Bourg-en-Bresse

Bon Jour Mes Amies,

I forgot to report yesterday that I came across a google car doing street level photography.  If you look up Place Bellecour in Lyon you might be able to spot me walking along.
Ok.  So this is why I hate busses.  Trains have stations and run on rails and there's a reasonable expectation that they will arrive and leave on time.  Not so with busses.  SNCF is increasingly in the bus rather than railway business, so I'll probably be taking a lot of their busses this trip.  The bus runs from the train station--in my case Part Dieu to the train station in Bourg-en-Bresse.  The trip out went smoothly.
I enjoyed looking at the countryside.  This part of France is gorgeous.  I found it just as green and lush as Normandy, and I like to see farms and small towns and all.  We arrived in Bourg a bit late, but no big deal.
I set off.  It's a pretty down and easy to get around.  I got a cordial welcome at Tourist Information where I picked up a map and got directions.  Bourg is known for two things.  One is the region's famous high end chickens, which are beloved of top chefs and discriminating eaters.  The chickens bear an AOC designation, and I have seen them at Les Halles de Paul Boucuse.  Ahem.  They come with their heads and feet attached.  I'd spring for one that was cooked, but I have no chicken cooking facilities here.
The other thing Bourg is known for is the magnificent Monastere Royal de Brou, the Royal Monastery (actually a convent) founded by Margaret of Austria the daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor.  In large part the foundation is a tribute to her third husband Philibert of Savoy.  Margaret was much married.  Her first husband was Charles VIII of France who threw her over for Anne of Brittany, but that's ok because then she was married to the Infante Juan of Castile and Aragon only he died.  She seems to have been happy with Philibert, and this part of France was evidently part of Savoy back in the day.
The building is exceptionally well preserved without any clunky restoration.  I was utterly enchanted by the Early Modern stone carving and wood carvings.  There's quite a bit of the original stained glass with tributes to Margaret's family and also the Bourbons.  Margaret and Philibert are buried there, and their tombs are elaborate and most beautiful. I am not sure Dijon or the rest of Burgundy has anything better.  The church was just incredible.
I also enjoyed the cloisters and the other parts of the convent that were open.  The place doubles as Bourg's fine art museum, but apart from some Late Medieval items, I was not impressed with the collection.  What was fun was a "virtual reality" experience.  A nice French woman outfitted me with  goggles and showed me how to press the button.  Whoa Ho!  The original look of the rooms suddenly appeared.  "Incroyable," I croaked pretty much exhausting my French.
The Royal Monastery is a fair hike from the city center, but I made my way back in a leisurely way so I could get the bus back.  It showed on the departures board, but no bus appeared and the notice of departure disappeared all of a sudden.  What?
Well, fine. There are worse things to do than hang out in Bourg-en-Bresse until the next bus was to depart.  I showed up when it was supposed to arrive.  It didn't.  Well of course, it finally did come because I got home all right.
One thing I noticed about the French folk of this region in Lyon and the other places I've visited.  They are far more willing to make eye contact and share a joke or a companionable feeling with a look or a smile.  That's a rather nice contrast to the closed in Parisians.
Dinner is very simple this evening.  I have Pain Polaine--google it if you don't know what I'm talking about one slice spread with some Cervelle de Canuts and the other with Rillettes de Poulet.  Rillettes are usually made with pork but any meat will do. The meat is cooked down and shredded to a paste and then covered with a layer of fat to preserve the meat.  It's a very traditional country dish.  With it we have some cheapo red wine which is not bad but not as successful a purchase as my previous one.
A demain