tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7715391325158439772024-03-06T10:25:26.250+01:00Chez CharnizayLife in Sud TouraineNiall & Antoinettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699304108340257145noreply@blogger.comBlogger327125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-771539132515843977.post-3165145726923677982015-03-08T13:51:00.000+01:002015-03-08T13:51:33.700+01:00Spring IntermezzoA brief intermezzo before we post the second part of the Sculptures in Touraine exhibition.<br />
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After seemingly endless grey skies and rain we've suddenly been given some super springtime weather and for the last 3 days the temperature outside has been hovering around the 18C mark. Glorious! Especially nice for Charnizay's annual fete which takes place over this weekend with the obligatory brocante yesterday. We went down to have a wander and despite the fabulous weather it was relatively quiet. Being so early in the year we think reduces the number of visitors. There were more stalls than last year and on one you could even buy a pair of bronze scantily clad ladies for the modest sum of €480! A slight cut above the usual stuff on offer. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5S8-smsj_ikXs9WiCt3I7RUXvz7nr6vBbFPAkTtQNpFraR0k2VnO4guzATpZnsGarnVAHamrcSvkBMtvoIuqPuxGa3NhjTFQ1EGl9wP43XDglp8hIKvKgp5ornnM3juePHi28f0eks8k/s1600/IMG_3519.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5S8-smsj_ikXs9WiCt3I7RUXvz7nr6vBbFPAkTtQNpFraR0k2VnO4guzATpZnsGarnVAHamrcSvkBMtvoIuqPuxGa3NhjTFQ1EGl9wP43XDglp8hIKvKgp5ornnM3juePHi28f0eks8k/s1600/IMG_3519.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowdrops on their way out, double daffs in bud</td></tr>
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Our snowdrops are disappearing while you look and the daffodils have taken over, as have the cowslips. The double daffodils are still in bud, but give it few more days like today with wonderful sunshine and they'll be breaking open as well. The small sweet smelling wood violets are beginning to unfurl their tiny purple flowers as well. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwc7UYFzYTFUNu3Q1cYMz8mHjTXhSHB5aApQ37bhNSUtfS3sd64r7v5khlQgXiRVHJ02TARwMmnr90iy8Q3QPOmg9588XB1MUbNsAAykaEmaX8PsACW-tvkyAepvRzAwDoa5MPbTNMixo/s1600/IMG_3520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwc7UYFzYTFUNu3Q1cYMz8mHjTXhSHB5aApQ37bhNSUtfS3sd64r7v5khlQgXiRVHJ02TARwMmnr90iy8Q3QPOmg9588XB1MUbNsAAykaEmaX8PsACW-tvkyAepvRzAwDoa5MPbTNMixo/s1600/IMG_3520.JPG" height="180" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early daffs by the drive </td></tr>
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On Friday Niall dusted off the two chairs and table we have at the front south-side of the house and even put out the flag to celebrate the 'first cup of coffee outside in 2015'!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTnZhwEu8S96HQ8tt7ZGRxEvHaKNXnLP20jG4EpiJYSBm3OiLwc_DfrHUTRfMGHo1z-KNTZw_reYHzMtOK5u5x3UQybBtYuHeoHSMldUTjzELTsTk6y22YOto09zmSniPpMUbTqBenHU8/s1600/CIMG2079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTnZhwEu8S96HQ8tt7ZGRxEvHaKNXnLP20jG4EpiJYSBm3OiLwc_DfrHUTRfMGHo1z-KNTZw_reYHzMtOK5u5x3UQybBtYuHeoHSMldUTjzELTsTk6y22YOto09zmSniPpMUbTqBenHU8/s1600/CIMG2079.JPG" height="400" width="235" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for morning coffee outside</td></tr>
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It is still cold in the mornings and Météo France forecasts rain again on Tuesday, but the temperatures look like they will hold up around the 14 or 15C mark or so in the afternoons this coming week and some hazy sun is predicted from Wednesday onwards.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNleLNTM3DXfv2PjKrEzPoDPt16-MFZYXopr3S6fUX-ea_NeuLTIT7SUxfc_0pMY-fWx-pApZGVG8-oyVgcFjL__g_fkdVkvRAvIXGFcizqyBfgSfZP7mPFiDOKzdVeSppjbUeCk-eifw/s1600/IMG_3518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNleLNTM3DXfv2PjKrEzPoDPt16-MFZYXopr3S6fUX-ea_NeuLTIT7SUxfc_0pMY-fWx-pApZGVG8-oyVgcFjL__g_fkdVkvRAvIXGFcizqyBfgSfZP7mPFiDOKzdVeSppjbUeCk-eifw/s1600/IMG_3518.JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cowslips, if you look carefully you can just spot some kind of fly on one of the flowers</td></tr>
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Finally we couldn't resist putting up this photo of the roe deer out the back one morning just before it got light. The quality is terrible, even with loads of tweaking -- Niall had to take it in a rush through a crack in the kitchen door in low level light with no tripod and no time to set the camera for the light conditions. All three had been lying down when Niall spotted them. Seconds after this was taken they ran off.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHdqa5HrDmSyKq3JFhfXvZhWieyTKsvEH8s_4RUpR6ZBxPuBMN0mrK1gfO0IVfvXZDF-Fn9BVEwc98z9ueSt20txnfyvZg6pSAwPA2C6cyA-1jXYsaydYjOgKV0IMj2m80YAGSPrErrw/s1600/IMG_3515.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHdqa5HrDmSyKq3JFhfXvZhWieyTKsvEH8s_4RUpR6ZBxPuBMN0mrK1gfO0IVfvXZDF-Fn9BVEwc98z9ueSt20txnfyvZg6pSAwPA2C6cyA-1jXYsaydYjOgKV0IMj2m80YAGSPrErrw/s1600/IMG_3515.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning to you!</td></tr>
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<br />Niall & Antoinettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699304108340257145noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-771539132515843977.post-28814501457477832032015-02-28T17:54:00.000+01:002015-02-28T17:54:00.077+01:00A sculpture promenade from the Gallo-Roman to the MedievalEarlier this week we went up to the Logis Royal in Loches with friends Simon & Susan from <a href="http://daysontheclaise.blogspot.fr/">Days on the Claise</a>. The reason for our visit was the exhibition<i> 'Sculptures en Touraine, promenade autour de cent oeuvres'</i> which has been put together by the Conseil général d'Indre-et-Loire.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTAuKYWYmltlBM1btIhoYYNR9fMR6xfCCC35JmzA9EsisqHeJ2uTjvvyewUyGjxtMHz735JH4Hitw7N74ygV4nGLP5Qga6fCylyFtIUUTQfDnur9LhVNPpPjBvdqXRhQq_dupWueSliy4/s1600/IMG_3477.JPG" height="252" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Le Logis Royal, Loches</td></tr>
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It was very much worth the visit. The exhibition, a collection of 100 works, is arranged chronologically from the early Gallo-Roman period to the present day and offers a fantastic insight into the rich sculptural heritage of our region. There are lots of informative panels and maps showing locations of the finds. In addition, the Conseil général d'Indre-et-Loire has published a superb catalogue to accompany the 'promenade' which, in our opinion, is worth it as an art book on its own.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWN6MFKInv62OP8fm6deYfrYqVx45eoL2Z0sWqX2RCp6IEs_r0NUHK8Gact6EAjaXkIDZ9jOSO8eDgq7r4bGXqvgOPQnsEkrCV6AC3Dyg9YAxC1bNP_JFmV3FpTMCWN5XgqYuOMWmX9DA/s1600/IMG_3485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWN6MFKInv62OP8fm6deYfrYqVx45eoL2Z0sWqX2RCp6IEs_r0NUHK8Gact6EAjaXkIDZ9jOSO8eDgq7r4bGXqvgOPQnsEkrCV6AC3Dyg9YAxC1bNP_JFmV3FpTMCWN5XgqYuOMWmX9DA/s1600/IMG_3485.JPG" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cinq-mars-la-pile's captive barbarian</td></tr>
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The first pieces date from the Gallo-Roman period [the earliest from the 1st century BC]. Not much has been found from the earlier part of this era as the Gauls worked more in wood than in stone. However, in 1937 a small stone bust was found in the commune of Paulnay by some agricultural workers, who dug it up accidentally. A slightly later, but still early statue which we've blogged about <a href="http://chezcharnizay.blogspot.fr/2013/04/a-handsome-pile.html">before</a> is that of a "captive barbarian" found very close to the Gallo-Roman tower at Cinq-mars-la-pile. Having read about it, and visited the location of the 'Pile', it was nice to see the actual statue.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPCv3FOCNtjenldU4yqp3RiGRXbWFVCTflTZscY-N_4RgVpyKtccl3VpJuxr4WN00_ZyrOHCVQu6gz9HLCPMR6TTiORqaXU4THrgOISQjP5bN9y13p99L-BK5xdlAJv2vwuw8-uOj9ArY/s1600/IMG_3491.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPCv3FOCNtjenldU4yqp3RiGRXbWFVCTflTZscY-N_4RgVpyKtccl3VpJuxr4WN00_ZyrOHCVQu6gz9HLCPMR6TTiORqaXU4THrgOISQjP5bN9y13p99L-BK5xdlAJv2vwuw8-uOj9ArY/s1600/IMG_3491.JPG" height="400" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Le Griffon de la Riche</td></tr>
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The griffon, found in 1998 at the edge of the river Loire in la Riche, is a beautiful example of a copper alloy sculpture made via the lost wax method. Originally it would have been placed on some form of support which is now lost. It's a typical mythical creature: it has an eagle's beak, pointy ears, a horse-like mane and the body of a bird. It wasn't created in Touraine but, according to the catalogue, the style and quality of the casting indicate that it came from the Mediterranean and as such it serves to underline the importance of Tours and the region as a crossroads during the Gallo-Roman period.<br />
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Just down the road from us is Preuilly-sur-Claise, a small town where we go for our local services. It has a little museum, the musée de la Poterne, which has a wide and varied collection of objects. A number of 11-12th century Romanesque capitals and other stone carvings in its collection have been lent to the exhibition. We've written about Preuilly's Romanesque abbey, where the capital most likely originated <a href="http://chezcharnizay.blogspot.fr/2011/06/preuillys-romanesque-abbey.html">here</a>. The most striking capital shows another mythical beast. This one
has a human-ish face, a long sinuous neck, a feathered & winged
bird-like body ending in a dolphin-like tail. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5bA4fsxE73hCD2j3WlAcsw14_AcXLHEOIZo5pO0dYqStRnD2LkTM1HCGh5pWkWGfPIbEHLqDPjh3Qpvl0ksjK9Tj0rHODYlcOHBp6J130dvjhaVBxRpHcFyNSJch6duf1P5VhWexM5vY/s1600/IMG_3490.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5bA4fsxE73hCD2j3WlAcsw14_AcXLHEOIZo5pO0dYqStRnD2LkTM1HCGh5pWkWGfPIbEHLqDPjh3Qpvl0ksjK9Tj0rHODYlcOHBp6J130dvjhaVBxRpHcFyNSJch6duf1P5VhWexM5vY/s1600/IMG_3490.JPG" height="211" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">11/12th century capital: mythical beast, on loan from Preuilly</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJrR6Qs5EG585v5xma8RABhAYxdOwrA_1Q-m6QfHKv8wwHb0AwrAHVSHg21x1COF3l5W3RASgYBzEWyDSHnqr7EX4XQfyBM1kL6_OVO087HXFUdjpEGyC94CHdm-2vNXC8HjzePkwqwvo/s1600/IMG_3484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJrR6Qs5EG585v5xma8RABhAYxdOwrA_1Q-m6QfHKv8wwHb0AwrAHVSHg21x1COF3l5W3RASgYBzEWyDSHnqr7EX4XQfyBM1kL6_OVO087HXFUdjpEGyC94CHdm-2vNXC8HjzePkwqwvo/s1600/IMG_3484.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">11/12th century capital: foliage and faces, on loan from Preuilly</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSYFm5FvkAwWygrrq1Rlg5KzgNcc6m9opcKgvpUoayPdSz8ERuSdviuK812TRLMw0hLlAHjADL1r74wn_nm8_wsvrdg2wH-xQ9_cN_jmOLpck8rpuIVimqp-ShMn-fo-e-LCkwHHgSWQk/s1600/IMG_3493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSYFm5FvkAwWygrrq1Rlg5KzgNcc6m9opcKgvpUoayPdSz8ERuSdviuK812TRLMw0hLlAHjADL1r74wn_nm8_wsvrdg2wH-xQ9_cN_jmOLpck8rpuIVimqp-ShMn-fo-e-LCkwHHgSWQk/s1600/IMG_3493.JPG" height="400" width="262" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wood polychrome 12th century Virgin & Child from Yzeures-sur-Creuse</td></tr>
