We are staying in Ande, a village in Normandy, 100 km downstream from Paris, on a loop of the Seine. It’s a small, sleepy village that is not on the tourist trail. Staying in a converted barn we feel as if we live here, rather than just staying here. It’s our third time here in a year so we are getting to know it well.

The barn we are staying in was originally the studio for the Russian painter Vladimir Bougrine. He has been associated with the village since the 1970′s because of the Moulin d’Ande. The mill was probably constructed at the end of the XIIth century. It is the last known example of a “moulin pendant” and is classified as a historic monument with its pulleys, millstones, wallowers and screw jacks. The Moulin d’Andé was in its original state when Suzanne Lipinska went to live there in 1957 and decided to develop its cultural potential by opening it up to artists and intellectuals whose personal and creative endeavours would flourish, far from the stir of Paris.

The village has a special feel because of the Mill and because of the shut in feeling you get in French villages, particularly here. Many of the buildings are old, often converted barns or improved farmhouses built around courtyards with high enclosing walls and solid gates. You see nothing beyond the walls. You can, however, hear the many dogs barking. The french have an obsession with security resulting in fiercesome dogs on the loose behind the gates along the street. It can be unpleasant to walk around the village.

There are, however, benefits to living here:

1. Croissants

Fresh croissants in the morning, so french and an amazing start to the day. I get up early and pop down to the shop for them. Unfortunately there is not a local baker to enjoy. The delights of a french ‘Boulangerie Patisserie’ is the main reason for loving France. Sneaking a ‘Pain au Chocolat’ warm from the oven on the way back to the house with breakfast is a delight not easily surpassed.

2. Wine

This is France, one of the greatest wine countries in the world! Although California now produces great wine, there is a different quality to the plentiful, cheap wine sold in supermarkets here. It seems so natural to drink it with every meal.

3. Walks

There are beautiful country walks out of the village, through the fields and down by the church. There is a particularly lovely walk along the opposite bank of the river past the weekend houses of the well-off Bourgoisie from Paris.

4. Peace

Despite the dogs it is very quiet and peaceful here. Most of the time there seems to be no-one around, but I think that is true of most of rural France. France has the lowest population density of any country in Western Europe and that is particularly evident in rural areas.

5. Views

There are some stunning views along the valley carved by the River Seine. The river has cut deeply into the chalk plateau in great loops leaving exposed cliffs and old cut off loops of the river. (If I remember my geography correctly there are called ox-bow lakes!)

6. Unspoilt Buildings

Like much of France, most of the old buildings appear to be unspoilt. This partly because the layers of French Bureaucracy involved in getting a ‘Permis de Construire’. Even painting a house can be a nightmare, as you can see from the number of unpainted houses around. It also helps that young french people prefer to live in new houses, leaving the old ones to rot and be bought by the English abroad.

7. Galettes & Crepes

In the local town Louviers, there is a lovely little restaurant that serves galettes and crepes. Galette are savoury pancakes made with buckwheat with fried eggs, cheese and other delights. Crepes are more delicate wheat pancakes with sweet fillings such a bananas, chocolate, cream, strawberries and so on. Mmmmm, delicious.

8. Cathedrals

There are many within a day’s drive, including Rouen, Beauvais, Amiens, and the greatest of them all, Chartes. One of the greatest achievements in the history of architecture, Chartres Cathedral is almost perfectly preserved in its original medieval design, from its famed portal sculptures to glowing stained glass. (You may have noticed from my posts that I love cathedrals!)

9. Paris

It’s close enough to visit, but far enough away to be thought of as distant!

10. Local Events

Great events such as ‘Le Cochon Grille’ as part of ‘La Fete du Village’, ‘Jazz Sixties’ a free afternoon’s music in the local church and a historic walk around the village complete with motorcyle gathering and a parade of ‘vehicules militaire’. A couple of houses down there is an art gallery with exhibitions of local artists. Lastly there are regular musical events at the Moulin complete with aperitif and dinner.

I would be interested to know if anyone else has visited here? Let me know in the comments!

Cheta and I took a couple of days out in Paris to explore and discover. We had both been to Paris before a number of times, but this was our first time together. It felt like an important step to take in our relationship, can we enjoy all that the city has to offer and enjoy each others company?

