Lilies and lunch at Latour-Marliac

The name most people associate with water lilies is Claude Monet — not Joseph Bory Latour-Marliac. But Latour-Marliac’s contribution to water lily cultivation is arguably more significant than the famous French Impressionist, and some say that this lawyer-turned-horticulturist from south west France can share credit with Monet for making France the birthplace of the water lily.

Terra cotta pots have been perched at the edges of Latour-Marliac’s
ponds for more than 135 years.

A statue of Joseph Bory Latour-Marliac stands in
the garden he founded in 1875.

Latour-Marliac founded a nursery in the Lot-et-Garonne village of Le Temple-sur-Lot in 1875. His mission was to propagate, cultivate and sell hardy néuphars — water lilies. He discovered a method of hybridization, a process that remains mysterious even today. This method allowed him to raise these flowers in a variety of colors, where previously only white water lilies were available in Europe.

Pause behind the waterfall for a shimmery view of the pond and gardens
at Latour-Marliac.

In 1889 Latour-Marliac shared his collection at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, where his water lilies caught the eye of Monet. Soon afterward, the painter purchased the property called Giverny and began to build his water garden. Once complete, Monet ordered lilies from Latour-Marliac, which he famously painted. In addition to the splendor of Monet’s Nymphéas, the artist “was consciously capturing on canvas a botanical novelty,” according to the Latour-Marliac visitor’s guide. Today, the best of Monet’s water lily series can be seen at the Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris.

What a lovely view from the terrace at Café Marliacea.

Closer to home, water lily and garden fans can visit Latour-Marliac each year from April 15 through Oct. 15. (The restaurant closes Sept. 30).

Giant Amazonian water lilies are cultivated in the greenhouse at Latour-Marliac.

Our recent self-guided tour starts in a greenhouse where we meet Victoria, a breed of giant Amazonian water lily, and continues past 65 cultivation pools where more than 200 varieties of lilies grow. Of course, the garden contains more than water lilies. Along the garden paths, we discover lotus blossoms, flowering trees, exotic plants, colorful koi and a bamboo grove. Latour-Marliac was a famous bamboo expert prior to his success with water lilies.

Before he turned his attention to water lilies, Latour-Marliac
was a famous bamboo expert.

Colorful koi make their home in a pond at Latour-Marliac.

In addition to plants, the garden contains a small museum, a gift shop and a lovely terrace restaurant, Café Marliacea, where my friend Lucie and I enjoy a delicious lunch. A portion of our admission is credited to our lunch tab, but visitors can opt instead to receive a discount on the purchase of a lily or lotus to take home.

The admission ticket to Latour-Marliac garden provides
a discount at its restaurant, Café Marliacea.

Lunch at Café Marliacea is topped off with a café gourmand.

Latour-Marliac received a Jardin Remarquable designation in 2004. For more information, visit the Latour-Marliac wesbsite here.

Summer blossoms offer a burst of color at Latour-Marliac.

Tropical trees dot the garden landscape at Latour-Marliac.

Art parcourse urges visitors to circulate

A lone wooden shack stands beside a lake in a town park. A wooden water monster winds through the grounds of a presbytery. The face of an abandoned building becomes a canvas of history.

Hydre in Gontaud-de-Nogaret is part of the ARTERE exhibition
that runs through Sept. 30, 2017.

This summer, 11 communes in the Lot-et-Garonne present ARTERE, 11 artists' visions of local heritage. The works, scattered across the department, are part of a parcours artistique that is free and open to all through the end of September. I've set out to see all 11 artworks; thus far I've seen seven, have looked for but couldn't find one, and have three more to go.

L'œil du Cèdre in Miramont-de-Guyenne is part of the
ARTERE exhibition that runs through Sept. 30, 2017.

ARTERE is a project organized by Val de Garonne, Pays de Duras, Pays de Lauzun, and Coteaux et Landes de Gascogne. Each of these tourism entities invites visitors to explore other local sites in addition to viewing the various art installations.

Les Sentiments Contraditoires in Duras is part of the
ARTERE exhibition that runs through Sept. 30, 2017.

Detail of Les Sentiments Contraditoires in Duras, part of the ARTERE
exhibition that runs through Sept. 30, 2017

I must be honest: Even after seeing most of the ARTERE exhibits, I'm not sure what the artists are trying to say and what ties them all together. However, the parcourse has given me an excuse to visit some villages for the first time and to take a fresh look at some familiar places.

Habiter in Lauzun is part of the ARTERE exhibition that runs through
Sept. 30, 2017.

Habiter in Lauzun is part of the ARTERE exhibition that runs through
Sept. 30, 2017.

