Mais Henri de Navarre, futur Henri IV, va transformer Nérac en une véritable capitale politique. Il retrouve en août 1576 le château de son enfance et pendant six ans, il vivra entouré d'une cour d'intellectuels et d'écrivains, de diplomates et de chevaliers. Le panoramearth est pris à partir du Pont Neuf qui domine la rivière la Baïse de toute sa hauteur. Dès le départ, on voit au centre la Baïse qui s'écoule vers le nord, sur la rive gauche, le « Vieux Nérac », tandis que sur l'autre rive on voit le « Petit Nérac » avec au loin l'Eglise Notre-Dame (19e siècle, bâtie sur les ruines d'une ancienne église du Moyen Age, l'église Saint Marc), en contrebas la Capitainerie et l'espace culturel (« Espace d'Albret »). Ensuite, on passe sur une vue de la chaussée du pont. Par hasard on aperçoit un voiture typique de cette région une « Renault 4 » ou « 4L » blanche qui date des années 1960 ! La vue sur le pont se poursuit, avec le trafic routier assez dense. Puis, on voit au loin le Chateau de Nérac. D'un point de vue architectural, le château, du Moyen Age au 18e siècle comportait quatre ailes flanquées de tours rondes. Aujourd'hui, une seule aile subsiste, les autres ayant été détruites à la Révolution Française. Il nous reste toutefois la plus belle, avec sa galerie Renaissance composée de 12 colonnes torsadées. Enfin, à travers les arbres on voit l'église Saint-Nicolas (18e siècle) et le « Vieux Nérac ». Puis, retour sur la Baïse.
Watch in Google Earth:
Download KML:
Latitude (dd): 44.135072
Longitude (dd): 0.341037
Google Earth/Maps search: 44.135072,0.341037
Altitude (m): 56
Date (y/m/d): 2007/03/10
Time (hh24 : mm): 16 : 22
Country: France
State/Region: Aquitaine
County/District: Lot-et-Garonne (47)
City: Nérac (47600)
Author: Ricky47
Gascony Tour
Gascony tour - get a flavour of the Gascony (Gascogne) area of south west France. Enjoy the lifestyle and landscapes of the Gascony area from the Pyrenees mountains to the River Dordogne.
24h à Barcelone
Vidéo résumant cette longue journée passée à Barcelone !
Musique : The Glitch Mob - We Can Make The World Stop
Travel Un-CUT! French Fridays: Exploring Arcachon Southern France!
A part of France that's never seen on travel shows. Arcachon France!
Located in the southwestern part of France, #ArcachonBay is a long-time oyster-harvesting area on the south side of the tranquil, triangular Bassin d'Arcachon (Arcachon Bay), this seaside town lured bourgeois Bordelaise at the end of the 19th Century. Its four little quarters are romantically named for each of the seasons, with villas that evoke the town's golden past amid a scattering of 1950's architecture. Arcachon seethes with sun-seekers in summer, but you'll find much quieter beaches a short bike ride away. #LonelyPlanet TravelChannel.com
Will Roadhouse
CEO | Compass Group International
Dean Studebaker
COO | Compass Group International
International Real Estate Consultant & Asset Management
TV Producer
Author: Roadhouse 30min Guides for Expats!
Facebook Page: facebook.com/willroadhouse
Soundcloud Podcast Channel: @willroadhouse
YouTube: youtube.com/willroadhouse
Instagram: @WillRoadhouse
Twitter: @WillRoadhouse
Part IV - Ville Bastide de Monflanquin
Upon leaving the Pyrenees, we drove almost straight north toward Les Eyzies de Tayac in the Dordogne Region of France. En route we stopped in the bastide town of Monflanquin whose town center is a well preserved/restored example of the fortified, planned towns built in the middle ages for trade and defense. These towns were usually built on the highest hills in an area to allow for defense. After walking about the town, we continued on to Les Eyzies where we were going to spend the next week.