HOLIDAYS DAY 6

After the thunderstorms, the weather was sunny again, but the temperature had cooled down. So we decided to use the morning to visit the Thonon castle which is named Chateau de Ripaille ( Ripaille’s castle),  which was built in the 15th century..

The castle was very well restored and looked beautiful.



There was a little film explaining its history and I took a picture of an overview of the castle and a friendly man took a picture of the three of us at the entrance.



The castle is used today for wedding receptions or for seminaries, and also has a restaurant. We payed the entrance fee and followed the indications.



In one room was a huge mirror, and I tried to take a picture of us, but it didn't came out very well.



 We visited all rooms where furniture and other antiques were displayed. One of the furniture was a praying stool and Nicole always ready for a joke knelt and faked to pray. With the stuffed bird aside it was too funny ! 



Then we visited the wine cellar. The entrance had a little window with bars and we amused ourselves by looking through the bars.



This is a rack for empty bottles I swear we didn't empty them ! The wine casks were enormous. A very tall man could stand easily inside. There is still wine produced but not in the castle anymore but the wine is called Chateau de Ripaille.

After we finished our visit, we went to a public  place where women used to wash their laundry. A local lady told us that it is still used by the people when there is something special to wash.



It looked so pretty. We just imagined the women washing and chatting all together around the stone washing bassins. Although the place looked beautiful with all these flowers around, I honestly prefer my laundry machine !

We stopped at the local bakery and bought some cake and croissants and then went home for lunch.
The whole afternoon we spent at the swimming pool and watched the little boats sailing on the lake.
It was too cool to swim.

And while Dominique and Nicole used their green thumbs in the garden, I was busy with my pictures and emails. I have no green thumb at all ! Instead I prepared the supper and we spent a quiet evening watching the sunset and chatted and tired from this hard day we went to bed early ! I think it is all this fresh air, that makes us going  to bed so early  and the fact, that there is no TV ! A new one will be installed later.