la Charite sur Loire, and exploring Sancerre

So here we are, at la Charite sur Loire. The trip from Nontron took about 5 hours, with a break, of course, for our mid-day meal en route.

Toll booth - normal on the motorway, but brilliant roads with little traffic

No sooner had we arrived in the Centre Ville than we were approached by our lovely hosts, who walked us the 20 meters or so to our new home. The spiral stone staircases were pretty daunting, and Paul started muttering about repacking all our clothes into little bags instead of hauling the big ones up. Sorry, darling, no chance.

It might look quaint, but it's a challenge!

We are 2 floors up in a 16th century building, next to the old catholic church (it's not a cathedral, if it was then this would be a city). After bidding farewell to our hosts, we unpacked the car and began the exhausting task of getting our luggage into the apartment. And then taking Paul's and mine the even narrower spiral staircase to our bedroom in the attic. It is absolutely beautiful and authentic, but if we'd known.....!!!!!

Our bedroom, it took 3 days to warm up.

So that was Saturday. Sunday morning Amelia and I climbed out of my bedroom, up a ladder, pushed open a steel cover, and emerged onto a TINY little terrace, from which we could hear the organ and singing from the church next door.

Up to the tower.

Neighbours - the bells ring every 1/4 hour, nice.

Stunning 360 degree views, nearly worth the climb. Time to explore the town, which was amazingly active. It seems everyone comes to church, great, and the few that don't, open their shops until noon. There's no figuring out the French! We walked down to the Loire River - we are right by an island in the middle so can only see half, but even that is powerful and somewhat flooded. 

The town is yet another example of stone buildings, pretty shutters, cobbled streets, etc etc, but somehow each village has its own character.

Today (Monday) we visited Sancerre - this village is famous because of its fierce loyalty to the Resistance movement during the 2nd world war. The Germans surrounded the town and announced that every week they would shoot either a man, woman or child, until the villagers surrendered up their resistance members. 50 weeks passed, 50 villagers were shot, and no-one admitted a word. Wow. There is a statue of a woman and child, the only war statues of non-males in France. That sobering news being said, today it is of course a gorgeous village on top of a hill. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch (dinner) at a local restaurant (with a very nice local red), then followed a walking trail through the town.

View over the Loire from Sancerre

Sancerre

Sancerre

The history is amazing and humbling, reminding us yet again of how new NZ is.

Lounge/dining room (note the rather large chandelier!)

Back up to our apartment, where we have had the heat pumps on for 3 days, and the 2 foot thick walls are just starting to warm up so our toes can thaw. The weather is growing chillier, and wouldn't you know it, the forecast is for snow on Saturday, but we leave for Paris on Friday! Grrrrr. And apparently the snow is waist deep in Yorkshire where we spent Christmas! Not fair!!!!! But seriously, we are incredibly grateful for all our blessings to date, and have made the most of every minute.