2014-05-20 Xaintrailles

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Saint-Justin boasts a 13th Century Castle and received two of four stars in a national landscaping competition.

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Saint-Justin boasts a 13th Century Castle and received two of four stars in a national landscaping competition.

Driving through Buzet-sur-Baïse from the D12 felt distinctly different from comparable sized villages in Spain.

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Driving through Buzet-sur-Baïse from the D12 felt distinctly different from comparable sized villages in Spain.

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A quiet road house on the D933N, northeast of Lubon, Nouvelle-Aquitane

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A quiet road house on the D933N, northeast of Lubon, Nouvelle-Aquitane

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Rolling farmlands flank the D141 west of Xaintrailles

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Rolling farmlands flank the D141 west of Xaintrailles

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Local opposition to the proposed high-speed rail project through the region.

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Local opposition to the proposed high-speed rail project through the region.

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A 13th century manor (once a castle) and church dominated the small but delightful village of Xaintrailles.

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A 13th century manor (once a castle) and church dominated the small but delightful village of Xaintrailles.

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Pealing plaster exposed the underlying stone and timber structures of the buildings.

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Pealing plaster exposed the underlying stone and timber structures of the buildings.

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Some buildings appeared to be deserted, but an iron grill enclosed balcony and a surviving grape vine evoked images of a once pleasant home.

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Some buildings appeared to be deserted, but an iron grill enclosed balcony and a surviving grape vine evoked images of a once pleasant home.

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Public wells and pools (no longer functional) may once have served both a service and a social function.

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Public wells and pools (no longer functional) may once have served both a service and a social function.

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The local church occupied the second highest point in the village and provided a view of the 13th-15th century chateau.

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The local church occupied the second highest point in the village and provided a view of the 13th-15th century chateau.

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The privately owned chateau begun in the 13th century with the castle donjon wasn’t completed until the 15th century and was being restored/renovated when we visited.

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The privately owned chateau begun in the 13th century with the castle donjon wasn’t completed until the 15th century and was being restored/renovated when we visited.

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Having wandered mostly deserted streets, we were delighted to see new generations.

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Having wandered mostly deserted streets, we were delighted to see new generations.

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The quiet, modest church and churchyard were in marked contrast to those of Spain and Porugal.

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The quiet, modest church and churchyard were in marked contrast to those of Spain and Porugal.

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Neglected graves and markers suggested a declining population and importance of the church.

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Neglected graves and markers suggested a declining population and importance of the church.

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Many of the grave sites were marked as abandoned and available for reallocation.

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Many of the grave sites were marked as abandoned and available for reallocation.

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Buzet-sur-Baïse was pleasant but lacked the quaint character and sense of the past that we felt at Xaintrailles.

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Buzet-sur-Baïse was pleasant but lacked the quaint character and sense of the past that we felt at Xaintrailles.

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Canal boats moored on the Canal Lateral a la Garonne outside Bizet-sur-Baïse.

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Canal boats moored on the Canal Lateral a la Garonne outside Bizet-sur-Baïse.

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On the D8 with a half day of uneventful driving to Moissac and our next camp.

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On the D8 with a half day of uneventful driving to Moissac and our next camp.

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