Interesting woodworking places in France?

[Jay Knoll]

Hi,

Well, my wife and I are going to be in France for several months this summer -- no shop time for me! I'm sure that sometime I'm going to get tired of looking at churchs, going to galleries, walking, eating and drinking wine. So, any suggestions for wood working related destinations to visit?

Jay

[Christian Aufreiter]

Hi Jay,

I'm defintely not an expert but some years ago I visited a great sawmill museum.
It's named Scierie Musée Vincent and located in Ste-Croix-aux-Mines (Alsace).

Regards,

Christian

PS: I don't think you'll get tired of drinking and eating :D .

[Scott Loven]

Take a few classes?
http://www.craft-supplies.co.uk/france.htm
http://www.ateliers-st-jacques.com/index1.htm
http://www.jacques-barbier.com/index.html

[Martin Shupe]

If you like marquetry, check out the furniture in the Lourve. A bit overdone, for my taste, but I think they have a display of a very famous woodworker, Charles somebody, who built furniture for the king.

The wouldn't let me take pics.

They also have a bunch of chests with very old dovetails...big dovetails, with thick wood...inch to inch and a quarter.

Wear comfy shoes, the marble floors were killing my feet after 4 hours.

[Bill Lewis]

Wear comfy shoes, the marble floors were killing my feet after 4 hours.

And don't lose your map of the place, it's nearly impossible to find your way out of there. It's huge!

Where are you going in France?

[Jay Knoll]

We're going to start in Paris, we became partners in a 38' barge boat (actually more like a floating RV than a big commercial barge converted to living aboard).

Our partners arrived in Paris yesterday, there is a marina in the heart of Paris near the Bastille

We will take the boat back to its winter home near Dijon through the canal system -- haven't determined the route yet, but probably down the Loire valley.

Jay

[Norman Hitt]

We're going to start in Paris, we became partners in a 38' barge boat (actually more like a floating RV than a big commercial barge converted to living aboard).

Our partners arrived in Paris yesterday, there is a marina in the heart of Paris near the Bastille

We will take the boat back to its winter home near Dijon through the canal system -- haven't determined the route yet, but probably down the Loire valley.

Jay

Jay, there are a lot of folks that live on the Converted Barges all across Europe, and travel the canals. You should have a really fun time there on your Canal Trip. If you have any Interest in Aviation at all, then while in Paris, be sure to go to the Le Bourget Airport and go through the museum there. They have 5 Really Nice hangars (or that was the number 15 years ago) just full of Beautifully Restored aircraft from all over the world in them, plus quite an outdoor display including SN 001 or 002 Concord that you can go through, plus many of the first Hot air Balloons, (very colorful), and the very first wood frame with fabric airplanes with the "Scalloped" trailing edge elevators and rudders. Moving right along, it will take about 3 hrs to see everything (or longer if you dawdle) :D There was some fine woodwork in some of those early planes.

Have a great trip.