The Secrets of Limousin
Dordogne, Limousin en Lot
Frankrijk
Gemmaboon
The Secrets of Limousin
Pompadour - City of Anglo Arab Horses
Our day started with a visit to the Jacques Chirac Museum in Sarran. A beautiful contemporary building designed by architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte and opened in 1998. The museum holds 5018 curious gifts from all over the world, presented to the former president on state visits. The temporary exhibition Bestiaux - un patrimoine Francais shows local farmers with their life stock. There is no better way to start a tour in the Limousin countryside.
Our next stop was the distillery Denoix, a family enterprise in Brive la Gaillarde. Denoix was founded in 1839 and did not change their price recipe ever since. The sweet and rich taste of the liqueur La Supreme Denoix comes from the juice of green nuts picked at the end of June and aged for five years in oak casks, Armagnac and sugar syrup cooked over a wood fire, which makes it unique.
The beautiful landscape around the Pompadour castle makes a tour to this part of Limousin worthwhile, even when you have no passion for horses or horse riding. The original castle was build in 1026, but was rebuild in the 15th century. The emperor Louis XV offered the castle to his mistress Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, called the Marquise de Pompadour.
Saint Léonard de Noblat
In the morning we visited the 'Moulin du got', a renovated paper mill and print manufactory. The mill offers the possibility to attend a workshop and make your own paper. A special workshop for children is organized in weekends and school holidays. Our guide showed us around in the mill and told us all about paper making in the old days.
The beautiful medieval city Saint Léonard used to be an important stop for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostella. Saint Léonard is the patron saint of prisoners and people in pain. When a pregnant woman touches the grave of the saint she can be sure to receive a beautiful baby, according to the local legend.
The Bernardaud Porcelain Manufacture offers visitors a unique view on the early 20th century production process of Porcelain. The famous porcelain from Limousin can be found in many famous restaurants world wide. When the factory moved to a bigger space outside of the city, the old factory was left as it was for visitors. The museum offers special tours and workshops for both children and adults. Visiting a porcelain museum with children, is that safe? Yes, it can be. The porcelain in the depot is meant to be used, the tour guide explained to us, and therefore it is ok if something breaks once in a while.
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