I was looking at my vault and could not find a picture but I know I rode by here in my road warrior mode several times in the past. I wanted to bring to life some of my memories with the help of my travel library , diaries, can tell you a bit on the Landes in my black and white series, no pictures. Hope you enjoy it as I.
Entre Deux Mers or between two seas in the north, you have the Dordogne river, and in the south you have the Garonne river, coiled between their arms the Entre Deux Mers, A wonderful area with good price/quality wines of Bordeaux. The particularity of the AOC Entre Deux Mers , the wines must be blended wines, with therefore, two white grape varieties used as minimum,Their distribution depends on the will of each winegrower … from these different combinations will arise diversity. The grapes used are the Sauvignon, that makes it possible to obtain more lively wines, with powerful aromas and brings to the nose very fresh scents of citrus fruits, grapefruit, passion fruit, underlined by those of wild plants such as acadia flower, broom, boxwood etc, Muscadelle , floral and fruity, it contributes to the complexity of the wines of the Appellation. Sémillon offers notes of spring flowers, white and yellow fruits, pears, white peaches, as well as suppleness and roundness in the mouth. Young, it is subtly discreet to better reveal itself and express all its aromas as it ages. Sauvignon Gris can also be used in the blend, giving aromas of exotic fruits and fatness to the wine. The Entre Deux Mers area tourist office : https://www.entredeuxmers.com/
I take you by the town of Langon,and the near Château de Malromé 14C built by the Count of Bearn last home of the painter Toulouse-Lautrec who died at the age of 37, The painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, a great lover of wine , he had Malromé wine delivered to his home in Paris ! Webpage : https://www.malrome.com/histoire-savoir-faire-histoire/
See the wonderful Château Cadillac (car got its name) ,At Saint Macaire ,and the place du Mercadiou align with houses in arcades from the renaissance,also, La Réole half-timbered building and 18C mansions, webpage Cadillac: https://www.chateau-cadillac.fr/en/
Webpage Saint Macaire : https://saintmacaire.fr/patrimoine-saint-macaire/
Bordered by the Guyenne river to Monségur perched on a promontory above the Dropt, bastide right-angled street, half-timbered and ribbed houses, the new City hall in glass and cast iron from 19C, webpage : https://www.mairie.monsegur.eu/un-peu-dhistoire/
In the valley of the Dropt ,see the Abbey Saint Ferme built in the 11C ; you can still see the cloister of the vaulted rooms and in the church of the Romanesque capitals of great finesse, webpage : https://www.entredeuxmers.com/offre/abbaye-de-saint-ferme/
The very nice Saint Sever ! We rode and then walk several years back, The town is on a promontory above the Adour river at the crossroads of the Landes, a strategic city in the Middle Ages, an important stage on the paths of Saint James (Santiago de Compostela), The walk begins around the Place du Tour du Sol lined with monastic buildings and 18C mansions. , The same on the aristocratic facades of the place de Verdun and the rue du Général Lamarque with pilasters Ionic capitals volute of wrought iron friezes and modillions, The most beautiful residence almost a castle is at no 11, the monogram M.L. on the gate recalls that it was built in 1810 by General and Count Maximien Lamarque, soldier of Bonaparte, Republican Deputy of the Landes and child of the country, The neighboring the Convent of the Jacobins in pink brick built in the 17C in the Languedoc Roman style on the ruins of a first monastery partly destroyed by the Huguenots (protestants), a vestige of the 13C the single-aisled church has an impressive frame in broken barrel, first floor the museum lapidary collection of Gallo Roman remains from the town of Augreilh and a slide show showing the Apocalypse of Saint Sever manuscript of the 11C, By the rue du Général Durrieu beautiful private mansions in particular the n° 2 and imposing buildings of a former convent become the City/town hall, By the rue du Touron in front of the church which leads you to the picturesque Porte de Poussoles gate, see vestige of the medieval enclosure of the 14C, You still have to cross the avenue du Général de Gaulle road that connects Mont-de Marsan to Orthez, the hill of Morlanne the original site of the city occupied from the 1C BC by a Roman oppidum , The panorama on the Adour valley justifies the site visit, It keeps the imprente of two castle mounds only vestiges of a fortified castle which adjoin the arenas and the statue of General Lamarque, webpage : https://www.saint-sever.fr/Histoire-et-Patrimoine/Les-monuments