We drove down from Belgium and visited Waterloo and the Somme on the way. We parked in Beauvais and got the train into Gare du Nord. This is a big, raucous station that is made worse by construction and soup kitchens. We got a taxi to our hotel near Place de Clichy after suffering the cigarette smokers in the queue. Note: next time just get the Metro, it’s probably quicker.

Our hotel was a great little two star, Hotel Beausejour Montmatre, well worth a stay. Round the corner was life and cafes, in the hotel was a garden and silence, what a combination. We started round the corner at a cafe with a pastis, life as it should be led in Paris.

Next morning it’s the start of our 2 day walking/metro tour. It’s idiosyncratic but deep in the heart of the city. In brief this is what we did:

1. Sacre Coeur, Montmartre

This is a great place to start the tour. A fabulous view over most of Paris, particularly in the sunshine, and a feeling of how it used to be in Montmartre. I know it’s just a tourist trap now but you can use your imagination. The inside of the church is not really worth the time, it’s new and fairly uninteresting. But what a fabulous exterior.

2. Pantheon

I had hoped to see the wonderful effects of sunlight in the interior… but that turns out to be the Pantheon in Rome! A beautiful exterior in amongst the buildings of the Sorbonne but a dull building inside. It just shows you that you can’t make a secular mausoleum interesting, a church has more life about it!!

3. Jardin du Luxembourg

Walking distance from the Pantheon and a great resting place on a hot afternoon. The place is full of Parisiens lounging around on chairs, eating, drinking and smoking. They know how to enjoy the outdoors. On the way here we passed an Air France shop and witnessed scuffles in the queue as people tried to get in to book flights during this volcanoed, flightless weekend.

4. Tour Eiffel

An essential visit even just to experience the scale of it. We didn’t go up it, just marvelled at it. We dodged the Serbian beggars and the North African souvenir sellers and retired to gardens in the Champ de Mars as the sun fell in the sky. We were surrounded by people lying in the grass waiting. Then the lights came on closely followed by the sparkles. It was magic and from the noticeable reaction from the crowd, that was what they were there for too. An essential visit at sunset.

5. Institut du Monde Arabe

This is the most magical building in Paris, a modern marvel that shows what you can do successfully with modern architecture. It looks harmless from the outside but has an amazing view from its roof terrace of Notre Dame and the Ile de la Cite. Inside it is a meccano lovers dream. You walk amongst the structure and marvel at the wall of irises shielding the contents from the sun. It takes its heart from traditional arabic architecture and makes it exciting.

6. Left Bank

You walk along the Rive Gauche on your way to Notre Dame. There are the bookstalls or there is just the river bank to enjoy and relax on. Much of the enjoyment of the city is the ability to relax in it, take in your surroundings and just be. We stopped and ate on a boat in the river under the eyes of Notre Dame.

7. Notre Dame

Another must-see in Paris. In this case it is the inside that is stunning. Like us go inside and sit, for a long time. Absorb the energy of the building and the millions of people who have gone before you. Relax and soak it up. There is something magical about the inside of a great gothic cathedral. The fusion of architecture and light create a numinous atmosphere which cannot be matched. Sit and feel your place in the order of things and love it. Feel your aconnection with the Universe and everything in it. Love it.

8. Centre Pompidou

“And now for something completely different!” The way this building sticks its arse out at the world is, for me, an insult. Architecture should be intellectual like this, it should have some regard for its form. The building is ugly and impossible to love. The square is great, despite the building. Go and see the Museum of Modern Art in Barcelona. That too has a great square but with a modern building that has some class. I have not been inside Pompidou, maybe that works…

9. Moulin Rouge

We both love the theatre and a visit to the Moulin Rouge is essential. The place is really tacky and the show is, well what can I say… its tacky too. But here you can see the roots of ‘Prisiclla, Queen of the Desert’ and ‘Cirque du Soleil’. Drag Queens put more fun into it and CdS is just magnificant. Nevertheless MR has a charm and lots of bare tits, go and and see them, they are good!

10. Metro

The Paris Metro is great, on a par with the London Underground. There are bouncy trains on tires, old rickety trains and modern plush ones. You can go where you want, we kept going to Stalingrad, reminders of napoleon and failure, typically french.

Punctuating the trip were numerous visits to cafes for food, drink and atmosphere. They are critical to your enjoyment.

Cheta has also written on this trip see ‘All’s Quiet in Paris‘.