Beautiful French Villages

If it makes you feel better, same here in the south! AND a window in my classroom is broken and won’t close so been cold all day!! :rofl:

Cold and rainy in Albi, lit the wood burner earlier - first fire of the season.

Most of the vineyards are now bio thankfully

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Following on…
One of the most remarkable things that rests in my memory of St Emillon and the surrounding areas was the lack of wildlife though there was plenty of chasse signs, apart from the the old pigeon flying over I can’t recall seeing any birds or much of anything else, monoculture ???

but there are beautiful villages all over France… as shown in the various links…
so where are you ???

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Individual villages apply… they are inspected, have to meet certain criteria re buildings etc and be less than 2000 inhabitants… If they are deemed to meet all the necessary… then they can adhere just like any other “club”…

Interesting stuff.

My departement, the Aveyron has 10 plus beaux villages, Plus Beaux Villages de France en Aveyon | Tourisme Aveyron (tourisme-aveyron.com) but many of my favourites are just ove rthe border with the Lot- Capdenac le Haut is the nearest https://tinyurl.com/yzkpazk8, but also St Cirque de Popie https://tinyurl.com/2xjs9etw and Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val — Wikipédia

They all have good restos and one big vide grenier / brocante every year and St Antonin was the setting for the Helen Mirren feel good foodie movie, The Hundred Foot Journey The The Hundred Foot Journey - Google Suche Their Sunday market didn’t need any embellishment for the movie.

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Completely agree - finding a car parking space is also less stressful during those times too :grin:

My home town (in the Var) is unbearable in summer :cry:

The old part of Hyeres is quite nice Vero.

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I agree completely Peter. I would also add the bastides of Najac, Sauveterre-en-Rouergue, a lovely place, and the tiny La Bastide-l’Évêque.

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Both Sauveterre and Najac are listed on the Site…


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This is an interactive map on the official Site…
shows the spread of the Villages taking part in this Tourism scheme

It is indeed, @Peter_Bird :cry: I understand that Bayeux was spared because of a particular shared history but most other towns and villages were almost completely destroyed apart from the odd building. Places like Vire are very upsetting…

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Manche @Stella . Culturally fascinating but something of an architectural desert unless you are into concrete :smiley:

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Interesting about Bayeux. In the 70 s I lived close to Caen in a village completely flattened by the British. In fact, the whole area was flattened so literally every building it seems within a large radius of Caen is post-war. I also lived a few months in the only part of Caen which survived the bombing, St Sauveur. It was brilliant living and socializing in those few streets which could rekindle pre war days. Needless to say it was also the red light area which added to the ‘charm’ !

Sorry Stella, missed them.
Najac is lovely as is Sauveterre despite them being completely different in style. There is so much to see in the Aveyron.

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For me… France offers “something” in every one of its nooks and crannies… :+1: :+1:

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Looking at the maps etc, it seems that a lot of travelling may be necessary!