RIDE TO THE VILLAGE CALLED HEDGEHOG

Story and Photos by ITN European Reporter Herve’ Rebollo.

Salut à vous riders of all over the world,

It was a long time i wanted to visit a famous little french village located right in the middle of France (deep in the French heartland), called HEDGEHOG (HÉRISSON in French).

We have many many places, villages, cities in France with incredible name. For instance, the following that you could translate by « Listen if it rains”. It’s so nice.

Okay, here we go! It would be a short, an easy manageable 600 km/375 miles ride inthis early June. A perfect round-trip in two days under in a beautiful sunshine.

And of course, on small roads, through the forests of central France (see: https://irontradernews.com/ride-to-rider-jeanne/) and along numerous rivers, there is always time to take a break in the middle of nowhere.

With such a name, this village of course has the appropriate coat of arms.

A former stronghold of the Bourbons, the small medieval town of Hérisson, nestling on the banks of a meander of the River Aumance, forms a particularly harmonious group of buildings, with its feudal castle standing on a rocky spur, old residences and verdant banks.

Bronze Age and later Iron Age populations settled almost exclusively in low-lying areas. The proximity of fords seems to have been particularly appreciated. These light settlements built in rock shelters constitute rare and precious evidence of a way of life based on gathering, fishing, and hunting horses, reindeer, and even marmots.

In the Middle Ages, Hérisson was one of the seventeen castellanies of Bourbonnais and also had the role of defending the border with Aquitaine. The first castle was built by the lords of Bourbon to control the crossings on the Aumance around the 10th century.

During the Hundred Years’ War, the English, who owned Aquitaine, directly threatened Bourbonnais and besieged Hérisson Castle, which resisted. After the Fronde, Cardinal Mazarin, who ruled France with Anne of Austria during the minority of Louis XIV, had Hérisson Castle dismantled. It was then used as a stone quarry.

During the French Revolution, Hérisson became the capital of the canton, but its location in a basin, far from the main roads, did not encourage its development.

The village of Hérisson is today essentially touristy thanks to its rich heritage.

Hérisson offers real historical and archaeological interest. The town, surrounded by a wall flanked by 22 towers, developed at the foot of the castle, in a loop of the Aumance.

Three fortified gates gave access to the three main streets which converged on the Place du Chapitre (of the collegiate church of St Sauveur, of which only the bell tower remains today).

Today, Hérisson hosts numerous cultural events: theatre days, music festivals, various exhibitions, folkloric meetings. Hérisson is a place of relaxation and discovery.

And it’s clear that HÉRISSON is a must see if you are interested in the French culture/History.

It is one of the most traditional places of French culture, ideal for making one of the best coffee breaks of your entire biker life.

This place is almost caricatured as it resembles a movie set.

But people really live here and tourists come from all over the world to visit HÉRISSON.

And just before leaving, don’t forget to stop at Mr. Balthazar’s local distillery. Since 1984.

I’m sure you will find local specialities to suit your personal tastes.

After a really pleasant afternoon through the small streets of HERISSON, it was time to leave the place and hit the road again.

Direction the old city of BOURGES (see: https://irontradernews.com/january-cold-ride-to-the-cathedral/), to shoot (once again) the magnificient cathedral of Saint-Étienne.

The idea was to stop at my old friend Pascal the classic biker’s house (remember him: https://irontradernews.com/the-42nd-classic-bike-rally-paris-bourges/).

Always a pleasure when arriving at his place.

Among old bikes ….

… and animals.

It’s time to have a good time with friends…

… and good doggy boy.

Perhaps you already know that the rooster is the symbol of France?

The connection between the rooster and France dates back to the Gauls, the Celtic people who once occupied what is now France. Ironically, the rooster was not chosen by the Gauls themselves, but rather by their Roman enemies. In Latin, the word “Gallus” means both “Gaul” and “rooster.”

The rooster as a symbol of pride has only been recognized since the Middle Ages, little by little France fell in love with the animal. Kings bypassed mockery and erected it as a symbol during battles. They seized the courageous, combative and audacious symbolism of the rooster to make it an emblem.

But the unofficial and amusing story goes that the French have the rooster as their emblem because it is the only animal capable of proudly crowing when its feet are in the mud. Typical of French humor and arrogance, lol.

And on Sunday morning, it was time to leave Pascal and hit the road again.

Next time you are in France we’ll go to this magnificent village of HÉRISSON/HEDGEHOG, I’m absolutely sure that you will be amazed.

See ya soon on the road, who knows?!?

Hervé, your French biker friend.