Pérouges, France
May 29
About 20 miles outside of Lyon at the top of a hill overlooking the Rhône plain is the small, fortified medieval city of Pérouges. Thought to have been founded by a Gallic colony returning from Perugia, it was initially primarily inhabited by farmers and linen weavers. Officially becoming French in 1601, having been an independent commune since 1236, the textile industry in the city boomed until the end of the 18th century and, later, when the roads and railroads were rerouted at the beginning of the 19th century, the population greatly declined. It was in 1911 that the town was restored and, today, tourists delight in Pérouges’ cobbled alleys and its half-timbered stone houses.
In spite of our walking in the rain on slippery stones, it was a morning enjoyed by all, and probably more so because the wet weather must have kept other tourists away.The stone walls, strong and noble, had so many stories to tell, if only we could have heard them. And, of course, being in France, there was a sweet treat…the Galette Pérougienne (Galette de Pérouges), created in 1912 by Marie-Louise Thibaut when she and her husband settled in the village. A soft buttery dough with a crispy caramelized top, it was the perfect mid-morning indulgence complimented with a glass of white wine.
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