Brancion

For 200 euros you can buy a hotel for insects!

To enjoy views of the surrounding landscape, Brancion is best seen on a clear day, but we had run out of days for Mimi, so in a light rain and with Marie-Annick for company, off we went. 

And these are insect hotels!

Brancion was one of the main fortified places in south Burgundy during medieval times. People who live and work there can drive into the little village, but visitors have to park outside the walls.

We walked into the village through this archway. Mimi and Marie-Annick walked across the top of it to reach the chateau.

We headed to the ticket office for visiting the chateau. I started the conversation in French and then asked Marie-Annick to take over. She began by speaking in English! We had a good laugh about that. 

Apparently the person making insect hotels was into metal garden sculptures as well.

I climbed around this chateau three years ago and those pictures are on my first blog at balloublog72.blogspot.com if you are interested. It’s fascinating, but I only wandered around the village for this visit.

Another sculpture against the far house wall didn't impress me.

The covered market, an open space for vendors constructed in the 16th century, is built where the hill rises so you can walk in easily at the lower end, but feel like ducking a little when climbing the few steps to exit at the upper end.

This house looks down on the covered market. I sat on the wall to just revel in the reds.

Step around the corner of the covered market and look back to see the little restaurant on the left, part of the chateau behind that, and the ticket office on the right in front of the stone wall. There is construction material above the wall because the chateau and other buildings in this village are slowly being renovated.

There is a white sign next to the building where tickets are sold.

When Mimi and Marie-Annick finished their tour of the chateau, we walked further up the hill to see the church. There were people inside renovating the frescoes and Marie-Annick suddenly realized one gal was a relative she had wanted to contact! While they were talking, Mimi and I took pictures of the landscape below and beyond.

Next to the church was a garden with raised beds set up the way a formal garden might be organized. It also included an insect dwelling. Somehow I have trouble believing that insects need help finding places to live.

I also wandered behind the church hedge. It had just been trimmed. Nearby were some very old grave stones.

missed his 77th birthday by 3 days

The village cat had followed us up the hill and later followed us back down.