That Day In Pictures - 157 Villages

 About this time last year we were in France, south and central France, for three weeks.  We chose five areas to explore and chose a hotel ahead of time in each one that would be our travel headquarters.  And other than where we would be staying, we made no plans of exactly where we would go (except for Grasse; I had specific perfume factories/houses to visit!).  The second day in our first area, in a village outside of Lyon, the hotel clerk mentioned that we might want to visit the town of Charroux which she said was very beautiful, in fact, she said it had been designated as one of the most beautiful villages in France, officially.  I never planned that I would blog about that particular journey to find that village, but the picture above documents that we stopped in a town and bought sandwiches before setting out and I just wanted to remember that sandwich - it was so delicious!  Chewy bread with a fabulous crumb, tender chicken, tomatoes, lettuce, and a mayo based spread with fresh herbs.  And the map of course, with hand written notes around towns we had already seen.  When we arrived in Charroux, we noticed a little sign right outside the village that looked just like this and we were surprised to see that written right on it was just what the clerk told us; one of the most beautiful villages in France.  We decided we had to learn more about that sign later in the day.  The village blew us away.

What we learned later that day was this:  there are 157 villages in France that have that official designation by a department/association within the French government and a village has to apply for that status under certain requirements.  Meeting those requirements and being designated as such allows the town to remain viable, protected and developed a bit, not as a tourist attraction or living museum, but rather a viable place to live instead of becoming another decaying and crumbling ghost town.  The official designation alone puts it on the map as a place to be sought out and appreciated; commerce results or increases and a piece of french heritage is preserved.  Some of the criteria - no more than 2,000 inhabitants, at least 2 protected sites or monuments, proof of mass support (town plan), etc.  We were so impressed by Charroux and all its charms that we ended up planning our entire three week trip seeking out as many of those towns we could find in the five areas we stayed.  And as we searched for them with our many little maps, we saw so much of the French countryside and other towns along each journey and I felt we really got to know a chunk of that country.  So gloriously beautiful and tidy.   I think we ended up finding around 35 which was quite a feat because they were strung all over the place and most seemed to be way up in the mountains - many began as towns built up high within walls to be able to view approaching enemies centuries ago.  I think that all were built of stone.  They were so incredible and distinct and the anticipation we felt as we approached each new village was akin to opening a present - we had no idea what we would find.  And every one of the villages we found had the sign right outside the town line with its special designation.  What a fabulous way to preserve these amazing areas and keep people and commerce therein while protecting its integrity.

One thing I do any time I visit a place that I find really charming like these villages is I imagine myself living there and choose which house I would live in and conjure up my living - so much scope for the imagination as Anne Shirley would say!