Essoyes, Renoir's Happy Hideaway

The pictures of Renoir’s gnarled hands were an amazing thing to see, to think those hands created such great works of art is an astounding thought. Our last stop in Champagne was in the village of Essoyes, a summer retreat for the Renoir family. It was where his wife was from. Renoir said he could get better potatoes and bread in the country, living in the country myself I agree. His last days were spent in his beloved village of Essoyes and he is buried there, just a few hundred yards from his studio.