L'Albret on France 2

France 2 takes you to Gascony for a boat trip and a tasting of local specialties, not forgetting to let your gaze wander in Vianne (Lot-et-Garonne).

Our getaway to the Albret region begins south of Nérac (Lot-et-Garonne), traveling at 6 km/h aboard a coutrillon, a replica of the 19th-century barges that used to transport flour and wine to Bordeaux. No longer carrying cargo, it now welcomes 12,000 visitors a year. The special feature of this cruise is the opportunity to discover the Gascon breakfast with 100% local specialties. "You'll find duck sausage, duck foie gras rillettes, and semi-cooked foie gras," lists Emilie Ligardes, co-manager of the Lafitte farm.

Bastide de Vianne
Following the course of the Baïse River, we discover the bastide town of Vianne (Lot-et-Garonne), built in the 13th century by the English, with its perpendicular streets and remarkably well-preserved fortifications, its Romanesque church, and its legends. "Here, under the church, we found an underground passage leading to the ramparts. But legend has it that this wolf guards the passage," explains Pierre Longo, a guide at the Albret tourist office.

In Vianne, heritage is also based on recognized expertise: Vianne glassmaking in the last century. Christian Pointier, director of the Vianne Glass Museum, saved the factory's stock, machinery, and thousands of molds when it closed its doors in 2006. "We couldn't throw away the past of thousands of families. Then there was the heritage, which is both a technique and an art," he says. Thanks to him, this jewel of the glass industry has not been lost.