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We thought that one of the most fascinating and 'alive' sculptures was one which was found in Barrou, another village not far from Charnizay. Dug up in the 1970s in the garden of the former presbytery it is the figure of a woman from the Romanesque period [12th century]. Dressed in beautifully detailed clothes she has elegantly long hands, elongated fingers and shows traces of polychrome. The catalogue describes it as follows:' La reine de Saba?' [the Queen of Sheba]. Although it is reckoned to be a statue of the Queen of Sheba, this by no means a definitive attribution and the catalogue goes into some detail in explaining the two competing attributions, as some scholars have claimed her to be a representation of the Annunciation of the Virgin.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwXFQbvMMPVH9m4448_4VHGOPQiKbDX_ujhEMxCtBJdJJNWG2sUqlctWqIshyTZUo5tFfeSW4XNgQOxWi2mP0QqgVUbSCZCmQzShDXmXNrj94dR8nuT6MJsel-z7XE5cwuej19Ttm4qIs/s1600/IMG_3487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwXFQbvMMPVH9m4448_4VHGOPQiKbDX_ujhEMxCtBJdJJNWG2sUqlctWqIshyTZUo5tFfeSW4XNgQOxWi2mP0QqgVUbSCZCmQzShDXmXNrj94dR8nuT6MJsel-z7XE5cwuej19Ttm4qIs/s1600/IMG_3487.JPG" height="400" width="218" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La reine de Saba?? from Barrou</td></tr>
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The reasonings are as follows: One the one hand the figure does not wear a crown, which, though frequently seen, was by no means universal in the Romanesque period in depicting a queen as it was later in the Medieval period. Nor it is clear if the Barrou lady originally stood in a column niche as does a figure of the reine de saba adorning a column on west door of the Cathedral of St Maurice in Angers [ca 1155] which it closely resembles. Her right hand does however, clearly finger a necklace and her left hand holds her elaborate braids. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_SBt3dsYr1hG6AGokMWnzKarajSddffMlRrbj3wDSAHHarrJNo2q3N2Wo0ZXOC9Ca_W2VJSMwwZ6JqeIFv6G3NueZwe_ozGQkOjGERN1AGg3eyF_iLyHLEKPW1LA0tBcYkOWKsM8fxw/s1600/IMG_3486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_SBt3dsYr1hG6AGokMWnzKarajSddffMlRrbj3wDSAHHarrJNo2q3N2Wo0ZXOC9Ca_W2VJSMwwZ6JqeIFv6G3NueZwe_ozGQkOjGERN1AGg3eyF_iLyHLEKPW1LA0tBcYkOWKsM8fxw/s1600/IMG_3486.JPG" height="270" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Informative panel on the elusive lady [<span style="font-size: xx-small;">click to enlarge if you want to read the text</span>]</td></tr>
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On the other hand, the lack of a crown and a beautifully detailed veil, the slightly sideways-on positioning of the face as well as her close similarity with a figure of the Annunciation of the Virgin found in the frieze above the main door of Notre-Dame-la-Grande in Poitiers [1130-40] has led other experts to claim that she is a representation of the Annunciation of the Virgin. The jury remains out. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
More promenading into the Renaissance and the modern period will follow.</div>
Niall & Antoinettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699304108340257145noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-771539132515843977.post-52945799296352776812015-01-31T21:18:00.000+01:002015-01-31T21:18:22.936+01:00Wishing for blue skiesThe forecast says that we are going to be in for a week of colder weather; we might even see a few snow flurries. It would be lovely if we got a week of the clear blue skies and sun such as we had during our visit to Chenonceau.<br />
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Recently we've mostly had days and days of grey, rainy weather. In fact so much rain that the "ponds" reappeared at the back. Thankfully they have subsided a little today but the ground is still very boggy.<br />
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However, on the positive side the snow drops have been out for a number of weeks and the early daffs have very fat buds. Earlier this week we even saw a daffodil in a sheltered spot in flower.<br />
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These views taken at Chenonceau in December serve as a reminder of the beautiful blue skies we can have here, even during winter. <br />
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Looking out at the Tour des Marques, which is all that is left of the oldest buildings -- a castle and fortified mill, built about 1430. To the left you can just see a tiny bit of Catherine de Médicis garden.<br />
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Looking upstream on the Cher from the second floor of the long gallery which stretches across the river. Catherine de Médicis threw a grand bash in the long gallery in 1577 in honor of her son Henri III. In the left hand corner you can just see a bit of Diane de Poitiers' garden.<br />
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Diane de Poitiers' garden with the water jet fountain at the center. It is very formal rectangle dissected with sharply delineated paths which slice the space in triangular beds. The paths converge at the water jet.<br />
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A classic winter blue sky. Looking out at Diane de Poitiers' garden from the ground floor library cabinet which leads off from Catherine de Médicis' study.<br />
<br />Niall & Antoinettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699304108340257145noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-771539132515843977.post-30319466041632172912015-01-18T19:59:00.002+01:002015-01-18T19:59:24.420+01:00Chenonceau challengeWhen, over Christmas, we visited the chateau of Chenonceau with <a href="http://daysontheclaise.blogspot.fr/">Susan & Simon</a> it was lovely and quiet and we were able to look around in a very leisurely fashion.<br />
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The kitchen and food preparation areas, as well as the servants' dining room are located in the cellars of the older building whose foundations, like that of the later gallery extension, are built in the river. The food preparation areas are on one side and the main kitchen with cooking ranges is in the other. There's a set of stairs which links the two areas -- rather like an internal version of a canal bridge; you walk up the inside of an arch span and then descend to the other side. Through the windows you can look out at the river Cher flowing underneath you.<br />
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In the photo above - taken on Christmas Day - you can see the central rounded arch underneath the older, square section of the chateau. The main kitchen area is on the left and the servants' dining hall and food preparation rooms are on the right.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 19th century kitchen, full of gleaming copper utensils</td></tr>
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While we were looking at the 19th century kitchen range and paraphernalia we came across two mystery items. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First mystery object</td></tr>
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If you look closely at the first mystery object you'll see our
reflections in the beautifully polished copper. It was sat on the main range. The bulbous addition to
the pan is what puzzles us. Without it it would seem to be a fish pan,
albeit a fairly deep one. The bulbous section isn't a handle -- there are two obvious ones for carrying the pan and it is sealed, there are no vents or apertures. As the pan is on display and there's a strict 'don't touch' policy we didn't lift the lid so we don't know what it looks like inside.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second mystery object</td></tr>
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The second mystery object is obviously a useful Victorian labour-saving gadget of some type but we couldn't decide what for. It reminded me a little of a giant cigar cutter. Simon thought it was to grip something. The two small 'ax' shapes in the center have blunt serrated edges.<br />
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So, despite some extensive speculation and discussion amongst the four of us, none of us have any real idea what these items are for. Do you?Niall & Antoinettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699304108340257145noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-771539132515843977.post-56623560086279414672015-01-01T14:30:00.001+01:002015-01-01T14:30:54.924+01:00Morning, New Year's Day 2015A good start to 2015 with none of the lowering grey skies we've had too much of recently, but a frosty day with sun and clear blue skies; so went out with the camera.<br />
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Looking west-north west from the edge of our property over Eric's field
of colza to the other side of the Aigronne valley in the distance. <br />
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Again looking north-west. The low morning sun is casting long shadows and has already melted the frost under the trees.<br />
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Looking towards the south east. Deer often come up from the wooded gully and then cross our land, heading to the copse to the west of our house.<br />
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Looking east-north east along the same gully as in the photo above. In the forefront is a small strip of hedge which juts out. The field carries on down to the gully just behind it.<br />
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Mistletoe berries dropped from one of the poplars lying amongst the frosted grass and leaves. </div>
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Not long after that we cooked our New Year's Day brunch - croissants, chipolata
sausages from our local farmer, bacon and soft scrambled eggs. All washed
down with fresh orange juice and a glass of sparkling Vouvray - aptly
named Cuvée Antoinette.</div>
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Niall & Antoinettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699304108340257145noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-771539132515843977.post-7163643278361701982014-12-31T23:59:00.000+01:002014-12-31T23:59:00.043+01:00Hogmanay 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo: </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span dir="auto"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">White bright fireworks.jpg, wikimedia commons</span></span></span></span></div>
Niall & Antoinettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699304108340257145noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-771539132515843977.post-11410591835850445672014-12-30T12:12:00.000+01:002014-12-30T12:12:31.422+01:00 Christmas Day dinner on Christmas EveOur normal Christmas tradition here has become a seafood platter on Christmas Eve and our main festive meal eaten on Christmas Day. This year we reversed the order as we went to visit Chateau Chenonceau on the 25th with friends <a href="http://daysontheclaise.blogspot.fr/">Susan & Simon</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking up to the approach to the chateau</td></tr>
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Simon had cleverly found out that the chateau was open on Christmas Day and it seemed a much better idea to enjoy an afternoon wandering round the grounds and chateau than sit at home in front of a TV showing endless "Christmas Specials" of dubious quality.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Classic' view of Chenonceau in full winter sun</td></tr>
