Essoyes

We nipped into Essoyes today to buy some bread, and thought we’d take a little stroll across the river to get some fresh air. The river was extremely high. To think in the summer this is often just a trickle.

Essoyes is a small village about a ten minutes drive from us. It is quite beautiful, and in the summer comes to life with masses of flowers around the centre, along the river and bridges and outside the few restaurants that are all good to visit in their own way. Essoyes is at the centre of Champagne's Côte des Bar, on the border of Champagne and Burgundy. The river Ource, a tributary of the Seine, runs through it, and provides a delightful place to sit and watch the world go by, very slowly.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), a French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionist style, bought a house and settled in Essoyes. He loved to paint in the surrounding countryside, and there are lots of familiar vistas that are known from his paintings. In the centre of Essoyes, next to the river, is a really well considered museum. Entry includes a short film, of his and his families life, along with entry to his workshop, which was constructed in 1905 in the garden of his family home on rue de l'Extra. You can now also visit his home, which is also included in the entry ticket. The whole trip takes about 2-3 hours, depending on how long you spend at each site. You are given a map, when you buy your ticket at the museum, which directs you on a walking tour around Essoyes to the various different entry points. In the warmer months it’s nice to enjoy coffee at one of the cafes by the river or, if you time it properly, lunch. I love to have lunch at La Guinguette des Arts, a restaurant that you can sit outside by the river. I think having time for lunch is always such a treat. Dreaming of gorgeous sunny days in Essoyes.