Holiday gites in Poitou-Charentes
Two lovely self catering cottages with a swimming pool in South West France
Clutch change on our Citroën DS23ie hire car
We do like our classic hire cars to be running perfectly for our guests. A programme of continuous maintenance is required but occasionally a larger job comes along!
On a recent drive we sensed that the clutch was slipping slightly on our semi-automatic Citroen DS23ie so we decided to explore further.
Easter with guests from Norway
Last Easter we had the pleasure of two families from Norway staying for a few days in both gîtes. The purpose of their visit: to spend four days driving each of our classic cars around the region.
2015 Calendar of Events in Charroux
Charroux is a small medieval town in the southern borders of Vienne, about 25 minutes drive from Vanzay. This ancient town is notable for the large 8th century Benedictine Abbaye du Saint Sauveur, whose lantern tower, known as the Charlemagne Tower built in the 11th century, has survived destruction over the centuries of wars. The Abbey’s main contribution to history was made in the 10th century when the Council of Charroux declared the “Truce of God”, the earliest known attempt to regulate war in the manner of the Geneva Convention.
Romanesque churches of medieval Melle
Melle is a busy small town about 25 minutes drive from Vanzay. Melle was founded in the reign of Charlemagne as a mining centre and was, for a time, the home of the French mint, although silver had been mined there by the Romans. By way of a celeb connection, it is said to be the home of Ségolène Royal, although I haven’t seen her at the Friday morning market! As part of a series of posts exploring the medieval history of Poitou-Charentes, we travel to Melle to visit two of its three Romanesque churches and to enjoy some lunch.
Exploring the medieval history of Poitou-Charentes
Poitou-Charentes has had a turbulent history that has left a rich cultural and architectural heritage. This heritage is best represented by the numerous churches, many of which are Romanesque and served pilgrims on the route to Santiago de Compostela. Over a series of posts, we report on visits to some of these churches in our region.
Holiday gites in Poitou-Charentes 
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