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So on Christmas Eve we roasted our canette, which we ate with a mirabelle purée [made with our own mirabelles], rosemary & honey roast parsnips, haricots verts and a spiced red wine jus. The recipes for the red wine jus and the mirabelle purée were from the chef at <a href="http://www.four-magazine.com/articles/346/a-recipe-by-adam-smith">The Devonshire Arms Hotel</a> in Bolton Abbey, Yorkshire. Both were easy to follow and tasted great, though to be honest I didn't follow the jus recipe to the letter. For afters we had warm pears which had been poached in white wine, vanilla & star anise with vanilla ice cream.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGboUN6DNUPOd5QfyjGacgbcUJKz5xEem2OV7n0CLFq6xFbhCPqEjxJTaARJ0SQoD0rUb7WC-WyCsINKOKh3IGErlAFFI8W3RC-exs330yidu2hmbuCxu1PdJEc5blSwziEOYZzRHfKM/s1600/IMG_3351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGboUN6DNUPOd5QfyjGacgbcUJKz5xEem2OV7n0CLFq6xFbhCPqEjxJTaARJ0SQoD0rUb7WC-WyCsINKOKh3IGErlAFFI8W3RC-exs330yidu2hmbuCxu1PdJEc5blSwziEOYZzRHfKM/s1600/IMG_3351.JPG" height="400" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A virtually empty long gallery </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOZo6_0ava2UnMMe_LOK14SnEHge4ZLiAioX_9sSy_GT4EdFQfwNJUH7jZoZU1h4-uYVnG1rA-XOifwAa-OjeKxz-_01tiiTqhDYMLyUWT-2Nn46FmX0ICfJ65NsoOPT7CcHpuFiZFhc8/s1600/IMG_3354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOZo6_0ava2UnMMe_LOK14SnEHge4ZLiAioX_9sSy_GT4EdFQfwNJUH7jZoZU1h4-uYVnG1rA-XOifwAa-OjeKxz-_01tiiTqhDYMLyUWT-2Nn46FmX0ICfJ65NsoOPT7CcHpuFiZFhc8/s1600/IMG_3354.JPG" height="400" width="292" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stunning tree at the end of the gallery over the river</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Round about 12:30 Susan and Simon arrived and off we went to Chenonceau for the afternoon. We'd visited the <a href="http://chezcharnizay.blogspot.fr/2011/12/chenonceau-in-winter.html">chateau</a> before in the run up to Christmas and thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, if we can, we avoid visiting it in summer at all costs as it is such a busy place.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGA9q-NQwV1pw7jwXNED5XmNTIe499jCefdl0hNT9CT58YgCeZGEgyeeCuelUo9_3_4TFmMgro-Hkha0RVAM458BF3FD6h95cPEY_Rdsy5m-SDSEmP1a7zvy8aRoDCiWAucn4e2ckGicY/s1600/IMG_3362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGA9q-NQwV1pw7jwXNED5XmNTIe499jCefdl0hNT9CT58YgCeZGEgyeeCuelUo9_3_4TFmMgro-Hkha0RVAM458BF3FD6h95cPEY_Rdsy5m-SDSEmP1a7zvy8aRoDCiWAucn4e2ckGicY/s1600/IMG_3362.JPG" height="313" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vaulted entrance hall with super decorations made up with red roses</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdLn4R2C1rVZLLcPlXxpZJKrj514pAHqNi8fkREq-NrHs6mKDdEBO56qTTqHo3lYbE2oJYjIRDIjeNco0IDlKgqUjIFxq7FAU74NRZ_9YOceEiXvTdD2TGnn0uW1miv-5TEhSri6LU7kA/s1600/IMG_3367.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdLn4R2C1rVZLLcPlXxpZJKrj514pAHqNi8fkREq-NrHs6mKDdEBO56qTTqHo3lYbE2oJYjIRDIjeNco0IDlKgqUjIFxq7FAU74NRZ_9YOceEiXvTdD2TGnn0uW1miv-5TEhSri6LU7kA/s1600/IMG_3367.JPG" height="253" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the best decorations: the dressed table in the servant's dining hall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Although there were a few more people than we expected it was still pretty quiet; and, best of all the weather co-operated! For the first time in days we had blue skies and sun.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_I2hL7Q8ZuwTDFxUsdLDC1iKOClAnv92HJvaR4ay5_npn42H-fFQNw9Rf_hOpQZ7ks7jzV7_DgBhyoWeamY6PE2AXBYGiFvjgRdjWPzRd2KihI-8BxohXhXIAdY2TLH_O4D75GV6r098/s1600/IMG_3378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_I2hL7Q8ZuwTDFxUsdLDC1iKOClAnv92HJvaR4ay5_npn42H-fFQNw9Rf_hOpQZ7ks7jzV7_DgBhyoWeamY6PE2AXBYGiFvjgRdjWPzRd2KihI-8BxohXhXIAdY2TLH_O4D75GV6r098/s1600/IMG_3378.JPG" height="400" width="261" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely tree with Louis XIV lurking in the background</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7JONNEfYMb2O1vvXXEHHDsPEa1b5lsLlfmqd24YMMu276r1rSJ_CarYwE3CTQ8IT3k6SXawr2IrsA3HXCZOw1QPHFKSxQQ9mYJArrnEDNNPDgvTC-KPruM6WVhaVkqQAdFbjuSR-AfM0/s1600/IMG_3342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7JONNEfYMb2O1vvXXEHHDsPEa1b5lsLlfmqd24YMMu276r1rSJ_CarYwE3CTQ8IT3k6SXawr2IrsA3HXCZOw1QPHFKSxQQ9mYJArrnEDNNPDgvTC-KPruM6WVhaVkqQAdFbjuSR-AfM0/s1600/IMG_3342.JPG" height="260" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chapel decorated as a winter wonderland</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
To get the best of the daylight we had a wander round the park and gardens first. We were worried that the visit would be a bit of a bore for Susan as she and Simon must have lost count of the number of times they have shown clients round! However, she pointed out that Simon stays with the car and she can never have a good look round on her own terms on these occasions and assured us it wasn't a Busman's holiday.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmpYAvCZli3c6CDbtQO-QiasLUNfrtU4giFU7ESlSau5sDPZKpKjBilBMLzJL7Tpn8eM4tHutkcvH03BLI0Lf7EDnZZX7FziZqLcZT8nTJvHwevgib98s14fTEP55U0lRQU7HerDLtWQM/s1600/IMG_3407.2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmpYAvCZli3c6CDbtQO-QiasLUNfrtU4giFU7ESlSau5sDPZKpKjBilBMLzJL7Tpn8eM4tHutkcvH03BLI0Lf7EDnZZX7FziZqLcZT8nTJvHwevgib98s14fTEP55U0lRQU7HerDLtWQM/s1600/IMG_3407.2.JPG" height="262" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last of the winter sun catching the top of Chenonceau</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
We left as it was growing dark and on the way home we stopped in the village of Sublaines to watch the international space station pass high above us in the sky -- an excellent Christmas Day.Niall & Antoinettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699304108340257145noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-771539132515843977.post-53405628711524513382014-12-24T10:17:00.001+01:002014-12-24T10:17:36.400+01:00Christmas 2014<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Viner Hand ITC, cursive;"><b>Season's
Greetings!</b></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghLZ74FBSMWF8AN2ByCB7YPT_gvPAo1a5KQnrMeGnNVWreGAVm5LMeFXDSTIxJ7Bq6dmydJo8CjvADpggomOiaQ8PASsax54KdAKmMtF6IlYkOzAh26BBJyYJ7fZ-yCaz5FN1K9Iycg4k/s1600/IMG_3313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghLZ74FBSMWF8AN2ByCB7YPT_gvPAo1a5KQnrMeGnNVWreGAVm5LMeFXDSTIxJ7Bq6dmydJo8CjvADpggomOiaQ8PASsax54KdAKmMtF6IlYkOzAh26BBJyYJ7fZ-yCaz5FN1K9Iycg4k/s1600/IMG_3313.JPG" height="640" width="490" /></a></div>
<br />
<div align="CENTER" style="widows: 4;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">
</span><div align="CENTER" style="widows: 4;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Viner Hand ITC, cursive;"><b>Wishing
you and yours a very Merry Christmas </b></span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">
</span><div align="CENTER" style="widows: 4;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Viner Hand ITC, cursive;"><b>and</b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">
</span><div align="CENTER" style="widows: 4;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Viner Hand ITC, cursive;"><b>All
Good Things for 2015</b></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="widows: 4;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="widows: 4;">
Thank you to everyone for reading
and commenting on our blog. We've really enjoyed all our exchanges and
it is a such a pleasure to share bits of our life here in Charnizay
with you.
</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="widows: 4;">
See you all in 2015! </div>
<div align="CENTER" style="widows: 4;">
Niall & Antoinette and the furries, one of whom got herself into the photo above :-) !</div>
Niall & Antoinettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699304108340257145noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-771539132515843977.post-39227796203386858312014-12-03T11:32:00.001+01:002014-12-03T11:32:17.694+01:00Dunsapie LochFirstly our apologies for such a long break between posts. Things have simply been extremely busy and we've been over to the UK for a visit with family and friends as well. The result is that we have rather fallen off the 'posting bandwagon'. We will try to 'resume normal service' from now on :-)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWmkQiwDpZ2XHEQK0CplUvF4O9nLOJuI_gSp9c7q_30HONXzyhe_NNxdwXT9e4UwKBE_1CuKj6JmYoW7tmKs2Bsv22BihQ5h9EXMulwXN3g_uuCn_jdr_ujZwqThU4L5iSFfr02nkeeRE/s1600/IMG_3258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWmkQiwDpZ2XHEQK0CplUvF4O9nLOJuI_gSp9c7q_30HONXzyhe_NNxdwXT9e4UwKBE_1CuKj6JmYoW7tmKs2Bsv22BihQ5h9EXMulwXN3g_uuCn_jdr_ujZwqThU4L5iSFfr02nkeeRE/s1600/IMG_3258.JPG" height="261" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dunsapie Loch with the Firth of Forth and commercial shipping in the distance</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While in Edinburgh we made a point of driving up to Dunsapie Loch, a favourite stopping place for those who want to climb up to Arthur's Seat 'via the back way'. It's a small lake cupped in the hills which are, in fact, the remains of a long extinct volcano.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlqH2mrYqaxAaLOhSLYatYDBsxN77HFHMLBjp24H1XPwzlJIHk5vCikU4uH6Oe09odHqTVtLtuq6Sj5L5gpAq6W5e7sIMjapDO4JSAEpg_diEvIRRPgCAzW_F5W4x4CKxOg6D824CcFX0/s1600/IMG_3259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlqH2mrYqaxAaLOhSLYatYDBsxN77HFHMLBjp24H1XPwzlJIHk5vCikU4uH6Oe09odHqTVtLtuq6Sj5L5gpAq6W5e7sIMjapDO4JSAEpg_diEvIRRPgCAzW_F5W4x4CKxOg6D824CcFX0/s1600/IMG_3259.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The waterfowl & gulls get lots of tidbits</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The whole area is always alive with runners, walkers and cyclists, as it offers a fabulous outdoor recreational space right in the heart of Endiburgh.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPFnjrAk39bMp5D71t9SUzYOLDjQ4TI72M4foIPM88XxOac47kyNb-KACr_eFWiS1PTcHVOI1ANvGAqzZVgOZttm8SgYFbN0-l4gDj14LQY-3pxeQOjdihghJf8-T2s_nXIRKPXPBOy4/s1600/IMG_3262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPFnjrAk39bMp5D71t9SUzYOLDjQ4TI72M4foIPM88XxOac47kyNb-KACr_eFWiS1PTcHVOI1ANvGAqzZVgOZttm8SgYFbN0-l4gDj14LQY-3pxeQOjdihghJf8-T2s_nXIRKPXPBOy4/s1600/IMG_3262.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iron Age fort remains exist on top of the hill above the loch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The area is also rich in ancient history -- there are traces of four Iron Age forts. At one side of the lake is a very helpful information panel which explains their locations.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLzNQtrsSVwIhAHptfhAfSn5KQJOjvcvno21eh3EsX0UoDSoIHuz4rn7DX4PTL5Tw9HCntT2sOnL_Ha42MeBWbAY_7ziO_sRsKrb0vXCEGU6kfsNA5_5WcCb7hxHUNgz-UMePfWShHlqY/s1600/IMG_3264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLzNQtrsSVwIhAHptfhAfSn5KQJOjvcvno21eh3EsX0UoDSoIHuz4rn7DX4PTL5Tw9HCntT2sOnL_Ha42MeBWbAY_7ziO_sRsKrb0vXCEGU6kfsNA5_5WcCb7hxHUNgz-UMePfWShHlqY/s1600/IMG_3264.JPG" height="255" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very useful if, like us, you know little about the Iron Age</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHAiD5NZww6fvCkQPL3B4xirjWQhH0gUa4knpjTnNs5x6hJ1Hr5iXOH0VugURwa0DZS-5wHV1_DN1RPbndB4jT9Cjz9eqtNeO_tcLeBPRksU4H-L3FuIHTb92H9G1Zm-ip9zgTeVuVGh8/s1600/IMG_3263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHAiD5NZww6fvCkQPL3B4xirjWQhH0gUa4knpjTnNs5x6hJ1Hr5iXOH0VugURwa0DZS-5wHV1_DN1RPbndB4jT9Cjz9eqtNeO_tcLeBPRksU4H-L3FuIHTb92H9G1Zm-ip9zgTeVuVGh8/s1600/IMG_3263.JPG" height="156" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second of four Iron Age forts, just below and to the left of Arthur's Seat</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYxa3no71fiZKFftMSK8K1m6sZRX3hZC7uG6mxddgHgU0MIe3yfbC6rABsmU-CbLsO1R6izJiZZeUMYt1BXA3nBMVbzuWiNErwyi1m68dE365xNSKmbbnbHxWkhuhjwv_qGL-vf_VcF0/s1600/IMG_3266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYxa3no71fiZKFftMSK8K1m6sZRX3hZC7uG6mxddgHgU0MIe3yfbC6rABsmU-CbLsO1R6izJiZZeUMYt1BXA3nBMVbzuWiNErwyi1m68dE365xNSKmbbnbHxWkhuhjwv_qGL-vf_VcF0/s1600/IMG_3266.JPG" height="143" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arthur's Seat - always busy with walkers. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The weather was superb and while we were there a never-ending stream of runners swept past, obviously using their lunch break to good advantage. In between visiting friends we enjoyed our brief stroll around.Niall & Antoinettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699304108340257145noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-771539132515843977.post-24383304736791103232014-10-19T12:47:00.000+02:002014-10-19T12:47:20.713+02:00Concours de labours<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Every September one of the local farmers gives up a field to hold the Charnizay ploughing competition. Last month the weather was good and under a hazy sunny sky the furrows were drawn and judged. The 'concours', or competition, wasn't far from our house so we went and had a look.</div>
