Limoges the debrief

Well as you have probably already guessed, I am a real Francophile, I love France. I've travelled there a lot, the northern coastline is one of my favourite drives, with so many beautiful seaside towns, but I digress, Limoges.

I flew out with Ryan air and got a taxi from the airport to the city, there is a booth inside the airport where you give details for the taxi and then wait outside. Mine arrived in about 5 minutes.

I had booked my apartment through Booking .com and was not disappointed. set in the heart of the Haute Ville and  very close to the cathedral.

I had ( as I always do) done a lot of research  on the city and looked out for places that I wanted to visit.

The national porcelain museum was amazing and as my friend Julie said ' right up my Rue'. A mixture of old and new. So much to see and I am sure that I missed some things.

I actually spent most of Sunday there.

The Cathedral was a gothic wonder with lots to see including the fabulous 'creche', obviously no baby Jesus yet.

If ancient is not your thing, there is plenty of shopping in the city centre, where the main hotels are, and if you don't want to give your glutes a daily workout maneuvering the cobbled hills disguised as streets, then these are the places to stay.

It was reasonably priced to eat, my lunch on Saturday including wine cost just under twenty pounds and I didn't think that was bad at all, considering it was freshly prepared.

Food shopping wise, it was considerably cheaper than the UK and that is quite worrying for us. The freshness of products was up to the usual French standard and leaves the UK supermarkets in the shade. 

The city was clean and easy to walk around. They do have the free mini electric buses , as they did in Beauvais, that shuttle around the city centre. Great idea, one that should be considered here, but obviously as there is no profit in it, will never see the light of day.

 The weather was warm and although we had a downpour on Saturday it was lovely to walk around in lighter clothing.

So, would I recommend Limoges.

Yes I would, I would suggest you look at what's on offer to see if its perfect for you. 

It isn't a stag and hen do weekend, which is a massive bonus.

There is plenty to see outside the city if you take a bus or hire a car, which I may consider next time.

And yes there will be a next time.

Limoges, I loved every minute of my break.

my heart is heavy

 

My last day arrived, with blue skies and sunshine. I headed out from the haute ville to the main city shopping centre, via Carrfour. Everyday as I have passed this supermarket there have been two men sat outside begging ( one with a beautiful dog). So today I swerved inside, bought 2 packs of sandwiches, 2 coffees, ( with sugar sachets) 2 bottles of water, 2 apples and  some dog food ( with a ring pull tin). I came out and handed each man the food. The man with the dog asked me if I was English and then had a full on conversation with me in English. He thanked me for my kindness and for the dog food, he said he normally shared what food he got with the dog ( Artus) and that  it was lovely that he had his own food. Again he thanked me.

I walked up the street in tears, mainly because I know that lots of us could well be  4/5 pay slips away from this position. Life can be very hard.

I managed to compose myself before hitting Galleries Lafyette and Monoprix, where I realised that I have more than enough of things that I need, and spent a good part of the morning just browsing.

I walked back to the Haute Ville to prepare to go home, 

Back through the tiny cobbled streets that have become so familiar to me over the last few days

I had coffee and a madaleine in the local Tabac , and  then headed for a final walk around the botanical gardens,

I spent half an hour sitting under a fabulous tree canopy just watching the world go by, listening to the chatter of locals and observing life in a small city with a wonderfully slow pace.

Before I knew it, it was time to bid farewell to my little apartment and the lovely Valentina, 'la femme de menage ( the cleaning lady) who had been kind to me over my stay. ( fresh towels every day and leaving me little treats) I gave her a box of chocolates. She had arranged a lift to the airport for me, it turned out to be her niece, Anna Maira , who is training to be a doctor and was so very lovely.

Anna Maira dropped me off, and in the blink of an eye my mini break was over, without a broken nose, or ride in a police car involved at all. In fact in light of how my previous breaks have gone, this was very boring!!!

I arrive back and collected my car, and drove up the A1 home.

And today I am back to the day job............but only for a few weeks.

Sunny Sunday

 

Sunday didn't start too early, as I was shattered after my full on day on Saturday. I had breakfast at the apartment and spent far too long in the shower, and headed out at 9.45am. I was walking with purpose as I was heading for the Adrien Dubouche National Porcelain Museum, this museum holds the largest collection of ceramics in the world and I think that I photographed them all.

The Museum is situated on Place de Winston Churchill, which also is home to the bus station , which really is just a large amount of bus stops, and a car park. Oh Winston how the mighty have fallen.

A stunning building both inside and out with beautiful grounds.

First stop in the museum was the exhibition by Bernardaud, some beautiful pieces of which the above 'Al Dente' caught my eye. Made by Marco Mencacci who teaches all over the world. This vase has been made in various colours and designs over the last 20 years, when I googled it, they were selling at over £2000!!!!!

quickly scribbles this onto my Christmas list.

Some of the other highlights of my tour were to see that Wedgwood got a mention

 

 a chandelier made of ceramic ladles

some amazing stained glass windows 

 

And ceramics I would love to own.

I paid 7€ entrance fee, I arrived at 10.30am and they closed at 12.30pm for lunch, we were asked to leave but to return at 2pm, which I did and stayed until 3.30pm getting my ceramics fix.

After being  sent out for lunch, I wandered into the city centre to a square close to Galleries Lafyette. I ordered cafe gourmand as I was still full from breakfast. In truth I am trying as many as I can in as many places to see how what they serve.

