Something's Vichy

The Plaza is one of the grand hotels in Vichy.

Vichy is the last stop on our recent trip to the Grand Est region of France. Before our visit, I associated this city with three things: being the center of government for Nazi-occupied France during World War II, its water, and the unpleasant (to me) little candy known as Vichy pastilles. What I didn't know beforehand is that Vichy is an elegant little city, dotted with remarkable 19th-century villas and featuring a splendid park along the Allier River that serves as a recreational hub for residents and visitors.

Our 24 hours here doesn't allow time for a visit to one of Vichy's famous spas, but we have plenty of time to explore the city on foot and on a small tourist train.

A covered walkway in Vichy's Parc des Sources
harkens back to the Belle Époque period.

The Tourism Office is located in the Parc des Sources. The park, established in 1730, was designed as a place for spa visitors to take restorative strolls. After Napoleon III arrived in Vichy in the 1860s, the park and the city beyond became a beacon for the Belle Époque, the era of France's Third Republic, which lasted until World War I. Napoleon III's influence is seen throughout Vichy in its buildings including the Palais des Congrès-Opéra de Vichy, which originally was a casino. It was during this fashionable period that Vichy was called Reine des Villes d’Eaux — Queen of the Water Towns.

The Vichy Opera House is the only opera house in France
designed in the Art Nouveau style.

We step inside the Hall des Sources at the northern end of the park. Here, we help ourselves to some free Célestins mineral spring water (I had smartly brought along an empty water bottle). Some of the Hall is only accessible to paying guests, but we are able to get a close-up look of a thermal hot spring.

Help yourself to mineral water inside the Hall des Sources in Vichy.

A thermal hot spring bubbles inside the Hall des Sources in Vichy.

After two weeks of exploring new places on foot, we decide to take one of those tiny tourist trains to see the city highlights. The tour commentary is in French, but we are provided with a written guide in English. After lunch, we set off walking for closer looks at some of the sites.

Vichy's Monument aux Morts honors the city's fallen soldiers.

I fancy this architectural detail of the Vichy Opera House.

One such landmark is Église Saint-Blaise, a somber-looking 17th-century church that contains surprises: colorful Art Deco style mosaics, columns and stained glass, all of which were added in the 1930s.

The ceiling of Église Saint-Blaise in Vichy was redesigned in the Art Deco style
in the 1930s.

I do not intend to gloss over the dark and complex history of Vichy during WWII, however it is not something that is front and center to the casual visitor. What is notable are landmarks honoring America: Vichy's main shopping street is Rue de President Wilson; Boulevard des Etats-Unis is a wide tony thoroughfare with grand spas; and Parc Kennedy is a beautiful shady section of the city's riverside park.

Opulent architecture including palaces and spas line Boulevard des
Etats-Unis in Vichy.

 

The Napoleon and Kennedy parks are set aside the Allier River in Vichy.
Cross the bridge and you'll find a recreational playground with tennis courts,
beaches and golf courses.

With its central location in France's Auvergne region, I'm confident we will find ourselves back in Vichy again. Next time, I'll be ready to delve deeper into the city's history — both the beautiful and the dark — and then perhaps indulge in a little spa treatment — I call it hands-on research.

All hail the prune harvest

This post originally appeared on the Places& Faces blog for The Local Buzz.

Prunes, or plums as we say in America, are nearly ready for harvesting at
Les Vergers de Bertounèche.

It's nearly prune harvest time again, and in the Lot-et-Garonne, this is serious business. France averages 40,000 tons of prunes each year, with nearly all coming from the Agen area, which includes the Lot-et-Garonne (76 percent), Dordogne (8 percent), Gironde (6 percent), Tarn-et-Garonne (4 percent), Gers (3 percent), and Lot (2 percent).

Prune trees soak up the sun about a month before harvest at
Les Vergers de Bertounèche.

The average orchard size is 10 hectares, and the countryside surrounding the village in which I live is dotted with arbres de pruneaux. We've become friendly with Corinne and Frank Hayer, owners of Les Vergers de Bertounèche in Saint-Colomb-de-Lauzun and we have visited their orchard several times. Les Vergers de Bertounèche has a Véritables Pruneaux d'Agen designation, which means the orchard adheres to strict quality guidelines.

The Lot-et-Garonne department is dotted with beautiful prune orchards
such as Les Vergers de Bertounèche in Saint-Colomb-de-Lauzun.

Frank Hayer, owner of Les Vergers de Bertounèche, describes
the process of growing prunes to visitors.

Corinne has a "day job" as a high school science teacher where she has summers off. However, growing prunes is a year-round job. The whole family is involved, including their teenagers and Frank's father (and co-owner), especially at harvest time.

Equipment, including this receiver, is ready for the prune harvest at
Les Vergers de Bertounèche.

Getting the prunes from tree to table, starts with a shake. A shaker and a receiver are positioned under each tree. The receiver is wrapped around the trunk and the prunes fall onto its folding canopy. It's a fascinating process that involves two operators. If you happen to be passing by a prune orchard during the harvest, stop and enjoy the show.

After being harvested, prunes are washed at Les Vergers de Bertounèche.

Prunes are cleaned and sorted at Les Vergers de Bertounèche.

Next, the prunes are washed and sorted, a task that involves another crew. The fruit is loaded onto trays that are then put into a huge oven. During this stage, Frank will be on hand every three hours to move the carts containing the trays of prunes that have finished "cooking."

Les Vergers de Bertounèche owner Frank Hayer slides trays
of prunes into the oven. 

Freshly dried prunes beg to be tasted at Les Vergers de Bertounèche.

Some prunes will be soft, others dry and chewy. Some fruit is destined to become juice, pulp or maybe even that potent potable eau de vie.

Musée et Ferme de Pruneau offers a glimpse into the prune industry.

A visit to the Musée et Ferme de Pruneau in Lafitte sur Lot (47) offers visitors the opportunity to see the processing if visited during the harvest (mid-August through mid-September). The quaint low-tech museum also provides a history lesson into all things prune.

A life-size display at Musée et Ferme de Pruneau shows
the prune-drying process.

The gift shop at Musée et Ferme de Pruneau carries an assortment of
prune products.