We’ve had lovely hot sunny weather for the last 10 days or so and it’s supposed to all be changing tomorrow so we made the most of it and headed off to Saint Aulaye this morning. Saint Aulaye is a pretty little village perched above the River Dronne about 34km west of La Treille.

Main Street & Square, Saint Aulaye

The town and its main street is built up around the D5, with the usual array of village shops and café’s. We found a side street off the main square and strolled through the old ‘rue des Remparts’ (cobbled streets with low stone walls overlooking the valley below).

Taking in the Views from the Remparts

Remparts at Saint Aulaye

Sign outside the communal bakery

We came across this ancient ‘communal bread oven’ that the local tourist information centre have opened to the public. shame about the spelling mistake but I thought it was quaint and then again I’m probably the last person the criticise…

The ovens belonged to the Lords of St Aulaye and from the 13th Century the Bastide’s inhabitants were bound to use them to bake their bread against a fee due!

Inside the communal Bakery

Tools for the oven

Here is L’Église Saint Eulalie…

l'Église Saint Eulalie

And the Renaissance château -

L'Hôtel de Ville - Rear view

Constructed from the ruines of an existing building and restored by the scientist Francois Viault (also known for his research into the study of blood at high altitudes)…

This is the front of the château – it was converted into the l’Hôtel de Ville in 1954…

L'Hôtel de ville - Front view

View of the Chateau from the Remparts

Shame about the leaf!

We then headed down to the river where there was a lovely pizzaria and large café bar restaurant right beside the river’s edge, with the ancient bridge in the background it was a lovely spot for lunch.

We’d bought a picnic and after letting Ruben have a play and swim in the river (there wasn’t a lot of people about) we settled on one of the many benches and enjoyed our picnic. There were many beaches dotted around here and could tell it would be very busy here in just a few weeks with the summer holiday makers.

Picnic area by the river Dronne

Ruben in the Dronne

Happy Ruben