This restaurant went up in my estimation due to the knives, if you know you know is all I am saying

I walked home along the banks of the Vienne, until I got to Pont St Etienne, I am staying on Rue Pont du St Etienne. I looked up at the 'Haute ville' the high town or medieval area I am staying in and realised that I was looking up at the same spot that I had looked down from the botanical gardens yesterday.

up

down.

Another strange thing I spotted today at Lycee Gay-Lussac, the clock is in roman numerals, but 4 is not IV on the clock but IIII. The clock at the train station has the same. 

The Lycee is a  stunning building which was opened in the 16th century and is Limoges oldest public school.

I cooked again at the apartment as I was shattered and also because the French were congregating  en mass in bars and restaurants in preparation for the rugby.

I opted for Netflix and a bottle of Vouvray.

And so my last day begins. 

Super Saturday

 

I was up and out by 8am, 7am UK time, and ready to take in as much of Limoges as I could.

First stop was  petite  dejeuner. I opted for croissant, espresso and orange juice, although some of the hardcore locals were on beer  and wine.

I then set off to walk  to the charity shop that I had found on the internet, sadly it was closed down, so any hopes of French linens were once again thwarted. However this  was quickly forgotten as I set off walking, and walking, and walking. I had clocked up 6k steps before I knew it. 

I also got drenched in a downpour but never one to be knocked back I soldiered on.

I am staying in what they call the medieval town, which is standing  high overlooking the river Vienne, with the cathedral at the top.

A trip into the botanical gardens, nxt to the Cathedral, made me realise how high up we are, although walking up and down the roads I did really know this and it  has seriously given me a much needed work out. today my legs, and derriere really are aching.

The gardens themselves are stunning, from the 'wild' area to the formal gardens. so beautiful

I then decided that having now got more steps under my belt it was time for lunch, so I wandered into the bountiful square in the medieval town, that now housed restaurants. Sitting outside as the sun had now come out, I watched the locals going about their Saturday business. It was very easy to imagine this in the medieval age with animals wandering around the cobbled streets and people going about their daily life.

And then lunch arrived 

A chilled rose with smoked salmon, avocado and quails eggs on toasted baguette. It was just perfect and exactly what I needed.

I followed this with cafe gourmand, wow, and wow again, it was exceptional. There was mini creme brulee, cheesecake, mango sorbet and hot chocolate volcano sponge.

I will be dong this when I get home

I wandered up to the Cathedral, which is a fabulous gothic building, breathtaking and also having work done on it in places. 

Stunning inside as well as out and the gargoyles were still doing their job well with the rain that kept falling.

I nipped back to the apartment and ended up having a nap for half an hour and then set off to catch the petit train tour.

This was my chance to see more of Limoges, it took an hour and it was brilliant, well worth the not too pricey price tag and seeing things that I may not have seen in my time here.

It  was funny driving though the streets on the mini train and being waved at from pavements and cars.

Hotel de Ville

Limoges Benedictins train station

This amazing station , which sadly my photo does not do justice to, is listed as an historical monument.it was built in a combination  the Art Nouveau and Art deco style and was built on a former Benedictine monastery and leprosy hospital. The clock tower is taller than that at the Gare de Lyon in Paris.

The station is also built above the tracks and not along side them.

Stunning building.

The tour ended where it started at the tourist office and I wandered round looking at the over priced pieces of mass produced porcelain, not what I wanted.

The one thing that I have found is that the people are very friendly, and smiles are always returned with smiles and a friendly 'bonjour'

Wearily I walked home, and decided that I was too tired to get changed and head out, so I would cook at home, and that I did after a glass of chilled cremant D'Alsace  and nibbles. Chicken cordon bleu with lambs lettuce, mini plum tomatoes and coleslaw, followed by chestnut mousse, it was very nice. sadly, not homemade, all shop bought but tasty just the same.

bed followed not long after that.

today is another day, I am just preparing my petite dejeuner and then will head out for more  exploring.

I wish you all a peaceful Sunday.

My heart is happy

 

So with just one month before the start of my 'big year' ( the year when I do something/go somewhere I haven't done/been before), I decided to lead into it by having a jaunt to Limoges ( somewhere I haven't been) and  take the opportunity to do some shopping and learn more about the porcelain for which the city is famous.

I have visited many parts of France over the years and never tire of the country, Paris I can take or leave,  because there are so many other wonderful places to visit in  this vast country.

As I got off the plane, I got that familiar feeling, the same one  I've had getting off the plane before in France, or driving my car off Le Shuttle or  the roro, the feeling of a happy heart.

I got a taxi from the airport to the 'old' city. I am in the old timber framed houses close to the Gothic cathedral , sound familiar, so very similar to Beauvais where I visited in July.

I have rented a studio for the long weekend that I am here  as I did in Beauvais, and it has not disappointed so far.

It had been a long day and I decided to find somewhere to eat and then hit the sack.

I walked 'down' the street and I mean down,  three days of up and down this and I will have buns of steel.

I crossed over Pont St Etienne and was just struck by thee beauty of the river and the autumnal colours, 

I got a pizza to take back to the apartment and then  just soaked up the late evening sun and  headed back up the 'road' , oxygen at the top would have been good. And I was in bed by 9pm, 8pm UK time I know how to live. to be honest several bottles of French beer may also have been to blame.

Lets see what today has in store for me.