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All gathered round the refreshment tent before the off</div>
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Beginning to line up at their appointed markers</div>
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And .... thery're off!</div>
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Big brother and little brother</div>
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In fact, although it is very hard to see, in the smaller yellow wheeled tractor on the left [photo above] are two people; a local farmer Christoph Bardon and his 11yr old niece, Noémie. Though she needed his help to reach the pedals, she did the driving and drawing of the furrows. She's got talent as she won the competition and made the news in the local paper! </div>
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There were tractors of all ages and sizes</div>
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There were also 4 entries in the 'motoculteurs' category. Tilling with one of these looked to be hard work! They too were keenly overseen by friends and judges.</div>
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Judges with clipboards at the ready.</div>
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The day ended with a 'moules frites' dinner and the handing out of the prizes in the marquee down by the Aigronne.</div>
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When I spoke to Christoph recently - we buy pork from him - he told me that next year the concours will be held on one of his fields. The farmers all take it in turn as the competition isn't the kindest treatment for a field.</div>
Niall & Antoinettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699304108340257145noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-771539132515843977.post-16981466231492646042014-09-28T12:30:00.000+02:002014-09-28T12:30:06.406+02:00Art Deco ablutions <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last month when we visited the Chateau de Candé one of the things that impressed us was it's "live-able" feel. The rooms were of a size you could imagine using and given it isn't too enormous you could envisage living there -- if you had won a lottery jackpot and so had the squillions needed for the upkeep of course! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of 8 bathrooms: green mosaic above moving to a blue palette below</td></tr>
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Much of this "live-able" feel has to do with the renovations and refurbishments undertaken by the couple who bought it in the 1920's, the French-American Bedauxs. Charles Bedaux undertook a series of modernisations, installing central heating, a telephone, a gym/fitness room and bathrooms for each of the 8 bedrooms. His wife Fern's is the most spectacular.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fern Bedaux's ballroom sized bathroom</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black marble sink unit in Fern Bedaux's bathroom, fireplace on the right</td></tr>
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The bathrooms don't just have beautiful Art-Deco style interiors; they also have, for the time, state of the art fixtures and fittings which were imported from Canada, including heated towel rails. The system installed for filling and emptying the bath tubs came from the USA and each bath can be filled or emptied in 30 seconds - to our minds an impressive feat, even now!<br />
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All the bathrooms are tiled with mosaic glass tiles in a fantastic range of blues or greens, as you can see in the two photos above. They are beautiful and were made locally by a company in Tours [Novello]. One can imagine that guests, even those at the top of the social tree and used to every luxury, would have been fairly impressed! We certainly were some 90 years later!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another guest bedroom's bathroom, heated towel rail on the left</td></tr>
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With thanks to our friend JEH for most of these super photos. </div>
<br />Niall & Antoinettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699304108340257145noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-771539132515843977.post-50164921706426676532014-09-21T14:57:00.000+02:002014-09-21T14:57:08.612+02:00Stage & Screen costumes at the Logis RoyalThis weekend is the annual JEP weekend [journées européennes du patrimoine] when all sorts of monuments are open to the public. It is a great opportunity to visit places that are in private hands and normally never open to the public. Many places will either reduce or waiver their entrance fee.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loches' Logis Royal</td></tr>
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Yesterday we went and had a look around Loches' Logis Royal. We know it well, but it has been a while and they have run an exhibition over the summer which we wanted to catch; it closes today. It seems that there's been a "fashion" trend in exhibitions this summer.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maids of Honor costumes on the left. A Catherine de Médicis black dress on the right</td></tr>
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Recently we visited the chateau de Langeais which had an exhibit of costumes tracing the changes in fashion from the 1490's to the end of the 1500's. Not to be outdone, and, in our eyes, rather trumping them, Loches' Logis Royal has been exhibiting stunningly sumptuous costumes used in film and opera productions.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDn8zrEnj0Fj8kNLDR-YkPMePrW9tGftD1cuUkjeDBS9Bk8ZDNj32EdALAL0nYv346xGKzvbiN1t72QJSP3RX1Lie7IEwnW9mw5jwZXTX79dZeYV6oRLMfzHtLxWFOGXO_DNEZWLSokPo/s1600/IMG_3216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDn8zrEnj0Fj8kNLDR-YkPMePrW9tGftD1cuUkjeDBS9Bk8ZDNj32EdALAL0nYv346xGKzvbiN1t72QJSP3RX1Lie7IEwnW9mw5jwZXTX79dZeYV6oRLMfzHtLxWFOGXO_DNEZWLSokPo/s1600/IMG_3216.JPG" height="243" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty court gentleman, all in a row. Extreme right: a costume worn by the actor who played the Duc de Guise</td></tr>
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Amongst the best we thought were those used in the 1994 film <i>"La reine Margot"</i> which starred Isabelle Adjani as Marguerite de Valois; known as Margot. The film was adapted from the novel of the same name by Alexandre Dumas [best known for the Three Musketeers]. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrxhZXeBRO838I-70retxbEt-dlBDSvW5vFkiDU7yB5owQ9H7nzJrwe0XJiuQmJa6kR3kLTjM3_hUVO7950kEB6e-wZMRHVxlQ9rZsNnVeQ-oCe1iJ0z8_cdwYd-bHBsBeJqATHlzje_U/s1600/IMG_3207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrxhZXeBRO838I-70retxbEt-dlBDSvW5vFkiDU7yB5owQ9H7nzJrwe0XJiuQmJa6kR3kLTjM3_hUVO7950kEB6e-wZMRHVxlQ9rZsNnVeQ-oCe1iJ0z8_cdwYd-bHBsBeJqATHlzje_U/s1600/IMG_3207.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More <i>"La reine Margot"</i> costumes. Portrait of Charles VII, king in an earlier century lurking at the back</td></tr>
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Margot's mother was Catherine de Médicis -- dowager queen and the continuous power behind the throne of each of her sons when they became kings -- one quickly succeeding another. Margot, a Catholic was ruthlessly married off to Henri, King of Navarre, a Protestant who later came to the French throne as Henri IV. All of the events take place in the shadow of the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre of 1572 when France's wars of religion boiled over in a royally sanctioned & orchestrated assassination, led by the Duc de Guise of the leaders of the Huguenot party [Protestants] who had come to court to attend the wedding held some days previously. The knock-on effect of the assassinations was an indiscriminate slaughter of Huguenots in Paris and beyond.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Maid of Honor costume made of silk</td></tr>
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The film did very well at the Cannes Film Festival of 1994 and earned a number of Golden Palms, including one for Isabelle Adjani for best actress.Niall & Antoinettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699304108340257145noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-771539132515843977.post-52428319347484389352014-09-08T13:13:00.000+02:002014-09-08T13:13:27.437+02:00Langeais: 16th century fashionistasRecently we went and visited the chateau of Langeais. We'd never been and the poster below piqued our interest- we particularly liked the 'Lou Reed' style shades. They have extended the exhibition until the end of September.<br />
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Langeais as we see it today was built in 1465 by Louis XI as royal residence and was never intended to be a defensive, fortified castle despite the appearance of its town-side facade. The facade facing the park is much more Renaissance in style with large windows and no crenellations. There had been a donjon [keep] on the site from the turn of the 11th century, the ruins of which still stand in the park. The original donjon had been built by Foulques Nerra, Count of Anjou as part of his defensive line during his interminable disputes with Eudes 1er, Count of Blois.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">remains of the donjon</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajhbJeJQsciYeGZYyiPWMKlKgEf757HJ_TAuqb56-ctkeflz3tCxEYHbg271Ct-854F6mINM-v6v4gdKESEuHZ169VZa0Opwjq9lrBxa8WdjoxZPtpS8W81UbqkCcN3AUftpGkyj9gMQ/s1600/IMG_3177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajhbJeJQsciYeGZYyiPWMKlKgEf757HJ_TAuqb56-ctkeflz3tCxEYHbg271Ct-854F6mINM-v6v4gdKESEuHZ169VZa0Opwjq9lrBxa8WdjoxZPtpS8W81UbqkCcN3AUftpGkyj9gMQ/s1600/IMG_3177.JPG" height="400" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1465 "new build"</td></tr>
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In the attics we finally found the costume exhibition. Though not extensive, it was interesting as it portrayed the progression of clothes and changes of style in the 16th century.<br />
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Two points to the person** who correctly guesses which costume is the earliest and an additional 2 bonus points for correctly identifying the 'odd one out'. :-)<br />
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**Susan -- give the others a chance ;-)<br />
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Just to give you some clues here are two photos of the waxwork of the marriage of Anne of Brittany to Charles VIII, which took place in 1491.<br />
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<i>As always you can click on the photos to enlarge them.</i></div>
Niall & Antoinettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699304108340257145noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-771539132515843977.post-86962751992625417032014-08-31T16:52:00.000+02:002014-08-31T16:52:23.101+02:00Impressions: Chaumont show gardens IIBoth our friend Jane, as well as ourselves, took plenty of photos when we visited the show gardens at Domaine Chaumont-sur-Loire so here are a few more for you to enjoy.<br />
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These three above are from a garden called 'Péchés virtuels' which had, on the right [as you entered], an undulating carpet of low growing green plants on which were sat boxes of canna's. In between were little placards with the names of the seven deadly sins. On the other side there was an enormous butterfly with mottled wings.</div>
