Sun 22 May - At home

We’ve now been in Semur for a week and are starting to feel like locals – the barman at the bar we have been frequenting to use their wifi even knows our drinks which feels very much like Oxford St.

Today has been a quiet day around the village starting off by Jan insisting that we do a 60 minute circuit to offset the last week’s wine and food. First off were 3 circuits of the 136 steps from the river up to the top of the ramparts followed by TRX, fit-ball and stretchy band exercises. We both felt very righteous after this is it was time to walk to the village to get supplies from the street market and have coffee at the bar.

This afternoon has been spent getting washing done at the local laverie before heading up to the bar to publish the last 3 day’s blogs. We’d hoped to get them done last night but got back from Beaune too late.

Our village, Semur en Auxious, dates back to the Middle Ages. During the 7^th century Charlemagne presented the castle to the monks of Saint Maurice en Valais who kept it up till the French Revolution, i.e. nearly 1000 years. Semur became the strong point of the duchy in the 14^th century when the citadel was reinforced by ramparts and 18 towers. The town was divided into 3 parts each with a perimeter wall. Occupying the whole north width of the rock spur and towering above all else was the keep, a citadel in itself and reputedly impregnable. It had a sheer drop both to the north and south to the Armancon River (which our cottage is on the banks of) and was flanked by four enormous round towers, the Tour de l’Orle d’Or, the Tour de la Gehenne, the Tour de la Prison and the Tour Margot. You will have seen these towers and the village gates in some of the photos we have posted on the blog.

It has been wonderful to live in a medieval village and to be able to walk through the rambling lanes and avenues bordered by lovely examples of medieval architecture (Jan has started looking in real estate magazines so watch this space !!).