La Sudrie, Chameyrat-le-Vieux
La Sudrie is the name given to the de Belinay property just outside of Brive-la-Gaillarde, France, in the little hamlet of Chameyrat-le-Vieux. The rural estate in the department of Correze, covers some 400+ hectares of pasture and forest and has been in the family for generations.
Our plan was to spend three months helping Guy and Francoise de Belinay spruce up the place. With so much acreage, it takes a lot of work to keep things looking nice.
We had come by this arrangement through the owners of Chateau de le Barbeliniere, the property we helped manage the prior summer. Arnaud de Belinay had grown up summering at La Sudrie, and he asked if we would help his eighty-something parents out for a few months. Of course we said yes!
The property features a stately manor house, a beautiful old barn, and acres and acres of lawn and garden. We had a lot of work to do!
Guy used a cool little Renault Clan for trips to town and around the farm.
I spent a lot of time on the tractor hauling brush to the piles to burn I also spent a lot of time up a ladder, pulling ivy from the upper story of the maison.
Each day we would drive up to the main house, work a few hours, then, when the daily summer rains began, we would retire back to our own house for the afternoon.
Our accommodation was a six bedroom house located about two kilometers away from the manor. Large windows looking out to the forest, made the kitchen bright and airy. We could take long walks in the woods, all the time staying on the property.
Guy's brother lives on an adjoining property. He gave us a tour of his orchard and gardens. We weren't contracted to work on his property, but it would have been fun to bring their garden and pool into "compliance" with our admittedly elevated landscape esthetic.
We meet the farmers
Chameyrat-le-Vieux is a traditional Correze farming hamlet. We got to meet the neighbors, whose families have been living in the same village for over four hundred years.
First we met the two brothers, who have an arrangement with Guy which allows them to cut hay at la Sudrie to feed their own small herd of cows.
Well into their eighties, the brothers still work their farm all day, every day. We were told they have no children, and therefore no helpers, nor heirs to inherit their farm.
Although they do live in a modern home, their way of life remains simple, tied to the land and their small herd of cattle. Some of the buildings had seen better days, but many of them are still in use today. Like the outbuildings, the brothers' farming methods haven't changed much in centuries, either. It was sad to see the milk-fed calf struggling to gain foothold on the ground--it was the first time the calf had seen the bright light of day--and Guy lamented the conditions under which these calves for white veal are raised. Old traditions are hard to break I guess, particularly if that is the only thing you know.
The primary breed of cattle is the Limousin, which, not-so-coincidentally, is the name of the region we were in. The breed is not so well known in the US, which tends to favor Black Angus, Charolais, and Hereford. Here, however, it has been in vogue ever since the breed was created nearly two hundred years ago. Another of the de Belinay's neighbors runs a herd of about eighty animals.
In his case, farming techniques have changed. While his animals are raised primarily on grass in the Limousin countryside, they are sent to Italy for fattening and eventual slaughter.
For a modern farmer, life is difficult. Similar to rural economies in many other countries, even with eighty head of cattle, this farmer must work a full-time "day job" to make ends meet. And, his kids have no interest in taking over the family farm. The sad reality is that within a single generation this way of life will likely be lost forever.
Although the traditional ways of farming are dying out, there's one tradition which I suspect will never fade: drinking pastis!
Life in the French countryside is peaceful and simple, whether you're a farmer or a large landowner. The hustle-and-bustle of modern France seems just beyond the horizon, and it was easy for us to slip into an idyllic daily life.
Basville
In addition to La Sudrie in Chameyrat-le-vieux, the de Belinays own a vacation home in the village of Basville in the Creuse department, not far from Clermont-Ferrand. The home was to be sold and the yard needed a serious cleanup. As part of our care-taking agreement, we volunteered to spend a week or so there, mowing the grass and trimming trees. The job would take two or three days, after which we could tour the countryside of another part of France, one we had never visited.
Basville is more of a neighborhood than a real "village", but it does have a pretty little church which dates back to the 16th century.
The de Belinay home is modest, but sits on a large (and therefore very desirable) piece of property. Two acres of lawn needed mowing, and we set right to work. After three full days of hard labor we had the place pretty well cleaned up and ready for the realtors to show.
I'm proud to say that our efforts paid off, as the first buyers who came to visit bought the property. Truth be told, I think they had had their eye on it for some time. Still, I think the well-groomed yard hid the amount of effort it took to maintain the property, making it much more inviting for the young couple who bought it.
One weekend Guy and Francoise came for a short stay. They had to attend a wedding not far away, and I think they also wanted one last weekend in their favorite get-away before it was turned over to the new buyers.
We spent an afternoon touring the countryside with them, listening to Guy recount the fun times he and Francoise had in the early years of their marriage. On our outing, we stopped near a beautiful country chateau that once belonged to the family. Unfortunately, the aunt had sold off the estate some years prior, so we were only able to see the chateau from the outside.
With a private lake and several thousand acres of pasture and forest, the castle property was stunning.
As we took a long walk in the cool shade of the trees, Guy and Francoise reminisced about the wonderful times they had shared there during their marriage. I could tell they were sad, knowing this would be the last time they ever saw the place.
Although the area around Basville is quite hilly, Karen and I found several cycling routes we could cover without too much difficulty. Like much of France, traffic on these country roads is very light. We had a great time exploring the area by bike.
Cruising around Creuse
When we weren't riding bikes around Basville, we branched out a bit to some of the villages in the area. The largest nearby town is Aubusson, which has a bucolic setting on a slow, peaceful river.
One weekend we went to the market in Felletin. French markets are simply delightful and are great for people watching (and photographing)!
Clermont-Ferrand
Another day we went to visit Clermont-Ferrand. This vibrant, university city in the neighboring department of Auvergne features an imposing cathedral made of black stone. The stark interior feels just as stern and foreboding as the exterior. Having to worship in a place like that would make anyone beg for a quick trip to the afterlife! Hopefully, they'll find heaven's design to be a bit more cheerful.
We enjoyed wandering the streets of Clermont-Ferrand, and found more playful little quarters to poke into.
Puy de Dome
Not far away from Clermont-Ferrand is Puy de Dome, a tall knob of volcanic origin, and with its grand view of the surrounding countryside, it is understandably a popular tourist destination.
Puy de Dome is also a great place for paragliding. With a funicular to take you up, there are plenty of pilots (and tourists) on the hill. The flying is what I would call "fish bowl" flying--because of the mountain's cone shape, the lift band is small, and everyone swirls around the same three of four thermals.
Nevertheless, I had a great time flying, and we celebrated afterward with a fabulous meal at a nearby country restaurant.
On our way back from Puy de Dome and Clermont-Ferrand, we toured the countryside of Auvergne. With it's rolling green hills and open countryside, we felt like we were in Switzerland, minus the Alps!
Auvergne is the AOC that produces the wonderful Bleu de Auvergne, a creamy, tangy, blue cheese sold all over the world.
The area was also popular for cycling. We didn't bring our bikes, unfortunately, and I was a bit jealous of the riders who had.
Goodbye to Basville
During our stay in Basville we would normally buy fresh produce at a local market and cook a simple meal at home. To celebrate the end of our stay, however, we decided our final meal should be a splurge. A quick trip to the local butcher, some help from a local converting our poor French to a specific order, and we walked out with a big rack of lamb, fresh from a farm just down the road.
Soon it was time to head back to La Sudrie. Creuse is well off the international tourist circuit, and without the de Belinay home in Basville, we probably never would have experienced this wonderful corner of France.