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Echinacea framing the turrets of Chaumont - part of the border which framed the central intersection in the show garden area.<br />
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This show garden, entitled 'Bloom', above, had a circular white table running round the perimeter of the garden with bar chairs - you can see a number of the chairs in the photo. The designer's idea was to reflect gluttony by having the planting represent all the things you couldn't reach when you were seated, as they were in the centre encircled by the table.<br />
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These two photos above are from 'Ma cassette' the first of the show gardens. The bamboo, below, is from what we dubbed the "teacup garden" and thought was called 'Bloom', but which in reality is entitled 'Le purgatoire des tentations'. Antoinette duly sat in a tea cup for a photo, as did Jane in our other post about the gardens which you can read about <a href="http://chezcharnizay.blogspot.fr/2014/08/chaumont-show-gardens-part-i.html">here</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>With grateful thanks to our friend Jane H. for all the photos in this post, with the exception of Antoinette in the tea cup.</i></span></div>
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wasn't another soul about- perhaps because the weather was windy, cool
and rainy; hence we have no photographs of the outside.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dining room, table all laid</td></tr>
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Candé is a small Renaissance chateau --completed in 1508, with 19th century neo-gothic extensions and fabulous Art Deco bathrooms.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail: Cordovan leather walls,</td></tr>
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One of its main claims to fame is it is where the marriage between the former King Edward VIII, who became the Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson took place. Edward VIII abdicated, as marriage to a twice divorced woman was unacceptable to the Establishment in 1936. The Duke of Windsor knew the Franco-American owner, Charles Bedaux who had bought Candé in 1927 and was responsible for the amazing bathrooms and other mod-cons such as central heating. Bedaux offered to host the Duke's [at the time still controversial] wedding at Candé.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angel playing a trumpet</td></tr>
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The Duke & Duchess of Windsor's wedding breakfast was held here, in the dining room. The room itself has beautiful cordovan leather clad walls above elegant linen-fold panelling. You can just see a tiny bit of the painted beamed ceiling in the photo above. The beams end in a display of the Briçonnet coat of arms; they are the family who built the original Renaissance building.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheeky devil blowing out a woman's candle with some bellows</td></tr>
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Inset into the dining room windows are various panels of late medieval or early Renaissance glass, two of which caught our eye.Niall & Antoinettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699304108340257145noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-771539132515843977.post-81338930913377532502014-08-14T17:05:00.001+02:002014-08-14T17:05:48.592+02:00Chateau Chaumont-sur-LoireRecently, we had a super time at Chaumont and only scratched the surface. There was plenty we didn't get around to seeing. We did, however, mange to have a good look at the chateau proper and a bit of the parc as well as the show gardens. The chateau sits on a lovely spot, atop a bluff overlooking the river Loire. Due to the mix of medieval towers and Renaissance additions it has, we think, elements of a 'fairy-tale castle'.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Fairy-tale castle'</td></tr>
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There's been a fortified building on the site since about the year 1000. At that time, Eudes 1er, Count of Blois decided to build a fortress as the location was on his border with the Count of Anjou, Fulke Nerra [we've written about him before <a href="http://chezcharnizay.blogspot.fr/search?q=fulke+nerra">here</a> and <a href="http://chezcharnizay.blogspot.fr/search?q=beaulieu+sur+loches">here</a>]. From a strategic point of view the location was excellent as the two of them were regularly in dispute. About fifty years later Chaumont became part of the holdings of the d'Amboise family and they held it for the next 500 years.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great mix of medieval & Renaissance architecture</td></tr>
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The current building dates from the 15th and the 16th century, and reflects a mix of the fortified medieval style and the Italian inspired Renaissance style. The stables and other outbuildings are of much later date [19th century].<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Porcupine badge of King Louis XII, inner courtyard</td></tr>
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In 1550 Catherine de'Medici, wife of King Henri II, bought Chaumont and regularly spent time there. She was very interested in astrology and both Nostradamus and Ruggieri were invited by her to Chaumont. However, Catherine de Medici had her eye on Chenonceau, the Renaissance chateau built over the river Cher and given by the king to his mistress and favourite, Diane de Poitiers. When Henri II died in 1559, she 'required' Diane de Poitiers to exchange Chenonceau for Chaumont.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inner courtyard, 16th century spiral staircase, center-right</td></tr>
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In the 18th century Benjamin Franklin and the writer, <span class="st">Madame de Staël<em> </em></span>were guests of the Le Ray de Chaumont family who owned it at the time. In 1875 the chateau was bought by a sugar heiress who married the Prince de Broglie. They had the state of the art [for the time] stables built and it was the Prince de Broglie who commissioned the landscape architect Henri Duchêne to create the gardens [parc].<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parc at Chaumont looking towards the bluff above the Loire</td></tr>
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The Princess de Broglie outlived her husband and retained ownership of Chaumont until 1938 when, as a result of financial losses and debts, she gifted Chaumont to the state. Since 2007 Chaumont has been owned by Region Centre.<br />
<br />Niall & Antoinettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699304108340257145noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-771539132515843977.post-23206849305117915882014-08-07T21:18:00.000+02:002014-08-31T20:52:12.237+02:00Chaumont show gardens part ILast Monday we took our friend Jane, who is staying with us for the week, to visit Chateau de Chaumont-sur-Loire. We went to have a look at the show gardens and the chateau. Every year Chaumont hosts an international festival where garden designers from all over the world are invited to create a show garden based on a theme.<br />
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This year's theme is 'Jardins des Péchés Capitaux' [the deadly sins]. It was a glorious day, with the sun blazing down, so the garden attendants were hard at work keeping all the displays watered. We had a lovely time wandering around before heading towards the chateau proper.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vallée de la brume</td></tr>
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The little valley of the mist which led on from the decent into hell garden was beautifully cool and 'tropical'.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCycuxMVSgBYGhYbqaT5-7tSn5_9V_aezhHZlCUzvqlNzee9Pzf-RZXunrnM2O0-SwbCTNjvEX94GrptoM24gjtHBfmcs9gJCciTAGaC3yyuMVYVYLuAwydTbqGoqcaWzTM5n9IWH9q0/s1600/IMG_2974.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqCycuxMVSgBYGhYbqaT5-7tSn5_9V_aezhHZlCUzvqlNzee9Pzf-RZXunrnM2O0-SwbCTNjvEX94GrptoM24gjtHBfmcs9gJCciTAGaC3yyuMVYVYLuAwydTbqGoqcaWzTM5n9IWH9q0/s1600/IMG_2974.JPG" height="262" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Narcissus</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Many of the gardens featured hot colors to express anger and lust, but there were also gardens in which you could explore with interactive elements. In one, see-saw balance beams were used as a metaphor for life/trust/relationships, which kids loved playing on. Other gardens played on the pun in French between peaches and sins [peches/péchés] and featured little peach trees. The narcissus garden held a giant gold mirror which reflected the chateau's roof line.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkDGnddi87BKVAYNrSsXa2NXVHkNDg0o15qrI_t_YyGZNgOdNIh2bmncKQgr-EadFz9j5iuv0QTKbeurAXhx8EVpw1v5P5GI8gqHFE3f3d0D6bKeKEtTYLfpTuJu3D-E0CnKIbJzSz1UU/s1600/IMG_2979.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkDGnddi87BKVAYNrSsXa2NXVHkNDg0o15qrI_t_YyGZNgOdNIh2bmncKQgr-EadFz9j5iuv0QTKbeurAXhx8EVpw1v5P5GI8gqHFE3f3d0D6bKeKEtTYLfpTuJu3D-E0CnKIbJzSz1UU/s1600/IMG_2979.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bloom [teacups are us]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One garden, called <strike>Bloom</strike> 'Le purgatoire des tentations': we're not sure where the link with sins/temptation came in; featured some giant teacups. We really loved the palette of colors that had been used, all blues, purples and mauves. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghb-K0Ppr7O2uYwHUAk7iOwZpB3ObhpKv8sgmm-hlzj3TYUJjeqMJYDLI7ANoS8JkmbzevAAJHBEk-_A_u1NDIkmibluoXYTUIMHDCWX3ye7VMbXG4syrpcz7Qxvw-6prHaZMgRSjfhgY/s1600/IMG_2976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghb-K0Ppr7O2uYwHUAk7iOwZpB3ObhpKv8sgmm-hlzj3TYUJjeqMJYDLI7ANoS8JkmbzevAAJHBEk-_A_u1NDIkmibluoXYTUIMHDCWX3ye7VMbXG4syrpcz7Qxvw-6prHaZMgRSjfhgY/s1600/IMG_2976.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our friend Jane in a teacup!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In fact, it matched the palette of colors used all round the Domaine in this year's floral displays and beds.<br />
<br />
More on the gardens to follow...<br />
<br />Niall & Antoinettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699304108340257145noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-771539132515843977.post-30785806360450377282014-07-30T10:14:00.001+02:002014-07-30T10:14:31.425+02:00Bumper HarvestAll this past week and a bit we've been harvesting mirabelles. Lots of mirabelles....<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5MyGYD2IDXodfyIh-uMmKqhU82dU1FoMNoD000hgSqcxN06tUOnDIDTnhzfpqKpj28aALvoPJBvHzqFmaW1vMpmrfnofMNIpCBbKOPB3ACdPQNnCxDa9Yhh9IH3SJ88wtevPUl2KNfw/s1600/CIMG1931.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5MyGYD2IDXodfyIh-uMmKqhU82dU1FoMNoD000hgSqcxN06tUOnDIDTnhzfpqKpj28aALvoPJBvHzqFmaW1vMpmrfnofMNIpCBbKOPB3ACdPQNnCxDa9Yhh9IH3SJ88wtevPUl2KNfw/s1600/CIMG1931.JPG" height="296" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Mirabelle de Nancy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
To be honest until about two weeks ago we didn't even know we had them! That may sound odd, but until now, neither of the two miralbelle bush/trees produced much in the way of fruit, so we didn't take much notice as to what they were. They flower early in March and we had speculated as to what they could be <a href="http://chezcharnizay.blogspot.fr/2011/03/little-sun-goes-long-way.html">here</a> in a post a couple of years ago.<br />
<br />
However, this summer both have fruited with a vengeance and it turns out we have a mirabelle de Nancy and a mirabelle de Metz.<br />
<br />
