18 March 2024

Windows at Brioude in Auvergne

One of the best gîte trips we've taken since moved to Saint-Aignan was a trip to the Auvergne in 2019 — five years ago. It was actually our third trip to the Auvergne region starting in 2009, and each time the gîtes were excellent and there was plenty to see all around the region. After those trips the pandemic began and our travels had to be curtailed.


One of the most amazing places we saw (and there were many) was the town of Brioude and its church, not far south of Clermont-Ferrand. According to the Michelin Green Guide for the Auvergne, the church there, le basilique Saint-Julien, is un chef-d'œuvre architectural that is a harmonieux mélange d'art roman et gothique, aux pierres polychrome, magnifié par des vitraux contemporains... Saint-Julien is the largest Romanesque church in all of the Auvergne region, with its population of approx. 1.5 million and area 26,000 km²(10,000 mi²). Saint-Julien was built in the 12th century and is worth the trip.


The windows in this post were put in at Saint-Julien in 2008. They replaced clear glass windows and made the church much more colorful and impressive. It's a place I would love to go back to. It's a three-hour drive from Saint-Aignan.

2 comments:

  1. Oh, my, aren't these wonderful!
    Ken, back to yesterday's discussion... now that you mention it, I remember that my parents used to get flounder back in NJ, pretty regularly. I haven't seen anything labeled as flounder in any grocery store here in St. Louis. Oh, and, yes! I learned about France's filet mignon being pork tenderloin, when my au pair family served it (with a yummy mustard-and-crème fraîche schmear) at a little dinner party, so I've always taught that to my students (none of whom probably remember that, but I did my part! Ha!)

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  2. I love these windows. A long time ago in England, we were ordering a fish dinner and the waitress said "cod or plaice". We had no idea what she meant by "place" and she just kept repeating herself to us.. I know to choose cod but the plaice is probably tasty too.

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