Settling In

As expected, we've settled into a routine in Auxonne--most days involve an easy start over coffee, shopping for groceries or project items as needed, working on boat projects, light socializing in the port, Lon working on his SSI (StrategicSource, Inc) job responsibilities, and spending quiet evenings reading or on the internet. But a life that is only work would be very dull indeed, so we insert some "fun stuff" into the mix.

On Friday, August 23, our good friends from Haarlem, Netherlands stopped by on their way back to Holland after a 3-week holiday in the west/central and south of France. Joost and Yolanda and their daughters Suze and Rosa spent Friday night and most of Saturday with us. (Yolanda's mom and dad spent several days on the boat with us in mid-June.) We always enjoy their company and their visit provided us with an excellent opportunity for a short cruise on the Petite Saone river.

Yolanda DeJong and Joost Havers

 (back row)

Front row--Suze (l.) and Rosa (r.)

Joost, Lon, Yolanda and Suze on CARIB's back deck

Captain Joost did a great job under Captain Lon's watchful

eye.  The watchful eye wasn't really needed,

 as Joost has much experience in boats.

Auxonne and Port Royal (the marina) are in the background. 

The cruise gave us a first look at what will likely be the start

of next year's cruising route.

Suze and Rosa find that coloring is much better "plein air"

(outdoors)

We had a rental car for the weekend, so on Sunday the 25th we drove to the nearby village of Pesmes. Only a 20-minute drive from Auxonne, it had caught my attention because it is classified as one of "Les Plus Beaux Villages de France" (the most beautiful villages of France). How could we not check that out?

Pesmes occupies a high point on one side of the Ognon River. Its origins aren't exactly known. The first named family appears in records from the 11th century, but Gallo-Roman artifacts found in the area indicate that the village could have been in existence earlier than that. It didn't have an easy history--it was destroyed by the English in 1409 and burned in both 1477 and 1621--nevertheless, several heritage buildings survived.  It has a chateau with origins in the 12th century (and with 16th and 18th century additions); the church of Saint-Hilaire, also begun in the 12th century and with substantial portions from the 13th and 14th centuries; and several buildings of 15th and 16th century vintage.

Pesmes on the bank of the Ognon River. The Chateau de Pesmes sits atop the 

walled fortifications. This was our view as we ate lunch at a restaurant on 

the opposite bank of the Ognon.

The view over the lower

 town from the chateau

The church of Saint-Hilaire shows its age. The

shape and decoration of the church tower (toward

the rear) is typical of the Franche-Comte region.

But what about its "beauty" designation? Consider us underwhelmed. Maybe we were expecting too much. It was a nice enough village, but not what we would consider visually stunning. It was also disappointing that, apart from the church of Saint-Hilaire, the primary historic monuments were not open to the public except by appointment.

As it turns out, there are about 160 villages in France with the "most beautiful villages" designation. They are part of an association created to promote the tourist appeal of small rural villages with rich cultural heritage. In order to qualify for the designation, a village must have less than 2,000 inhabitants, have at least two national heritage sites, and have the support of the local village council and a strategy to preserve and promote their heritage. An on-site visit by the association is also part of the evaluation process. Essentially it's an accreditation of sorts that is good for six years as long as the village continues to pay its annual fee and conform with the association requirements. One can't really fault the attempt to bring some attention--and hopefully, tourists and income--to the French villages. Economic and cultural changes, e.g., the influx of large commercial shopping areas on the outskirts of larger towns and the closure of historically important types of businesses (such as sawmills), have been tough on French villages and towns.

We're experiencing a warm spell in these last days of August, but the cool evening temperatures and fog most mornings indicate that fall cannot be far away.

My morning walk today was away from town and strictly rural. The wisps

of fog gave the light a lovely quality.

We had thought that we would be travelling to Spain for a week in September, but the timing didn't work with friends we had intended to visit there. Our "Plan B" is now a trip to the Normandy region of France September 4-11. We thought it would be an appropriate destination during this 75th anniversary year of D-Day, and being able to get there by train is an added bonus. There's a lot to do besides the D-Day beaches, so we'll rent a car once we're there and see what we can fit into a week.