The mirabelle de Nancy is a small yellow plum, whereas the mirabelle de Metz is yellow with a lovely orange-red blush. Our blush mirabelle is much smaller than our yellow mirabelle and the actual tree is more of a bush, so we think it is probably a self-seeded renegade [hybrid wild plum]. All in all, we took at least 6 kgs of fruit off the trees, the majority being yellow mirabelles; but there's still plenty left on there for the birds.<br />
<br />
Traditionally in Alsace-Lorraine these plums are used to make a version of 'clafoutis' a French baked desert. Here's a link to a simple <a href="http://gateau.com/clafoutis-aux-mirabelles.htm">recipe</a> [in French]. The city Metz has an annual<span class="st"> 'fête de la Mirabelle de Metz' which celebrates all things to do with these little plums, including their transformation into a mirabelle eau de vie.</span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">Our mirabelles are tucked up in the freezer for future baking and jam making.</span>Niall & Antoinettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699304108340257145noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-771539132515843977.post-25439530692319746732014-07-26T10:40:00.001+02:002014-07-26T10:40:03.466+02:00Not the chateau part IIInside, the church at Azay-le-Rideau isn't nearly as interesting. However, the original apsidal nave does retain some vestiges of 13th wall paintings. By far the best are the 3 horses above a low arch leading to the second, later, nave. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJE_2W5qzufUBWiNNfWdiAOnBRAdydTYYNb4DW0EwDoEQ6CjrtZil3j7SrXZcJWXQlLtGfKK0TyhKsL7WxuDshrnv33fc5VDka_nlClrTnMwRoffJXlUUjmF73Rh4GFevXxsRDcA-s-k0/s1600/IMG_2938.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJE_2W5qzufUBWiNNfWdiAOnBRAdydTYYNb4DW0EwDoEQ6CjrtZil3j7SrXZcJWXQlLtGfKK0TyhKsL7WxuDshrnv33fc5VDka_nlClrTnMwRoffJXlUUjmF73Rh4GFevXxsRDcA-s-k0/s1600/IMG_2938.JPG" height="252" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">13th century wall painting: horses & figure</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The current thinking is that, as the figure [much damaged] has a raised arm which could be thought to be leading one of the horses, this could be part of a representation of the 3 Magi. Whether or not this assumption is correct we really liked the horses as, despite the damage, they are vibrant and 'alive'.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozOvckr2HruJl6X5sqDIKVzjXVUTQHA_TJpBkTetfmqcrZBXUBKVVt6dPZ-5wRhl4IVWPIoAlSljNl5n_ao6Ghoyr5N2yK3n97cEEtmMUMdfCxPoLOvciPtqaISj1FGfrFks9o-4bp64/s1600/IMG_2939.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozOvckr2HruJl6X5sqDIKVzjXVUTQHA_TJpBkTetfmqcrZBXUBKVVt6dPZ-5wRhl4IVWPIoAlSljNl5n_ao6Ghoyr5N2yK3n97cEEtmMUMdfCxPoLOvciPtqaISj1FGfrFks9o-4bp64/s1600/IMG_2939.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 3 horses</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On the other side of the apsidal nave there is a figure thought to be St George slaying the dragon. Behind the figure is a depiction of a palace/dwelling with elaborate roof decorations. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjAlbyubw6hyXIYg0ZYCqs9HsG9YmuLRRx2paZSAlTCCg84URBGwv-oPX7SzGtzNUFgFVEjgfRk8l8l8t9n1dbb2yhVBBaRVsijzT5owTIVQAsRjYPYkfh8kzxH-7EE2WobFItgMVfBvk/s1600/IMG_2941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjAlbyubw6hyXIYg0ZYCqs9HsG9YmuLRRx2paZSAlTCCg84URBGwv-oPX7SzGtzNUFgFVEjgfRk8l8l8t9n1dbb2yhVBBaRVsijzT5owTIVQAsRjYPYkfh8kzxH-7EE2WobFItgMVfBvk/s1600/IMG_2941.JPG" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Possibly St George ....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It was a glorious day when we went to Azay-le-Rideau and the name of this little pedestrian street off the parking lot made us smile. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho7ZFljK4H9bhGz_o1cd5yzpy0_kcWqfYht0K-yvWgXsS7N-V5KeD3Ss9wbjnNknVagEU2NZrXiASfDrSOjz6EImp9bqIxTjD7gHhcjrsmPEWgWwkY-pM_9m35oRcVMXRdwUrnjecIUSs/s1600/IMG_2950.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho7ZFljK4H9bhGz_o1cd5yzpy0_kcWqfYht0K-yvWgXsS7N-V5KeD3Ss9wbjnNknVagEU2NZrXiASfDrSOjz6EImp9bqIxTjD7gHhcjrsmPEWgWwkY-pM_9m35oRcVMXRdwUrnjecIUSs/s1600/IMG_2950.JPG" height="357" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHlUJc3MS6p93JaKoIcDbpzRaG-Rixudal5zEcv3mYW1JkdzAdU9qRvNnMT3NabvyArCOMub_VZ3kxJhqg0eCVBuDM6zZN7YJF0AVOXnhUsAjP6q6bH_lMXVSbgeiZrK4J2RX8RI1pUlE/s1600/IMG_2935.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHlUJc3MS6p93JaKoIcDbpzRaG-Rixudal5zEcv3mYW1JkdzAdU9qRvNnMT3NabvyArCOMub_VZ3kxJhqg0eCVBuDM6zZN7YJF0AVOXnhUsAjP6q6bH_lMXVSbgeiZrK4J2RX8RI1pUlE/s1600/IMG_2935.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridge over the river Indre at Azay-le-Rideau</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Niall & Antoinettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699304108340257145noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-771539132515843977.post-67819078330889008302014-07-20T14:48:00.000+02:002014-07-26T10:40:40.371+02:00Azay-le-Rideau - not the chateau<br />
<span class="st">Azay-le-Rideau was once known as Azay-le-Brulé on
account of an 'insult trading session' in 1418 between the Burgundian
garrison who held the village and the Dauphin, [the future Charles VII] who
was on his way from Chinon to Tours. In reprisal for the insults hurled at him he ordered the
garrison executed and burnt Azay. The name le-Brulé was current until
the 16th century.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh5u08fBZUjZLEXbcdAHc71tDBJtaUIBSkS51xqMGs4-gKJH96yIJ3ZN81vK7CIxyJUXXbHYfvsaD_V-_BdRCE9uXZ1XOZC918eBmoQOJzJmkwKKJOiHSwkU0INyt8VWwvYMP-Z4hOu0k/s1600/IMG_2949.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh5u08fBZUjZLEXbcdAHc71tDBJtaUIBSkS51xqMGs4-gKJH96yIJ3ZN81vK7CIxyJUXXbHYfvsaD_V-_BdRCE9uXZ1XOZC918eBmoQOJzJmkwKKJOiHSwkU0INyt8VWwvYMP-Z4hOu0k/s1600/IMG_2949.JPG" height="310" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saint-Symphorien</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On previous visits to Azay-le-Rideau we've visited the beautiful Renaissance chateau which we've written about <a href="http://chezcharnizay.blogspot.fr/2011/08/azay-le-rideau-and-weather-sprites.html">here</a> and <a href="http://chezcharnizay.blogspot.fr/2011/08/azay-spectacle-interiors.html">here</a>, and wandered its streets; but for some odd reason we never had a look at the church -- something we usually do. Last month we finally rectified the situation.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1hQKyAGtA-_vMcrLSuM-4YyEXqN0Y-XsPw_cDSIO6Nl-Bd2PLNBA-3KKvF3WWE3TbWvtNkSrMqch2dBcudR5R0na0eVS54i-W1ndUe1CnKm0VIX8ttTIV6GqqKhPnqmZMloHdQbPo8eU/s1600/IMG_2948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1hQKyAGtA-_vMcrLSuM-4YyEXqN0Y-XsPw_cDSIO6Nl-Bd2PLNBA-3KKvF3WWE3TbWvtNkSrMqch2dBcudR5R0na0eVS54i-W1ndUe1CnKm0VIX8ttTIV6GqqKhPnqmZMloHdQbPo8eU/s1600/IMG_2948.JPG" height="256" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of the earliest f<span class="st">açade: possibly as early as 5th or 6th century</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The church is special because it has the most lovely f<span class="st">açade. Once the church formed part of a monastic settlement that fell under the jurisdiction of the Abbey de Cormery, and it is marked on the Abbey's </span><span class="st">11th century maps</span><span class="st">. However, only the church now remains and functions as the parish church. The rest has long gone but would have stretched out into the grounds of the chateau which lies just beyond the wall in the foreground of the 1st photo. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBxY-dRXobmYptbsUmpI2yiJCkJGsujiAptsSPbUdO8ez0jY7SfLnS_ryX1r4BtqEFqh-354UZEP-DFmbw95C2M8e-abJuBb615-KsNEsMqmMZtZluKUMQ2S3iMwZtzg-tLACiMuR_Lt8/s1600/IMG_2948+-+II.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBxY-dRXobmYptbsUmpI2yiJCkJGsujiAptsSPbUdO8ez0jY7SfLnS_ryX1r4BtqEFqh-354UZEP-DFmbw95C2M8e-abJuBb615-KsNEsMqmMZtZluKUMQ2S3iMwZtzg-tLACiMuR_Lt8/s1600/IMG_2948+-+II.JPG" height="155" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail: top row of figures, Christ in the center</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="st">However, well before the 11th century there was an even earlier church on this site. St-Symphorien retains part of a, possibly Merovingian, or Carolingian </span>f<span class="st">açade. What remains is what one can see on the right-side; the original single-aisled church</span><span class="st">. The, probably 6th century, [no one is quite sure just how old it is] </span><span class="st">f<span class="st">açade</span> is dominated by pyramidal or bell-like shapes and rows of figures which the 11th century masons simply incorporated into new larger church they were building. Looking at the way the design has been chopped off it may well be that the 6th century version wasn't gabled, unlike the 11th century expansion. Later in the 13th century a window was punched through the lower row of figures. In the top row one can make out Christ in the center --he's got a nimbus with a cross-- holding a book. To his left are three haloed saints. The figures to his right do not have halos.</span> As with the upper row of figures the lower row has a mix of haloed and non-haloed figures. There are four haloed saints on the left [as you face the building] and three non-haloed figures on the right. Which saints they represent is uncertain, nor have the non-haloed figures been identified. At a guess the latter are prominent ecclesiastics.<br />
<span class="st"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhniyPxIb3F-s_QfxVfUAlocT7XAtnEchYD_smMT6Jm599H1dVliF87myrWNgcdIzmu6jWn4D8vgnef1WpaQlu0lWIW1rH2T7RqItxmXZ3yCoSi3kaUMS2n31yZLAxY335tGKtAVuDTPy8/s1600/IMG_2943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhniyPxIb3F-s_QfxVfUAlocT7XAtnEchYD_smMT6Jm599H1dVliF87myrWNgcdIzmu6jWn4D8vgnef1WpaQlu0lWIW1rH2T7RqItxmXZ3yCoSi3kaUMS2n31yZLAxY335tGKtAVuDTPy8/s1600/IMG_2943.JPG" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail: two dogs facing each other</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="st">Two other carvings at either end of a corbelled ledge are of hunting dogs. On the left are two dogs facing each other and to the right are another two actively hunting. In this carving on the right [as you look at the front of the church] the leading dog has caught what looks to be a hare and the other dog is chasing it. If you enlarge the photo by clicking on it you should be able to see the teeth the mason carved in the jaws of the first dog. </span>The corbels are carved with what look to be animal heads.<br />
<span class="st"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDcUK0MBiij2AQicionSIWKbcgrNugs-fiMcq84jE8CP4Wtyer521DOktzcsBR-J-Noi3C4hxcCV0qSQh02h6JEp3C_L9sdkq8p_kpihg3OYBCPEgc_DBHHINvBNLsnOCBMyGcfXuPU-w/s1600/IMG_2945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDcUK0MBiij2AQicionSIWKbcgrNugs-fiMcq84jE8CP4Wtyer521DOktzcsBR-J-Noi3C4hxcCV0qSQh02h6JEp3C_L9sdkq8p_kpihg3OYBCPEgc_DBHHINvBNLsnOCBMyGcfXuPU-w/s1600/IMG_2945.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hunting dog with [probably] a hare being chased by another dog.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="st">Much later, in the very late 15th/early 16th century the church was again enlarged and a second nave was added. This left-hand side </span>f<span class="st">açade has a more steeply gabled roof line and the window above the door is in the flamboyant gothic style typical of the very late middle ages.</span>
Niall & Antoinettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699304108340257145noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-771539132515843977.post-55850430861729131012014-07-10T12:17:00.000+02:002014-07-10T12:17:21.292+02:00BréhémontBréhémont is a little place on the left bank of the Loire. Nowadays it is a sleepy place, although in the summer season it is busy with cyclists who bike along the Loire and Cher rivers.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD60Ge8Fli0lrNqbCimRaDYXOpSd4XiqxbYj4SYHt5bvsNtgovvOIaave7VEL61TMCQuhkMREiyVZLeLAPuqCKglnr-MhIQfLyHNFibnaAWIQB6J9Sl5LHinklFoiLJMBzA7awQJRm75M/s1600/IMG_2952.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD60Ge8Fli0lrNqbCimRaDYXOpSd4XiqxbYj4SYHt5bvsNtgovvOIaave7VEL61TMCQuhkMREiyVZLeLAPuqCKglnr-MhIQfLyHNFibnaAWIQB6J9Sl5LHinklFoiLJMBzA7awQJRm75M/s1600/IMG_2952.JPG" height="190" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The large port at Bréhémont</td></tr>
