Monday 8 October 2012

Back from the Ruins

I hope you've all been fine since I've been away.  I still don't have much time for blogging, and the last few weeks have been quite heavy for me but  I also had some time in France which was NOT a working trip, so I was able to do a bit of relaxing.  T and I stayed in a medieval hamlet called Blanc-sur-Sanctus, in the Aveyron, in South West France.



That was the view from the balcony in the house we rented, looking over a wooded and extremely steep valley in which was the remains of this hamlet. And this was the view the other way - there is an old barn attached to the house where we stayed. 


The main part of the hamlet centred round a 10th century fortified manor house which had been converted into a church.   It stood on a crag of rock, like a little castle.



Most of the villages in the area have castles - very picturesque but they reflect the harsh reality of life all those centuries ago.  I'm no French historian, but I gather the government was weak so not enough taxes could be collected, so the local lords couldn't create a decent army.  So when the enemy came marching along, the locals who were deemed worth saving fled to the castle.   The enemies could then settle down to batter the walls and wait for the locals to starve or run out of water. Not a very good military strategy for the locals, I'd say, even though they saved on the taxes....

The hamlet once had shops and businesses and a school, but it became depopulated over the centuries. Many of its houses and its tiny chapel fell into ruin.


It might have crumbled to nothing, but times changed and people came along and saw the charm of the place.   Now, several of the derelict houses have been converted into homes again.  It's quite an exciting place to be, because several local people have completely got into restoring the place, finding out about its history and the families who lived there (our rental house even had a book on the shelves about it - all in French, though). . They've converted the church into a public space and hold events there - and they've even rediscovered and restored its cross.


Since it wasn't a church for most of its life, there is some disagreement about whether the building should be restored as a church or a house, though..

Also, the old trackways have been cleared and marked as  hiking trails.  This picture was taken from one of the trails. You can see in the distanc the only sign of modern life -  big windmills installed by the electricity company.




To get to the hamlet you traverse a rather scary single track mountain road 6 km from the nearest village. Some of it is not fenced, some of the drops are quite steep and I was glad we'd hired the smallest size of car.  Actually I was REALLY glad when I met a tractor coming along in the other direction!.

The nearest village has the odd name of Brusque, and it has a shop, post office and school. That really makes it quite a bustling metropolis, don't you think? :)


I'll visit as many blogs as I can but I won't have too much time for blogging in the next few weeks.  Apart from anything else I have a couple of work trips this month, to Wales and to Switzerland, which I mentioned ages ago when they were in the planning stages. And there is still quite a bit going on in other ways.  But it was great to take some time out and I was so pleased to discover Blanc.


45 comments:

  1. What a beautiful place Jenny. I'm not sure that I would manage to hike in those hills, but it looks like the sort of place to relax and enjoy the views.

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  2. What a lovely peaceful place - looks like the sort of place that might not even have an internet connection ... I can see the attraction!

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  3. It looks like a wonderful area. Just the sort of place we love to stay in.

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  4. Hope you didn't get photographed too many times whilst you were sunbathing on your balcony! Sorry couldn't resist. :D

    It looks beautiful.

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  5. Gorgeous photos, looks like a charm of a place to visit. Oh my, the views!

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  6. How wonderful - a once-desolate hamlet slowly coming alive again! Something like this very, very much appeals to me; I'd love to be there, discover more about the local history and the people who once lived there, and become part of it.
    I wonder how isolated they really are there when snow and ice make the single track road impossible to drive on.

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  7. It looks a lovely place... I really like the last picture where the stream meanders between the houses. Enjoy Switzerland, I would very much like to go there again.

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  8. Oh gee, I'm coming back here again tonight to enjoy all your lovely photos again! Isn't it wonderful to take a trip just to take a trip and not for any other reason, or work thing?! Yes! Although if your mind works like mine, even on vacation or a weekend getaway, you can't always get your mind to see it that way! Most superb photos, what a lovely place!

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  9. This hamlet looks like a gem hanging onto a forested cliff and hovering over the hilly town that is coming back to life. Thanks goodness for restorers. The village seems to have come full circle so that over time more and more visitors will be able to enjoy its medieval past. :)

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  10. So pleased you discovered Blanc, too. The picture of the village is sweet. I am very short on French history, but it seems it could have been England before we counted the years in four digits. Looking forward to Wales!

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  11. There is something which I cannot explain which connects me to the area around the southern part of the massif central and I rather envy your stay there. Although I've been around the area you stayed a number of times I've never stayed for any length of time because we generally stayed in the more popular, if remote, areas.

    I hope you have better luck with Switzerland than I had four or five weeks ago: when we were not in tunnels it was (with the exception of a few hours) raining and the magnificence of the mountains was hidden from us.

    Take care, Jenny, and enjoy yourself. We'll all still be here (or in my case in New Zealand) when you get back.

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  12. What a wonderful tour, and it really highlights how chaotic life back then could be! Glad you got a spot of non-work travel (work travel seems to be tougher each year!) - safe, speedy travels to Wales and Switzerland!

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  13. Beautiful post as usual!
    Thank you for providing places to dream of.
    Last week I was also away, dog and house sitting in the Vermont countryside.
    This week...dreaming of visiting the French countryside.

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  14. Looks like a lovely place for a holiday!

