Monday, July 22, 2013

Travels in France: Saint Emilion and Cognac


Saint Emilion

Bonjour mes amis.  Greetings as I continue my sojourn through France.  I spent yesterday morning in the quaint wine-growing town of Saint.Emilion  Saint Emilion, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located 35 kilometres (21.7 miles) east of Bordeaux.  This village can only be described as a jewel.  Its history can be traced back to prehistoric times.  There are wonderful Romanesque churches and amazing ruins. Here are some photos I took.























COGNAC    
                                      
In the afternoon, I visited the town of Cognac and toured the medieval castle of Jean-Baptiste Antoine Otand. Baron Otand established a French cognac house in 1795 and the company has since remained in the hands of the same family since.

Chateau de Cognac is birthplace of King Francis I of France who was born there on September 12, 1494.  Cognac, of course, lends its name to a variety of brandy produced in the wine-growing region surrounding the town.




























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A section of the castle served as a prison during wars.  The prisoners carved their names and various images on the on the limestone as you can  see in the photo below. 







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- Joanne