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Published: December 18th 2016
Woolly says – With Zoe in disgrace and having abandoned her at the airport..... She wasn’t in disgrace or abandoned, merely going back to the UK for a pre Christmas visit..... I’ve told you a million times not to eggagerte! Woolly says - ...... well at least I’d have a quiet week and with another male to ensure that Jo is kept in her place to boot! A new volunteer had been collected from the train station and as Enzo a rather pleasant Italian settled into the farm work I sat planning an outing for him on our next day off. The planning also gave me time to write my twenty seventh letter to the man in red to make sure that everything I had ordered so far would be arriving on Christmas Day. He seems to think that Father Christmas is now a new amazon store that he can just order anything that springs into his mind! Woolly says - The morning was glorious and as we set off for our day out I bounced happily on and off the dash board before Jo became her usual bossy self and told me to stop! It wasn’t my fault that one particularly high bounce had landed me on the steering wheel, she needs to ask Santa for a sense of humour for her present! The town of Aubeterre-sur-Dronne has been officially listed as "One of the most beautiful villages in France," since 1993. On the hill overlooking the town the lords of Aubeterre erected a castle in the 12th century. Over the next few centuries a variety of Viscounts and Earls ruled over the small town until 1346, during the Hundred Years War, when the Earl of Derby took over the command post. My bestest friend Sion lives in Derby, I wonder he knows the Earl? Having passed between the French and the English for many years the castle was remodelled in the early sixteen hundreds to it’s present dimensions. As we pulled into the car park I could see the ruined fortress but it appeared that trips around it were no longer allowed, disappointed but undeterred I Ied Jo and Enzo into the pretty town square where there just happened to be a café, open, with biscuits! Well breakfast had been at least half
an hour ago so it seemed only right to sit and enjoy the town over a few crumbs whilst planning our route around.
A few crumbs turned into seven biscuits and as I caught him sneaking another three into my bag I thought it might be a good idea to commence the sightseeing. Woolly says – Through the narrow lanes I padded admiring the views at strategic points as I went, as the church tower of the Church of Saint-Jacques a 12th century building appeared, at first sight it seemed to have nothing of great interest to look at, until I had rushed to the front where I was greeted by an imposing Saintonge Romanesque facade which had been beautifully carved from sandstone. Having admired the work I tried pushing the door to find that it wouldn’t move, I then tried several well aimed kicks which didn’t seem to have any affect either, Enzo lent a hand with breaking down the wooden barricade and as he pushed I found myself falling into the inside of the building as the door suddenly gave way, ignoring Jo’s snort of laughter, I checked for breakages and finding that I was completely intact if a little dusty I gazed at the sober interior. High above my head the exposed beams gave a beautiful finish to the structure as light flooded through the large bay in which a modern stained glass window had been installed in 1970. A nice traditional unadorned church which was rather sweet for it’s lack of grandeur. Having wandered down the aisle I directed my tour group back through the town and towards what I considered would be the highlight of the day. Rushing up the steps I came to a skidding halt at the bars that stopped my entrance, I considered trying to squeeze through but found that the seventh biscuit had added a little to my waist line!
I could see his face dropping and as we gazed at a sign pinned to the bars and we checked our watches it seemed that although it should be open that the fates were against us. Woolly says – I stamped my paws and decided that even if we couldn’t enter then my party would still have my expert knowledge on the Subterranean monolithic church of Saint-Jean which is an underground church carved into a cliff overlooking the Dronne in the 7th century and then greatly enlarged in the 12th century by a community of Benedictine monks. Just as I was getting into my stride on my commentary a lady appeared from a nearby door asking if we wanted to enter, of course we do I shouted why would we be here otherwise!
Having clamped my small friends mouth shut before he cold insult the women and possibly jeopardise the opportunity to enter, I nodded eagerly and handed over a ten euro note for the visit. Woolly says – Holy Moley was it impressive, the damp cave rose fifteen metres above my head. A huge imposing stone reliquary a masterpiece of Romanesque art stood to the right and as I dashed to the left I was confronted by what appeared to a large burial chamber, Jo had the audio guide clutched to her ear and was able to confirm that it was a seventh century, eighty place medieval sarcophagi, amazing, although it did make me wonder where all the bodies were now given that there were none on display. Having found some stone steps I jumped up each on, which allowed me to peer down from the heights and give an even greater understanding of how hugemunous the church was. Making our way back into the daylight I was delighted to find the steps leading into a crypt, bouncing down the steps I found myself in a small enclosed area that had only been discovered in 1963 when a lorry reversed into a tree outside and ended up sinking into the top of the crypt itself. With it’s Roman columns and small nave the township must have been delighted with this extra find.
Well satisfied with our mornings excursions we walked through the pretty lanes passing pottery shops and boutiques as we looked for the car park. Woolly says – I sighed in contentment as I plonked myself back on the dashboard and we set off towards the town of Riberac. With the sun warming my fur and my eyes starting to close, I was jolted rudely to my senses as the car suddenly stopped and the adults jumped out. What’s happened? Where are we going? I cried only to be ignored. I hurried after them to be greeted with the most wonderful of Christmassy scenes displaying Snow White, the dwarves and a herd of reindeer, delightful indeed, glancing round I rushed over to another scene of Santa and his sleigh which was equally lovely. Spying a sign I galloped round a corner and came upon two rather cute polar bears, a town montage and a whole waddle of penguins ably supported by some rather cute walrus’s. What a gem of a find, having had the necessary photo’s taken I puffed happily as we continued our journey, today just couldn’t get better.
But it did! Woolly say - as we entered the town of Riberac, I was overjoyed to see a Christmas market in session and even better the car was slowing down and pulling into a parking place. The stalls were full of pretty present ideas, jewellery items and homemade crafts, a chocolate stall presented itself with samples laid out in front of me, well it would have been rude not to try! Jo tucked in as well until I saw her face blanche and she started dragging tissues from her bag, thinking that it seemed rather sudden for a cold to come on , I helped her out by finishing the sample she had just bitten into..... the penny dropped and I looked anxiously at my rather annoying carer knowing that coconut was the worst thing she could have and the day could take a turn for the worse if it involved an allergic reaction and a trip to A and E.
Luckily I had not ingested any and having made very unladylike spitting noises into a variety of tissues and swilled my mouth out all appeared to be remaining normal and not swelling up! Woolly says – as the relief flooded over me, I was happy to take up Enzo’s suggestion of some mulled wine and chestnuts, well it would be rude not to! We sat in the warming winter sunshine sipping and slurping as I considered that we were now only a couple of weeks away from a brand new adventure and the search for land in another country, where would 2017 take me? ...... would they let me take my ten tonnes of pistachios on a flight, maybe I had better drop Father Christmas a quick letter and revise my order!
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taracloud
Tara Cloud
Fabulous churches!
I love these wild, little carvings on Romanesque churches--what imagination! And that huge, subterranean, monolithic church--what a find! Sounds as if your time on the farm, and the great days off have been wonderful!