sjde53

My mother-in-law would like to take us on a trip to these towns in the fall. What are they like? I suppose the trains don't go very near and we'd have to drive? Are there any other interesting towns nearby these two? Thanks!

Sue

Michael

I'm not one for pilgrimages, but I recall the medieval chateau in Lourdes as being well located and having an interesting folk crafts exhibit with a small medieval herbal garden in its courtyard. There is the back country, particularly the Cirque de Gavarnie, which probably can be reached by bus, but either a car rental or a tour bus would be a more convenient way of doing it.

I was in Cognac last summer. The old (tourist oriented) part of the town was dead. It is not a particularly interesting town, and mainly the big Cognac producers are there, with their enormous distillery complexes along the river. As we drove out of town we came across the newer (19th cent. ?) part of the town whose main square is lined with the expected bustling cafés. But why Cognac?

indytravel

The train does go to Cognac. I took it the first of December 2003. The train also went through Cognac on my trip from Angouleme to Saintes December 2004.

The train station is on the south side of town. I walked in about a mile to my hotel. There was a cafe there where I assume you could have a cab called for you.

I took two Cognac tours: Hennessey & Otard. Mainly Otard just to see the old part of the Chateau. Hennessey has a beautiful tasting room overlooking the Charente River.

Cognac's little museum was quite nice set on the edge of a park that was lovely even in December.

Around there I liked La Rochelle and Saintes very much. I liked Angouleme too though their food festival was in progress which only happens once a year.

StCirq

Those are two vastly different towns in two different regions of France - it's about 350 kms between then.You MIL must have some reason for picking those two, but it's certainly not immediately apparent.

Cognac is a typical Gascony town; it's in the region famous for the manufacture of cognac and armagnac. There are loads of other interesting towns around - Saintes, Jarnac, Angoulème, Royan, to name a few.

Lourdes is Catholic pilgrimage central, in the Pyrénées. It's teeming with pilgrims any time of year and is chockablock with religious souvenir stores as well as the shrine and related sites. There are plenty of other interesting towns around there, too - Pau and Tarbes are a couple.

There is train service to both Cognac and Lourdes.

ira

>Your MIL must have some reason for picking those two, but it's certainly not immediately apparent.<

She's a Catholic who likes good brandy?

PalQ

Lourdes is on a main rail line with direct TGVs from Paris. Lourdes - what a scene - the daily parade of the malades, of the sick who flock here to pray to the Virgin Mary - they are paraded around - not a pretty scene but maybe a hopeful one if these poor souls really believe they may get well from it. Mainly older malades taking baths, etc. with a monumental church.

sjde53

She's a Catholic who likes good brandy?

Exactly--you hit it it right on the head!

Sue