ALBERTVILLE - OLD TOWN

Well we've had three days of solid rain so when it all stopped suddenly on Saturday afternoon we took the chance to go for a drive and stumbled on the old Medieval town of Albertville.  It's up on the hill opposite the main town and it's so different.  Nothing was open apart from the Church which seemed very busy with a couple of weddings happening one after the other.  We walked to the top it was great way to spend a grey afternoon.

The entrance to the old city

Uuuummmmmm where are we

Looks like something from the set of the movie Chocolat

The windows dressed up

I loved all the old style signs

The centre place but everything was very much closed

 

We finally made it to the top well halfway anyway, there is a garden with a beautiful view over Albertville.

 

The cannon protecting the old town in the olden days

 



 

Albertville - the dome in the distance - in blue is the Olympic stadium as the Winter Olympics were held here in the 80's.

 



 

A beautiful old castle

The grapes were lovely and so sweet, we took a bunch or two.

 

Had to fight the birds for the lovely fruit

 

THE WEDDINGS................two to be exact, one very traditional......................

 

 

...............and if you're wondering why all the guests are watching the bride enter the church from the outside it's because they're already married.  In France you go to the Mayor's house which isn't actually his house but the Hotel de Ville, where the legal ceremony is performed in a room with chairs and maybe a vase of flowers, books are signed and then on to the church, which is optional, to perform a religious ceremony.  But it's all quiet relaxed.

 

 

BIG FAT GYPSY WEDDING......................Gosh we laughed, so different and so not suited to a medieval town, but each to there own.  The scars on the grooms head were quiet scary, the suite and wedding dress even scarier.  And check out he limo.  O incase you're wondering that's the bride in RED not the bridesmaid.

 



 

 

Pictures of the gardens around the old town.  Really pretty and different with huge tomatoes, goldfish ponds, chestnut trees etc.

 

 

And that was Saturday.