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  15. Hello, welcome to your holiday, disconnection, a beautiful place to rest and especially off. A big hug and a pleasure to read you again;)).

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  16. It looks to me like you found the perfect place to relax. Serene with beautiful scenery and just a touch of history. I need to book my flight there ASAP.

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  17. Well, i don't blame people for wanting to restore such a lovely place! Thank you for sharing it with us.

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  18. That looks lovely...and giving you the peace you need before attacking Wales and Switzerland.

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  19. Dear Jenny, Your respite in France sounds fabulous. The view from your balcony would make me want to linger with a cup of tea just breathing in the scenery.

    Wales.....oh I long to visit Wales. My dad is Welsh and I have long felt it calling me. Have a productive and safe journey.

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  20. So sorry about those work trips. Such awful travel for you I am sure. ;-) Love these photos and am very envious.

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  21. Oh my, I don't think I could travel those roads, but it does look like a marvelous place to travel.

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  22. That looks quite wild and remote - two words I don't associate with France. (Then again, my knowledge of France is very limited.)

    Enjoy the trips coming up! ^^

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  23. Nice composition with wonderful shots!
    Have a good week!

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  24. What a beautiful place. I hope as restoration goes on that it doesn't ruin the atmosphere of the place.

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  25. Your pictures are lovely - I'm getting homesick for mountains and old, old buildings. Here in Florida, everything is just so new (comparably) and so very, very FLAT.

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  26. Hi Jenny,
    Oh wow, I have been to that general vicinity and your spectacular photos have brought back some fond memories. Thanks for a most informative posting and accompanying visuals. What an amazing view from that balcony.
    In kindness, Gary

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  27. I was just thinking of you and wondering where you were!
    Oh but to go to France for a vacation, you lucky dog you, green with envy here if you couldn't tell ;o)

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  28. An interesting blog Jenny. Nice to see that part of France - somewhere I will never visit - Dave

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  29. So nice to see your post for now...you busy going girl...I'll watch for you. Have a good time.

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  30. Blogland won't go anywhere Jenny - enjoy your work in Wales and Switzerland!! Of course we eagerly await photos of same!

    Thank you for the photos of this quaint and lovely village. Thank goodness for people who breathe life back into these rich little gems.

    Take good care during your travels.

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  31. Glad you managed to get some time to yourself in the midst of all that. Lovely place to halt. Another excellent tour. I would not worry about visiting other blogs, you need to put yourself first when so busy.

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  32. It looks fabulous - really lovely :-) x

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  33. France is gorgeous, and looking at those pictures makes it difficult not to return. You got me thinking.

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  34. Thanks, as usual, for the nice comments, and I'll be round to your blogs soon as I have missed hearing what you guys have been up to. Yes, GB, and actually when I last went in the local museum in Lucerne, they had quite a lot of humorous stuff about all the rain you get there. Ho, ho, how we laughed I must say, as we searched for a brolly shop. So I'm packing a mac and will be crossing my fingers.

    Yes, JOanne, you are spot on about this. Some places in the world are still a bit like that, sadly.

    Karen, you are right that it is hard to switch off. I find myself mentally making notes. But the nice thing about a HOLIDAY is that on holiday I can sit and read if I want to and not feel the need to rush around like a blue **sed fly which is what I do when wearing the travel writer hat. Of course I enjoy rushing around and seeing everything but it's soooo nice to sit by the pool in the sun sometimes......

    LLCool Joe, it was perfect except for the guy with the telephoto lens who was camped in a nearby walnut tree, but I don't know how you guessed. (Hope it wasn't YOU???)

    Jo, you are right, it had no proper internet connection although we occasionally got a drift of signal. Not that I checked much.

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  35. Wonderful post! The pictures, the history--just loved this!
    We'll be here. Enjoy your travels and take lots of pictures!! :):)

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  36. Lovely place.

    And with history too.

    I'm glad that some of the old buildings are restored for this (and the next) generation to enjoy.

    p.s No. We have not been alright. You were missed. Teribbly.

    Don't overwork yourself. :)

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  37. Really enjoyed your post--very peaceful scenes! Glad you had a chance to travel & rest.

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  38. That is one serene view. It's good to know that these medieval structures are being enjoyed by tourists now. Great shots of the place by the way.

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  39. Looks like a wonderful place to spend some time. Amazing that such remote and beautiful places still exist. Nice to know the community is trying to restore some of it.

    Darla

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  40. Hello,Jenny.
    Beautiful post! The last one is sooo charming. Take care and enjoy your travel.
    Tomoko

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  41. nice...i would love to have some down time in france....what beautiful country...pretty cool as well on ruins...would love to explore as well...

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  42. I know you are busy and feel rushed but honestly, you have one of the most blessed lives I have ever seen. You are living your dream to the fullest-impressive!

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  43. Lovely. I have never been to France...one day maybe...

    Anna :o]

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  44. What a lovely spot! I can't imagine how restful it would be to perch on that porch with a wonderful cup of tea or better still a glass of wine and a camera! I'm glad you had this bit of a getaway.

    I've been a much better poster than blog visitor these days. (Wrapping up the Netherlands tour). The posts are easy to work ahead on but life has come in the way of daily blog visiting. So, catching up and so enjoying your times!

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