Taking the Back Roads Through the French Countryside: Briare

Mustard field in France

 

Mustard fields, or as I liked to call them since our trip is spent mostly in the car, "The Yellow Brick Road" are giving way to a different landscape. 

France is simply delightful. More than that it still makes me sit up and take notice time and time again. Disappointment isn't in the cards.

The scenery of the backroads is worth the extra time and miles. I have stopped writing down every little town I want to re visit because the list is ridiculously long already.

 

 

Green passage ways in France

 

"Yann, let's just drive around forever and ever, without purpose or direction." I sighed.

It took French Husband about three days to unwind. Yes, he is enjoying the back roads, but his mind was processing business, his phone kept ringing and he worried about his friend Thierry.

At last, as I hoped, he started to feel nature's healing gift.

 

 

French castle along the Loire River

 

A French castle along the Loire river. I so wanted to peek inside. It was a good thing Yann was driving otherwise I would have drove right up to the front door, and screamed: "OH MY GOD!"

 

French Castle View

 

Instead he slowly drove by as I clicked photos out the window… until I saw the moutons-sheep, I nearly jumped out of the car. Thankfully he stopped, after I begged, "I promise this is the last time."

We laughed at that exaggeration.

 

Storybook castle in France

 

A story book castle. 

My imagination was brimming. Certainly I will dream of this place many days to come.

 

Driving the back roads through France

 

French Husband wanted to see the aqueduct in Briare. 

The history of the Briare canal can be seen here (it is in French).

There is so much to see and do that it is impossible to take it all in. The Briare aqueduct was one of the few things to see on French Husband's list. 

 

Briare aqueduct

The Briare Aqueduct.

 

Briare Aqueduct, France Collage

"The aquaduct of the Canal latéral à la Loire over the Loire is a very remarkable construction. The Briare Aqueduct carries the Canal latéral à la Loire over the River Loire on its journey to the River Seine.

The aqueduct was inaugurated on 16 September 1896. Till 2003 it was the longest navigable aqueduct in the World until the opening of the Magdeburg Water Bridge.

The aqueduct is 662 metres long. The masonry abutments and piers were completed between 1890 and 1896 by Gustave Eiffel.

It is registered historic monument in France." via ROUTE YOU.com

 

Water color reflections

Watercolor reflections in the Loire river.

 

Tree's reflection in the water

 

Tree's reflection.

 

Reflection house in water

 

When I was with my friend Merisi in Venice, she was passionate about taken photos of reflections in the canals. While in Briare I found that same passion growing in me.

I felt the river was a large canvas… watercolors!

More to come… Thank you for following me on our road trip in France.

If you have any questions please ask, and I will do my best to answer you. I will list hotels, restaurants, roads later next week.

If you want to see more photos and tidbits follow me on Facebook.

 

 

 



Comments

26 responses to “Taking the Back Roads Through the French Countryside: Briare”

  1. Love, love, love the watercolor photos. More please.
    I’m glad that FH is finally able to relax and enjoy the journey. Safe travels!

  2. What a fantastic trip you are sharing with us. Corey, by your expressions, I am guessing that this is the first time you are in the Loire Valley. It is a very favorite place of ours..right next to Provence, Normandy..Paris….and on and on. sigh….

  3. Hi Susan,
    No, I have been here before,
    not to Briare,
    but the Loire.
    I do love it.
    Though like you I love it all.

  4. I am loving my vicarious vacation in France through your road trip posts. When we were driving through France last year I saw the mustard, lavender and poppy fields for the first time. Beautiful!!

  5. Corey how to tell the difference between mustard and colza???

  6. Evelyn H in NYC

    It is so wonderful sharing in your trip through France. Reminds me of my trip through France just a few short weeks ago, although we took the highway. Enjoy your journey.

  7. A very beautiful adventure. I would be dreaming of the castle and sheep too. Those back roads were what we saw a lot of when we traveled in France the last time. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

  8. Patti Lloyd

    The water reflections look so much like an Impressionist painting. I love that you see the world through artistic eyes..it’s the only way. I have sometimes done small watercolors on vacations and I felt like it was a way to “drink” my surroundings. Photo capturing is the same.

  9. Ooh, I have a question, is it too late to join you???? LOL Man oh man, how gorgeous. That castle…enough said…that castle. sigh

  10. Nancy W.

    Yes, nature gives us a healing gift but it is our gift to ourselves to indulge in it guilt free. May you both accept this trip as your due. N.

  11. Thank you… you’ve taken the pictures of our jaunts, the ones I was always too distracted, too absorbed by the moment, to take.
    How I love that part of the world… how I miss it. In 2011, we stayed at a chateau with a pile of friends; what a wonderful vacation. So many adventures, so much beauty to drink in.
    Forgot to buy a lottery ticket for tonight; must check last week’s.
    Thinking of Thierry; hope he is doing well.

  12. Thank you for taking us along on your road trip. The countryside is so beautiful.

  13. oh corey, jean-rod and i had a petite experience of this driving to toulouse on the back roads….could do it over and over again……living the dream..!! gorgeous pics on the fly..i tried ……!

  14. Kathie B

    What I like to do instead of jotting down the names of little towns, is just to snap a photo of the city-limits sign for each one. Since the photos are in order, this has the added benefit of identifying where the subsequent photos (until the next sign) were taken, or at least between which two towns! With digital photography there’s no worry about wasting film, either 😉

  15. The reflections are gorgeous as are your reflections!

  16. Love the water reflection photos – I never get tired of the innate beauty found here in France. Bonne route!

  17. LOVE the watercolors 🙂 and sheep ALWAYS make for beautiful landscape, n’est ce pas?

  18. Maps scattered about, no apps, radio on, be-bopping along, and listening to something that goes a little something like this…
    http://vimeo.com/7942520
    San Francisco has been adoring the french invasion of Phoenix..
    We love, love, love, them.

  19. I love road trips and discovering new things around each turn. Looking forward to more.

  20. LOve your response OMG and driving up to the front door!The sheep…………what a package.When I come to visit lets go and do drive up and say BON JOUR!

  21. Beautiful, thanks for sharing!!

  22. Brenda L. from TN.

    I love these little trips….thanks for sharing…I really feel as if I am there with you and Yann.

  23. Stop it! The more I read about and see what’s going on with your road trip the more I want to just jump on a plane and go to France. To travel the countryside without a plan sounds absolutely dreamy!
    Well, if I can’t physically see these beautiful sights (I’ll start saving my money for someday!) I’m glad I have you to show them to me. Thank you for sharing.

  24. Oh My Corey, make adequate thanksgiving unto God for sightseeing such a beautiful trip!

  25. I keep wondering what it must be like to get up each and every morning in Provence. To have that much beauty around you — every day — would just have to be incredible!

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