I am actually not a frequent traveller but being a foreign student in France presents in itself some opportunities to travel within France and Europe, budget permitting.
Poitiers is the capital of the Poitou-Charente region of France and the city itself has about 80,000 inhabitants, more than 30 percent of it consisting of students mostly from the region itself. Enough of the boring stuff.
After more than 4 years in France, I've largely overcame the clichés and stereotypes and finally learned to enjoy the finer things about France...
Come autumn and the menu practically changes(I'm a foodie). I comb the farmers' market every Saturday to look for fresh surprises and I never pass up the chance to try something new or seasonal. There isn't much rain this time in autumn and so, mushrooms are rare and terribly expensive -haven't seen any cèpes (porcinis), just some trompet de mort and giroffes. However, hunting season is open and the market butcher is selling pheasants(faisan), wild ducks(canard sauvage), wild rabbits and one time three years back in La Rochelle, a decapitated wild boar hung upside down!Bought a pheasant for 9 euro and shared it with a housemate. Messy stuff if one has to cook wild games. Autumn is also the time to savor the various varieties of pumpkin and squash, artichokes aplenty, tomatoes both bio or commercial, all deliciously ripe and juicy, not to mention the snails...the stuff that jokes are made of when it comes to all things French, but it's no joke here -just a seasonal meal but I can tell you it needs preparation and not many French actually bother to even try it in their kitchen.
This autumn, it is exceptionally cold compared to previous years and the trees are showing beautiful shades this year. A plus I guess for the global warming issue but it certainly upset the clothing department- I got out all my winter clothes at the onset of autumn and I am asking myself what's next when winter arrives...zut. Maybe it could be the 3 months I spent in the sweltering tropical heat during summer back home that is responsible for the lack of resistance to the cold...hmmm
So, what to see if you chance by this town. For a start, it is anything but Paris, a misconception from stereotyping, even from within the French themselves. France does have other cultures and cities beside its famous capital with its snobbish city folks. In this quaint city, there's the usual sidewalk cafés and bistros so spending time au resto is a must, kind of a rite of passage for tourists to France. However, don't put your expectation up too high because the food is generally OK but I wouldn't bet too much money on its excellence and be patient...the waiters, like everywhere else in the country, makes you wait, even to pay. They reckon that you might want to spent some time deciding on the menu or even the splitting up of checks -and take time they do, the French diners. Since summer is over, there isn't anymore handmade ice-creams to savor and besides, it's too chilly now for that. However, if culture and history interest you, Poitiers has plenty of cethedrals to offer, from 10th to 16th century types everywhere in town. Poitiers was the furthest point of the Arab invasion of Europe and also the city where Joan of Arc was trialled for heresy - it was a pretty important Middle Ages city and had a myriad of religious orders within the boundaries of its dicreet city walls. It also houses the impressive Eglise St Pierre that was dedicated to Alienor of Aquitane, mother of Richard the Lion Heart, Queen of France and England. She was annointed in this church. Poitiers is also the starting point of the popular trail called "Le chemin de St Jacques de Compostelle". It's a religious trail called 'pelèrinage'in French, meaning pilgrimage. It ends in the South of France , in the town of Lourdes and more southernly in Galice I think...my Canadian (Quebecois)housemate did the trail this summer with his girlfriend and they chose the most ancient method -on foot!( apparently on donkey too on passing the Pyrenean massif) It's really something for the 'initiated', as the French put it.
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