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First mentioned in the 9th century, it re-appears in a charter by Olivier de Langeais dated 1214. Later it belonged to the monks of Saint-Martin de Tours who passed it on to the Seigneurs of L'Île-Bouchard and in 1692 it became part of the newly created Marquisate of Ussé.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVB3O5I4Jesme5n3b8qmKX3O_HGoz6iQfIPXSxsdIbcXCYa67wpnMNSn1dKsQ9fulPeW_W3sSKESc2jItClcY8K58hLRMa8YrdWxbsINiDY1sJ2ylbwKXh_cPOfNJTlLTUg36FAoHvlQ/s1600/IMG_2955.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVB3O5I4Jesme5n3b8qmKX3O_HGoz6iQfIPXSxsdIbcXCYa67wpnMNSn1dKsQ9fulPeW_W3sSKESc2jItClcY8K58hLRMa8YrdWxbsINiDY1sJ2ylbwKXh_cPOfNJTlLTUg36FAoHvlQ/s1600/IMG_2955.JPG" height="306" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traditional boats tied up at the port</td></tr>
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However, by the 19th century Bréhémont was a very busy little place indeed, as it had become the centre for hemp cultivation in Touraine. This explains the rather expansive quayside, or 'port' as the French call it on the river Loire which is still there today.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOCJasrt4L3m6uvRo6b7Ce75Igb6s8Ir9fwYLxeapM9K_AmWpNoDJRG3vJqzQtH-xVPg59BVETD5O8WKuvbO4YjdPNpMhNTQJ2ZxTNLa48tr_0BvZHQwh1wuV62bi4mXLkgWln_TcueZE/s1600/IMG_2954.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOCJasrt4L3m6uvRo6b7Ce75Igb6s8Ir9fwYLxeapM9K_AmWpNoDJRG3vJqzQtH-xVPg59BVETD5O8WKuvbO4YjdPNpMhNTQJ2ZxTNLa48tr_0BvZHQwh1wuV62bi4mXLkgWln_TcueZE/s1600/IMG_2954.JPG" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A brightly coloured 'girouet' at the top this boat's mast</td></tr>
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Hemp was used to fashion ropes, [and later used in the paper-making industry] and there was a huge demand for it. According to an informative <a href="http://www.bonjour-brehemont.fr/chanvre.html">post</a> we found on a website maintained by locals, hemp was being cultivated in Bréhémont from about the 13th century onwards. Certainly from the late 18th century hemp from the village was well known and sought after. So much so, that apparently there was a bit of a scandal when, in 1840, hemp from the Sarthe region was found to have false certificates of provenance indicating that it was "d'origine de Bréhémont". In 1850 about 4,500Ha was under hemp cultivation in Touraine and virtually all of the land in the village was given over to the crop. During this heyday the village had a population of 1,850 whereas now there are only about 800 living in the commune. The demand for hemp waned and by 1929 only about 200Ha was given over to hemp growing; most of it in, and around, the communes of Bréhémont and Rigny-Ussé. By 1980 cultivation had ceased, as up till then a small amount had still been grown for the paper industry.<br />
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The village of Bréhémont's UNESCO girouet has a hemp plant and an anchor as its symbol.<br />
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Niall & Antoinettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699304108340257145noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-771539132515843977.post-719798773074319912014-06-25T19:48:00.002+02:002014-06-25T19:48:41.490+02:00Avon-les-RochesWe've driven through Avon-les-Roches often enough on the way to somewhere else and each time remarked that "we really should have a look at the church the next time we pass through". Well, we finally managed to do just that a couple of weeks ago.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8a_BsPCJh3zdj7n9WAJ6ozZeelU5o3qdBvZuuVEmXXaqgWIiQ7VesaXYPPqCNUFen1WcvuZoKnSTRTQFSVPfP5bvYV3CesVWTIEYgk5wft9OOh1341YSjE5Ej6fzOOwh6g1orgoYxffo/s1600/IMG_2912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8a_BsPCJh3zdj7n9WAJ6ozZeelU5o3qdBvZuuVEmXXaqgWIiQ7VesaXYPPqCNUFen1WcvuZoKnSTRTQFSVPfP5bvYV3CesVWTIEYgk5wft9OOh1341YSjE5Ej6fzOOwh6g1orgoYxffo/s1600/IMG_2912.JPG" height="400" width="332" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notre-Dame, Avon-les-Roches</td></tr>
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The church sits right on the road and we've only had a glance in passing. but noted that the porch was definitely worth a closer look. The bulk of the church - choir, nave and apse - was rebuilt in the 13th century with the later addition of the spire [C16th]. The whole was restored early in the 19th century.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYeUZ28FepYJO58qjFDvNK3NltiEOHKf-paWwrE9-EV6II1YeQD_rEniafq1_UUfhPrh8JC_norwG9W4EEaxGer69BrnrBq8OZnLezbTXbIrZn3g7cqq_RWQ1zQQOG8X0F6162SdklE08/s1600/IMG_2913.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYeUZ28FepYJO58qjFDvNK3NltiEOHKf-paWwrE9-EV6II1YeQD_rEniafq1_UUfhPrh8JC_norwG9W4EEaxGer69BrnrBq8OZnLezbTXbIrZn3g7cqq_RWQ1zQQOG8X0F6162SdklE08/s1600/IMG_2913.JPG" height="167" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">12th century porch</td></tr>
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The porch was built around 1120 and formed part of the original church and has a splendidly carved doorway and windows, in the Romanesque style. Capitals supporting the arches display life-like faces and beasts - both real and imaginary. The south door retains beautifully detailed geometric & zig-zag carving framing its round arch. Just above the south door you can see the lower part of a window which has been truncated by the current roof.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTCDuUnD40G9ET3uYqX3zuDUdzWnR1ApYurudwqybUxJOCdWMng2luT0dV9Z4GJorl_W2F59Qqte9Kdtc6v9-Jq4DTAZNA-9UYRSRedGhX6mq1ljpLosVG4u6hVud1yrmzP8ZR25VyQNc/s1600/IMG_2919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTCDuUnD40G9ET3uYqX3zuDUdzWnR1ApYurudwqybUxJOCdWMng2luT0dV9Z4GJorl_W2F59Qqte9Kdtc6v9-Jq4DTAZNA-9UYRSRedGhX6mq1ljpLosVG4u6hVud1yrmzP8ZR25VyQNc/s1600/IMG_2919.JPG" height="400" width="261" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South door</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Inside the porch is an intriguing bit of graffiti preserved behind a perspex panel. We spent quite some time trying to decipher what it said and were able to make out some of the text: L'an, Lorrene, duc de Bourgoigne and de la typhan..?. but that was as far as we got.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnDN7iDbymGohGN_twVOP6m9Gh1xwW0AnucGW5_lGmyeN6RK3RkJnuFZh84lEeq-NgJwINPjHWnJcCH2BeeChv0F4mwcO7kui4hcFl9c0zLyKMnoJuS5dXw2AOeYwGZoJDp-O0v2sGrbY/s1600/IMG_2920.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnDN7iDbymGohGN_twVOP6m9Gh1xwW0AnucGW5_lGmyeN6RK3RkJnuFZh84lEeq-NgJwINPjHWnJcCH2BeeChv0F4mwcO7kui4hcFl9c0zLyKMnoJuS5dXw2AOeYwGZoJDp-O0v2sGrbY/s1600/IMG_2920.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Late 15th century graffiti</td></tr>
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According to <span style="color: black;"><a href="http://tourainissime.blogspot.fr/search/label/Avon-les-Roches">Tourainissime</a></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">©</span> <span style="color: white;">it reads:</span></span><br />
<br />
"<i>L'an MYL IIIC* LXXVI devant
Nan dedans Lorrene fut tué le duc de Bourgoigne la vigille de la
typhaine" </i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">* should be read as MYL IIII</span>
in our opinion</i><br />
<br />
Which translates as<i>: 'In the year 1476,
on the eve of Epiphany, before Nancy in the Lorraine, the Duke of
Burgundy was killed.'</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDhezoNTGiGsCPDemw1pi9iAJAu6lM2yqG4wKVxTymPuiQkSuQxkDthTkBoxiAgH3WQymiqIN9059W06H8qa3-IFKU7YsTYFmQyj2IyYopRdPm0IeK3McdNkHXraTWf0jEmBfCik_3a4/s1600/IMG_2916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDhezoNTGiGsCPDemw1pi9iAJAu6lM2yqG4wKVxTymPuiQkSuQxkDthTkBoxiAgH3WQymiqIN9059W06H8qa3-IFKU7YsTYFmQyj2IyYopRdPm0IeK3McdNkHXraTWf0jEmBfCik_3a4/s1600/IMG_2916.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail on the capitals</td></tr>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;">Charles le Téméraire [Charles the Bold] died at the battle of Nancy on the 5th January 1477</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: small; font-style: italic;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: white;">according to our modern day calendar. At the time it would have been the 27th December 1476 in the Julian calendar; but, irrespective of the date, it would still have been the eve of Epiphany.</span> </span></span>[Tourainissime<span style="font-size: small;"> seems to have his dates muddled up and states that the vigil of Typhaine would be the modern day 1st of November, Toussaint]</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODCZ_VcxDOprip_Ca-BBfe7q3zj33h_E6tUOFiRLkedncWHFlbCo0zNle-o-z4QMxe6qegoDpaPCl4EZDyOmuyjp3DVu4LaAqf1moFn92OquaZwpCq5-z5unpfvcKHgk-6FTs58kG-KU/s1600/IMG_2924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODCZ_VcxDOprip_Ca-BBfe7q3zj33h_E6tUOFiRLkedncWHFlbCo0zNle-o-z4QMxe6qegoDpaPCl4EZDyOmuyjp3DVu4LaAqf1moFn92OquaZwpCq5-z5unpfvcKHgk-6FTs58kG-KU/s1600/IMG_2924.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking out from the porch</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black;"> </span><br />
Sadly, the church was locked so we were unable to see inside. We will have to go back as we'd like to see the 12th century holy water stoop and the 12th century font. The stoop is unusual enough to be classed separately as a 'monument historique'.<br />
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<br />Niall & Antoinettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699304108340257145noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-771539132515843977.post-20614877677437483712014-06-17T12:33:00.000+02:002014-06-27T18:02:08.325+02:00Le girouetThe Valley of the Loire has held UNESCO World Heritage status since November 2000. Stretching from Sully-sur-Loire upstream of Orléans to Chalonnes-sur-Loire just downstream from Angers, it covers 280km of the river.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_RCcv0sXwKFv-hY56crfbMoS6wo7QZvHkj3f0-Z_9fj3e3w4koUGPu98-2IXIxN3rgVBViadcvW-r6VBSEIYx2-3AVEEi27YvJn5RNawOv48Gl_NERxyulhSph9TLgK99EfKtlLjR80/s1600/IMG_2896.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_RCcv0sXwKFv-hY56crfbMoS6wo7QZvHkj3f0-Z_9fj3e3w4koUGPu98-2IXIxN3rgVBViadcvW-r6VBSEIYx2-3AVEEi27YvJn5RNawOv48Gl_NERxyulhSph9TLgK99EfKtlLjR80/s1600/IMG_2896.JPG" height="400" width="302" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Le girouet de <span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Savonnières</span></span></td></tr>
