19th September - Cremieu

We don't normally get up at 5am unless it's for something very important like going fishing or taking Elizabeth to the airport. Elizabeth flew out of Lyon at 9 am for Klagenfurt (Austria) via Venice before catching up with her family in Rome in a few days' time. It has been great having her with us and it's what you can do when you have a house on exchange with the available accommodation.
After dropping Elizabeth off we headed towards Cremieu, a village which we have heard about and has had us intrigued since we first arrived. This 800 year old village is heritage listed and contains magnificent architecture. Its heritage has been revealed by careful restoration and as the Tourist Bureau spiel says "we are reminded of the long winding path from Middle ages to modern times. Each monument and house is a living memory of its history, passed on from generation to generation, remarkably intact and vivid". The village is breathtaking.
It contains a covered market hall from the early 14th century (1315-1321) in its original form and which is still used today as a market venue 700 years later.
Here are some photos of the magnificent village.

Covered Market Hall

Cloisters

Restored Convent