La Clayette

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This town deserves a post by itself with maybe a few extras thrown in. We stumbled upon it when detouring to find a coffee as we often do: in fact we stumbled two today. second five hour day drive in a row as we power towards Paris. again the stone work has a different style and it is wonderful to observe how well the people have utilised the natural stone from each area. John we might be changing our mind: we hear there is too much corruption in Italy and today we fell in love with this region of France AND the realestate is even cheaper than Italy. It seems all the rich are fleeing France and it is possible to buy a chateau for 400 000 euros or so, or a farmhouse for 35000 - a 'small farm' for 39 500! Our host tonight says wait 5 years to buy in France as it is about to go Greek! BUT......

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Photos

Chatilion: The town with the best cake shop
Mm - Frossombone?? Toss up - more taste tests required

Such neat stone work
It helps when you have good stone

Some more
First macaroons ever were tasted in shop near Cabris: these ones rival the best but we didn't buy any today

View of Chateau: closed to the public however
We have STILL not seen inside a chateau although we passed many today but had no time to spare: another visit required- next trip

Same
Loved this town

Landscape: typical countryside in Burgundy
Edge of Loire valley along Loire river

Abandoned mill
Ow what a sight in its former glory

La Clayette
Fort and chateau: owned by de Noblet family since 1722 after a series of ownership changes and the war with the lords of Burgundy.

Moat and keep built in the 1800s
Norman style that doesn't quite fit well with the medieval chateau

Farm for sale
Anyone?

Chaterole for sale
A bit bigger!

Drawbridge
The moat has captured the river which runs in and then once full overflows back into the river bed