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Each commune which is within the world heritage site sports a sign to designate its status. They look like stylised flags, which isn't too far off the mark. In fact, they're called 'un girouet' [not to be confused with 'une girouette' -- French for weather vane]. The reason the girouet was chosen as the symbol/logo for the Val de Loire is because it is so closely associated with the golden age of travel & trade on the river. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMaSIWcn2kINZ0qaaxmDeg77Sh8sFHAcffo-Oh9FG8DQD2cE8icz93mKWOA2mPm3F9E455KCA8N8_8a9YWeY1iRKBtC4whStP1q_mLICro0t7jNwk9Y2l0MQCy3gzI8RQUR3CwSH_fL8I/s1600/IMG_2898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMaSIWcn2kINZ0qaaxmDeg77Sh8sFHAcffo-Oh9FG8DQD2cE8icz93mKWOA2mPm3F9E455KCA8N8_8a9YWeY1iRKBtC4whStP1q_mLICro0t7jNwk9Y2l0MQCy3gzI8RQUR3CwSH_fL8I/s1600/IMG_2898.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">River boats tied up at <span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Savonnières</span></span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Historically the girouet served to identify the boats sailing the river. Each was unique and carved by the boatman from a plank of wood. A great deal of pride and one upmanship was involved and some were, by all accounts, very elaborate and beautiful indeed. To finish off their girouet boatmen added bright coloured pennants, the colours of which were as specific to a particular boatman or flotilla as the carvings on the girouet. As the girouets were so personal they were sometimes referred to as a "beggar's escutcheon", or "beggar's coat of arms". As well as being an identifier, the girouet served a very practical function - it indicated the wind direction; vital for the boatmen when they sailed back upstream.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUE_6yEmZvFVhovRZ8BAGA02jH0GK7kV_FDQL4u0s9laIkwKtLCd4Gn_u9nRpc2UBtFn5WIOpXFLdQlFbLVGO-anAle-9g5OHDgMf4j8X7JtjNyH016P587BbOpxLSh6_dyLa451U3IA/s1600/IMG_2897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUE_6yEmZvFVhovRZ8BAGA02jH0GK7kV_FDQL4u0s9laIkwKtLCd4Gn_u9nRpc2UBtFn5WIOpXFLdQlFbLVGO-anAle-9g5OHDgMf4j8X7JtjNyH016P587BbOpxLSh6_dyLa451U3IA/s1600/IMG_2897.JPG" height="226" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A load of barrels: the boats were the workhorses of the river</td></tr>
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Each Val de Loire girouet has 3 images: the UNESCO logo, the World
Heritage site logo and between them an image specifically linked to the
commune. The blue section of the sign represents the pennant. The one we photographed is from the village of <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Savonnières.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9oC6gJ9-YUJYlEurVQ46xytihwOsga88H9apO3ZFShu1ReyUtjYvTbD-VqkRx1zhzS7P_QmlAIsUYkrQNRu-GVfbwmXaOYVh1CJUNjnnXavLDyddGPCGdwqYhQqvXiV7RxnAi_W8bqf8/s1600/IMG_2895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9oC6gJ9-YUJYlEurVQ46xytihwOsga88H9apO3ZFShu1ReyUtjYvTbD-VqkRx1zhzS7P_QmlAIsUYkrQNRu-GVfbwmXaOYVh1CJUNjnnXavLDyddGPCGdwqYhQqvXiV7RxnAi_W8bqf8/s1600/IMG_2895.JPG" height="393" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail of the girouet</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">If you are interested you'll find more information on girouets as well as some lovely photos of reproduction girouets on this French <a href="http://www.chroniques-ovales.com/article-seigneur-sur-l-eau-114234668.html">blog post</a>. </span></span><br />
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Niall & Antoinettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699304108340257145noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-771539132515843977.post-55977751277353923792014-06-09T12:11:00.002+02:002014-06-09T12:11:46.020+02:00La grêle!Yesterday was a glorious day warm, sunny and towards the late afternoon quite 'heavy'. France Météo had been warning of possible thunderstorms, so early evening we checked the weather online.<br />
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An orange level warning was [and still is] in force in our area [red is the highest] for possible severe thunderstorms accompanied by violent gusts of wind and monsoon-like downpours and/or hail. Before turning in we dutifully switched off all electrical stuff and our internet connection and moved all the outdoor furniture into the lee of the house.<br />
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Just before 5am lightning flickered frantically across the sky, the rumbling began and the promised 'rafales' [wind gusts] arrived. In the eerie false dawn light it looked pretty scary. Meanwhile, we were fretting about our two cats who were outside, pre-dawn is their favourite hunting time. Instead of a monsoon downpour, we got hail. Hailstones the like of which neither of us have ever seen, except in news reports.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVuCDYXSu33JiVBDtOGw9zBWHI7LatsiR-jl5cih8Rl9SUhbXFVSJkV1jTmHScIs6qwRwbIE6-lucsRX0jXqERePp2K_pzy_bPOzg3gTGlDoyitNp_vvcW0cMWXfqGT3UYUw6Gcp3t2n8/s1600/IMG_2900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVuCDYXSu33JiVBDtOGw9zBWHI7LatsiR-jl5cih8Rl9SUhbXFVSJkV1jTmHScIs6qwRwbIE6-lucsRX0jXqERePp2K_pzy_bPOzg3gTGlDoyitNp_vvcW0cMWXfqGT3UYUw6Gcp3t2n8/s1600/IMG_2900.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A 'small' collection of hailstones</td></tr>
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Enormous 'grêlons' [hailstones] boinged off the roof, clattered against our upstairs windows and bounced on the grass outside. The noise of them hitting structures was disconcerting, an angry sound as if someone was trying to force a way in.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiieCl9qvIfmFXOaeWoJ8U4NfeaAaulywcZfEVq593JnzJSA1yYcdfop6kNrnXfnYKjrOBeLGdXYnSD8NRFoKlrT_qioFlCLMYNBaoTwotAqwIDxTjPJa2Odk6AJv9fvhprxy_urqZaH7A/s1600/IMG_2905.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiieCl9qvIfmFXOaeWoJ8U4NfeaAaulywcZfEVq593JnzJSA1yYcdfop6kNrnXfnYKjrOBeLGdXYnSD8NRFoKlrT_qioFlCLMYNBaoTwotAqwIDxTjPJa2Odk6AJv9fvhprxy_urqZaH7A/s1600/IMG_2905.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A seriously large one! Almost 6cm in diameter</td></tr>
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Needless to say, Tinka- no sense in wee brain, arrived in our bedroom towards the end of the hail episode slightly damp, but thankfully none the worse for wear. A direct hit could have caused serious damage to a small cat. She seemed totally unfazed by either the lightning or the thunder. Shadow appeared later, dry, having had more sense to shelter somewhere until it was all over.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-7RNgi02WnY_QxE3Bp4UqTdmRG1C-7l-krIi-Xz4xExhdE2qAYjl3ZzbPhvz7FYkyVWmuoK4zRjZ14RYQcqWnzHazrrSfWvR7xsv8RhMBU-l56iU-1vkp5KpM9NBGG457SKr2Lg7lmY8/s1600/IMG_2909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-7RNgi02WnY_QxE3Bp4UqTdmRG1C-7l-krIi-Xz4xExhdE2qAYjl3ZzbPhvz7FYkyVWmuoK4zRjZ14RYQcqWnzHazrrSfWvR7xsv8RhMBU-l56iU-1vkp5KpM9NBGG457SKr2Lg7lmY8/s1600/IMG_2909.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two holes, neatly punched through</td></tr>
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Earlier we went to have a look to see what damage we had sustained. The roof tiles seem fine; we can't see any cracked or displaced ones. The car too has no damage to the paintwork that we can see and our windows, including the velux, are sound. We heaved a sigh of relief. Amazingly the pot plants out front, including the tomatoes haven't been shredded. However, just now we went to wipe down the outdoor furniture and found that the hail has punched some holes straight through. A couple of chairs and a table have sustained damage.<br />
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We consider ourselves very lucky indeed. Certainly compared to the devastation suffered by the Vourvray wine growers last year when they had a similar hailstorm. Fingers crossed we don't get anymore as the orange level warning is in force until early tomorrow morning and the thunderstorms, with and without hail, are predicted to re-appear this afternoon.<br />
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<br />Niall & Antoinettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699304108340257145noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-771539132515843977.post-63443871167348851992014-05-29T11:10:00.000+02:002014-05-29T11:10:47.278+02:00New garden in PoitiersIf you wondering where we've been hiding well, apologies. "Mundania", chiefly in the form of exam orals, exam marking and a stint of entrance interviews of applicants for next year's Bachelor's course have meant that blogging got sidelined.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6e0CrqJY4RGqxAMdV7SCpql7DtvdhyphenhyphenRpS2sNs6_SEmOEpanxAaf6Q_a9ATvTrFQzoKBSJqXSS_51mTDBc6Gz-0-KCl1g16KjPCd781IiV_pVsatOaLILG6hCcbuxvp1ijvtRftZS4fnQ/s1600/CIMG1814.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6e0CrqJY4RGqxAMdV7SCpql7DtvdhyphenhyphenRpS2sNs6_SEmOEpanxAaf6Q_a9ATvTrFQzoKBSJqXSS_51mTDBc6Gz-0-KCl1g16KjPCd781IiV_pVsatOaLILG6hCcbuxvp1ijvtRftZS4fnQ/s1600/CIMG1814.JPG" height="263" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New public garden & Hotel de Beaucé</td></tr>
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Surfacing briefly, we thought you'd enjoy these photos taken earlier in the year when the municipal gardening team were putting the finishing touches to a new small urban space, the 'Jardins du Puygarreau' in the center of Poitiers.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbxN1OLkAx4CCdTpJM7iTQNIqi-FJghdmbxCVHXIMMVfNPvQWBk-cXWkMTfsrGAuuNhBtlio8nLcXVfmjSczTfYePteFHJUhnUBFou3Q-8xw9yjRWvbIwoeUn3wc2IsdHvlxBEiTW9yw/s1600/CIMG1808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbxN1OLkAx4CCdTpJM7iTQNIqi-FJghdmbxCVHXIMMVfNPvQWBk-cXWkMTfsrGAuuNhBtlio8nLcXVfmjSczTfYePteFHJUhnUBFou3Q-8xw9yjRWvbIwoeUn3wc2IsdHvlxBEiTW9yw/s1600/CIMG1808.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down along the the space from the entrance</td></tr>
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It forms the final part of the regeneration scheme of an area behind the Hotel de Ville which we came across a year ago when we noticed the restoration of <a href="http://chezcharnizay.blogspot.fr/2013/05/new-gem-on-block.html">Hotel de Beaucé</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBF7mH26q3IeLlaZDgloXNpa-NMC6k_xGvCuIOZn5AOGqpHM2saYBmPNOIf_i3A1rttQteXUQXTteaOh77I8tzzAY_p_YaJRFWZ7EPaRdkC7ZoJGaD1iSAyOPPoZtrI4MnGPQo0t76vFg/s1600/CIMG1804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBF7mH26q3IeLlaZDgloXNpa-NMC6k_xGvCuIOZn5AOGqpHM2saYBmPNOIf_i3A1rttQteXUQXTteaOh77I8tzzAY_p_YaJRFWZ7EPaRdkC7ZoJGaD1iSAyOPPoZtrI4MnGPQo0t76vFg/s1600/CIMG1804.JPG" height="261" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Workmen busy with the finishing touches</td></tr>
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In order to create an extension for improved access to 7 rue du Puygarreau and a pleasant public space, three buildings - 9, 11 & 11bis were taken down. On the walls bordering the garden at the back, as well as on free standing panels, old photographs charting the life of the street have been reproduced in a series of colors. They show daily life as it was from the early 20th century onwards.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8DYFkldQOT1RouASkWFuTiGFICJiLPCb__w9jCuYkGxi_jIpoz6NBjOCJX78-nchdpFY0X2lgcGFcjgsv4yT2MST8UrK3e3WtS-BAfFK2GJn_akC630uQtRwSF-fj_guU0f8d-wVFS-g/s1600/CIMG1813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8DYFkldQOT1RouASkWFuTiGFICJiLPCb__w9jCuYkGxi_jIpoz6NBjOCJX78-nchdpFY0X2lgcGFcjgsv4yT2MST8UrK3e3WtS-BAfFK2GJn_akC630uQtRwSF-fj_guU0f8d-wVFS-g/s1600/CIMG1813.JPG" height="263" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panels are copies of photos of the street as it was</td></tr>
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The gardens are just to the left of the Hotel de Beaucé. They have kept the traditional railings but inside the small park also contains some very modern sculpture. There are spring loaded discs for children to hop on and off as well as plenty of seating for the lunch-time visitor to enjoy their meal al fresco; weather permitting!! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidcMoZR05udQpTOQl5Dxg4hC2lBeAIEHbqPnWCuoOEIMl3TZzeqIzglRxlJGZilwZaGBHkEsMdVH-u0SsErJI819zidvU7NE-IfuJVG0SS1HPHbnJYMX3rQ1D6E7wAHI-pNRkdwKbJCxA/s1600/CIMG1809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidcMoZR05udQpTOQl5Dxg4hC2lBeAIEHbqPnWCuoOEIMl3TZzeqIzglRxlJGZilwZaGBHkEsMdVH-u0SsErJI819zidvU7NE-IfuJVG0SS1HPHbnJYMX3rQ1D6E7wAHI-pNRkdwKbJCxA/s1600/CIMG1809.JPG" height="261" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The modern extension to number 7</td></tr>
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When it opened in very early March it was still quite bare but the bones of the planting had been put in. It will be interesting to see in September when the new academic year starts again how well it has filled out after a season of growth. Niall & Antoinettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12699304108340257145noreply@blogger.com1