Azat le Ris (pronounced azah le ree) is a small French farming
town that is slowing turning into a British vacation town. It was dying until the Brits decided to buy
there. Houses here run ridiculously inexpensive, because as you can see from
the map, it’s in the middle of nowhere.
Even with the Brits, it has lost its stores and
relies on a van that comes through once a week, selling bread, eggs, some
veggies and treats.
View down the street where I stayed
The Van and the bar
There is one bar in town owned by the same family since at
least the 1940’s. Locals frequent it, and it’s the kind of place where if the proprietor
isn’t there, just serve yourself and leave the pay on the table by the door on
your way out!
But it hasn’t lost its church, Saint-Genest, a registered historical
monument, which is 12th century, so that says how long this little community
has been around in some form.
A "tractor" path between fields
Its surrounding countryside is beautiful farmland, fields and
wooded copses, perfect for walking and bike riding. I spent three weeks walking
the fields, lovely “tractor” paths, and long country roads whenever I needed a
break from writing.
For me, it was heaven; low on noise, high on peace and quiet,
nature and plant life.
It also has a river, Le Salleron, running through it with a
park.
A field near the park on the outskirts of the village
A man-made pond next to an abandoned farm
Sheep, sheep, lots of sheep
One of the many roads to meander...
The Chateau Du Puy-Mesnil is the local privately owned “Chateau” and
situated on the southeastern edge of town, but there are more in the area.
Chateau Du Puy-Mesnil today
Chateau Du Puy-Mesnil in the past
Domaine Le Chiron off season
If you’re looking for a quiet place to visit, this is a nice
day journey from Limoges or Poitiers. There’s also a ultra-light flight school a
mile down the road in a community called La Courandiere, with a lovely chateau
that offers rooms, a “chambres d’hรดtes” called Domaine Le Chiron.
For a village in the middle of “nowhere” there is a lot happening
in and around this sleepy little hamlet.
A little video walking with my hosts through the countryside and village of Azat-le-Ris...
And, don't forget, today is April 1st! April Fools Day. Read about what it means in French "Poisson D'Avril" (Fish of April).
