A beautiful window survives in the Protestant temple known for its austerity since 1850
If you ever find yourself driving along the D936 between Bergerac and Bordeaux make sure you stop off at the perfectly formed bastide town of Sainte Foy La Grande. Lesley and I think it's a bit of a gem. Named after Foy the daughter of a Roman aristocrat from Agen. Foy was born around 290AD.
This beautiful XVc building on Ste Foy La Grande's main street known as 'The half timbered house'
Ste Foy manages to maintain the classic grid shape of the bastide town of which Montpazier is another example. But Ste Foy differs from Montpazier in one important aspect. It is much more than a tourist haven for seekers of foie gras, Monbazillac wine, Marseille soap etc. The town has a heartbeat that continues past November and although slightly frayed around the edges, people eat, drink, work, and sleep here. There is a wide ethnic mix to enjoy, elements of which can add a slightly exotic feel to this particular part of south west France.
It could be downtown Casablanca
The Arab influence presumably comes from the the agricultural needs of a bygone age, where North Africans from France's colonies in the Maghreb emigrated to mainland France's vineyards after the Second World War aiding in the vendange and all its associated work.
Every sign carefully fabricated from tin and dressed in enamel
Stroll amongst the narrow streets and take time to gaze up above the shop fronts. Ste Foy is a fine example of a town that (by accident I'm sure) has retained what might be described as a blizzard of signage, but not the type that many people complain of today. Old enamel signs of all shapes and colours are to be found colouring the upper storeys of many medieval buildings. Without a doubt, any such signs still to be found in the UK would have either disappeared overnight or would have been removed by local councils as being irrelevant or a traffic hazard. Long live the quirkiness of French planning.
Today's equivalent would be sourced from clipart and churned out on the desktop printer
The lovely muted colours of a classic sign
The main door into the Protestant temple still retains its former grandeur
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