One of the ARTERE works is just beyond my backyard in Lauzun. In June, a small wooden hut appeared in our park. The artist behind Habiter is Laurent Lacotte. His empty cabin is similar to those specified by Médecins Sans Frontières to house refugees. That one can see the Château de Lauzun from the cabin is significant to Lacotte's vision.

La Fontaine aux Trois Vaches in Tonneins is part of the
ARTERE exhibition that runs through Sept. 30, 2017.

A whimsical treat is artist Olivier Louloum's La Fontaine aux Trois Vache in Tonneins — a mechanized fountain that pays tribute to ancient industrial and agricultural machinery.

Detail of Hydre in Gontaud-de-Nogaret, part of the ARTERE
exhibition that runs through Sept. 30, 2017

My favorite is Hydre, located in the Jardin du Presytère in Gontaud-de-Nogaret designed by artist Xavier Rèche, who describes the work as "un détour dans notre espace familier" (a detour in our familiar place).

L'Accrochage in Clairac is part of the ARTERE exhibition that runs
through Sept. 30, 2017.

Detail of L'Accrochage in Clairac, part of the ARTERE
exhibition that runs through Sept. 30, 2017

Venues along the ARTERE parcourse are: Duras and Soumensac in the Pays de Duras; Lauzun and Miramont-de-Guyenne in the Pays de Lauzun; Cocumont, Marmande, Gontaud-de-Nogaret, Tonneins and Clairac in the Val de Garonne; and Casteljaloux and Houeilles in the Coteaux et Landes de Gascogne.

Pick up a green ARTERE brochure at a local tourism office before setting out to visit the works, as they aren't always easy to find. (I couldn't find the exhibit in Soumensac although there are several signs pointing the way.) For more information, visit the Val de Garonne website here, which has details in English.

Miramont honors its circus past

A circus-themed exposition honoring Alfred Court is presented
in Miramont-de-Guyenne through Aug. 2017.

The traditional circus is waning — perhaps for the best — as the taming and training of wild animals has fallen out of favor. However the old-time circus with its dancing bears, prancing horses and ferocious lions, punctuated by bright colors, clowns and cotton candy, is a cherished memory for many who remember spending a warm afternoon under the chapiteau. The village of Miramont-de-Guyenne in the Lot-et-Garonne department, which was the longtime winter home of the Alfred Court Zoo Circus, is hosting an exhibition honoring its very own lion-tamer extraordinaire.

A circus-themed exposition honoring Alfred Court is presented in
Miramont-de-Guyenne through Aug. 2017.

Alfred Court was born on New Year's Day in 1883, the 10th child of a wealthy Marseille couple. More acrobat than aristocrat, Court joined the circus when he was 20 and soon joined John North Ringling's Barnum Circus as part of the Orpington trio.

An old photo of Le Trio Orpington with Alfred Court, right, is part
of an exposition in Miramont-de-Guyenne through Aug. 2017.

Soon Court become famous for his animal-taming talents. In addition to lions, Court's colleagues included tigers, polar bears and leopards. A bio in the Barnum Circus program called Court "the finest trainer of wild animals that we have ever known." It went on to say, "We know he is the kindest, the most understanding."

A miniature depicts a performance under the Big Top at a circus-themed exposition
in Miramont-de-Guyenne through Aug. 2017.

The back-stage area of the circus in miniature is part of an exposition in
Miramont-de-Guyenne through Aug. 2017.

For many decades, Alfred Court's Zoo Circus traveled throughout the world, but even circus performers need a vacation, so during the winter months, Court brought his lions, tigers, bears, horses and the rest of his menagerie to Miramont-de-Guyenne. The community embraced its part-time circus family, and now, decades later, the village is honoring Albert Court with an exposition.

Circus costumes including these snazzy red boots are part of
an exposition in Miramont-de-Guyenne through Aug. 2017.

Circus miniatures are on display as part of an exposition in Miramont-de-Guyenne
through Aug. 2017.

Featuring vintage circus posters, newspaper clippings, costumes, miniatures and memorabilia, the expo is a colorful homage to Court and his circus. Expo organizers have made good use of the small space in the town's Hôtel de Ville, and my only quibble is that the six-page explanation that visitors can read while on site, is only offered in French. With so many English-speaking residents and visitors in this area, an English translation would have been appreciated.

Miramont-de-Guyenne's Hôtel de Ville hosts a circus-themed exhibition
through Aug. 2017.

Exposition Hommage à Alfred Court, Retour du Zoo Circus is open during business hours: 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1:45-5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The exhibition, which is free, continues through the month of August.

A circus-themed exposition honoring Alfred Court is presented
in Miramont-de-Guyenne through Aug. 2017.