From Saint Sever go to Pimbo old bastide of the Landes, since it is whispered that Charlemagne returning from Spain would be at the origin of the foundation of an old Benedictine monastery Sainte Marie de Pendulo remodeled in 11C and 12C , The collegiate church dedicated to Saint Barthélemy much suffered from the abuses of the Huguenots of Montgomery in 1569, Today remains attractive with its apse in the bottom of the oven and its two apsidioles which are strictly Cistercian, Its wall bell tower pierced by two openings recalls fortifications against the madness of men, The portal is decorated with characters depicting the seven deadly sins, Inside a great sobriety, Pimbo is a stage on the way to Saint Jmes, webpage : https://www.landes-chalosse.com/en/for-lovers-of-history-and-heritage/bastide-de-pimbo-3255180
In Sorde, on the site of a Gallo Roman town, the first Benedictine church was built in the 10C, destroyed during the war of religions, the monastic building was rebuilt by the congregation of Saint Mau in the 17C, Only the church keeps memories of the Romanesque period, Inside the choir is paved with a superb 11C mosaic representing, among other things, felines, Also on the way to Saint James, In front of it, an island all planted with kiwis as Sorde is one of the first centers of production in France, webpage : https://www.abbaye-sorde.fr/en/discover-the-abbey/over-1000-years-of-history.html
To the west crosses Arthous, founded 12C by the order of Premonstratensians, the Abbey of Arthous which remains their property until the French revolution, it now houses the departmental heritage center of the Landes with an interactive museum on the country d’Orthe ,a research center ,and a place of accommodation for pilgrims, The abbey built in 1167 with the church hesitates between the Romanesque and a Gothic styles, it now hosts exhibitions, webpage : https://www.landes-holidays.com/patrimoine-culturel/abbaye-darthous-pcuaqu04001qbhra/
Between Vert and Labrit on the road D57, you will pass by the site of the former castle of Albret, the ancestors of Henri IV in wood and earth, only the memory and the vestiges of the feudal motte of the 12C remain. Webpage : http://www.chateau-fort-manoir-chateau.eu/chateaux-landes-chateau-a-labrit-chateau-de-terre.html
Of course, I had to stop by and sadly cannot find pictures yikes ! You need to see the Alfred Longuefosse arena in Pouillon to understand the Course Landaise! The cow or the Landaise in reality ,has been Iberian since the end of the 19C its life is more pleasant since there are no banderillas or killings, The principle of the Course Landaise race consists of challenging the cow and dodging a feint or a jump by a gap, A real sport with around 400 races per year, a ranking of the best jumpers and spreaders, a French championship and notations which judge the quality of the tricks and the difficulties presented by the animal , The races are from March to October, Bullfights and course Landaise races have a common ancestor, the bullfighting games present in the Landes of the Middle Ages and whose origin dates back to ancient Crete, In 1853 the first Spanish bullfight took place in Saint Esprit , half a century later, the landaise race separates from Spanish bullfighting to follow its own rules, govern by a national federation founded in 1953.
A bit to understand it better, you have the Cordier, he holds the cow in its tracks thanks to a rope attached to the most dangerous horn, The Coursiére cow engaged in a race there are ten per race, the Cuadrilla, team of licenses with the federation, each has six or seven spreaders one or two jumpers, two trainers ,and a roper, the Spreader main character of the race he provokes the cow and dodges it at the last moment, by practicing the feigned gap or the gap on the jump, The Trainer dressed in white he must correctly place the cow in the arena in relation to the spreader, The L’Escalot general classification of spreaders and jumpers during the season, The La Ganaderia (livestock) , herd of Landaise cows engaged in racing, The Sauteur a gymnast who does the angel jump, the somersault, the twisted somersault, or a jump with his feet in a beret, his legs tied by a tie, ok you got it !
The local Orthe Arrigan tourist office on Pouillon : https://www.tourisme-orthe-arrigans.fr/decouvrir/le-pays-dorthe-et-arrigans/commune/pouillon.html
The official Fédération Française de la Course Landaise: http://www.courselandaise.fr/la-course-landaise/
There you go folks, a wonderful area of the Landes of my belle France that this road warrior have criss cross several times last was around 2017 and unfortunately again cannot find pictures ! Rather, have it in my blog for the memories of always and pictures eventually.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 