Bigot. Refusing admission to minorities since 1913.
Yasin scaling the Castle wall to rescue his Princess.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Blois
Bigot. Refusing admission to minorities since 1913.
Yasin scaling the Castle wall to rescue his Princess.
More Caves
These caves in the Loire Valley are still occupied!!
They're a bit better developed that the prehistoric ones. Some are used as restaurants and wine cellars, some are used as garages and garden sheds and some appear to be lived in.
Château de Chambord
The Château de Chambord is another of the places the cat visited so we went too. We managed to pick a really busy day. There was a market/swap meet on one side of the Chateau and a horsey event in the fields nearby. We took our picnic and went for a walk around the castle and found one side that was really very tranquil. Then we visited the market but since we didn't want any bric-a-brac we didn't buy anything.
How deep do you think that is?
Off for a walk.
Orleans
It was May Day when we were in Orleans so it was pretty quiet. May Day is a pretty big deal in France. Only waiters and the people who sell Lily of the Valley/Dog Roses work. We saw a march and didn't buy any Lily of the Valley.
A statue of Joan of Arc. She's a bit of a hero of mine and we share a birthday.
The Mountain man and his baguette.
A statue of Joan of Arc. She's a bit of a hero of mine and we share a birthday.
The Mountain man and his baguette.
The Caves
When we were driving down a country road we saw a sign saying "Grottes Prehistoriques". The boys needed a break and we figured that it would be a good chance to stretch our legs. I'm not sure which caves they were but after a bit of googling I think they were les Grottes d'Arcy-sur-Cure. The possibility exists that I'm totally wrong but they're in the right place and look similar so I'm sticking to my story.
The big cave was closed for lunch (because the French take lunch seriously) so we went for a walk by the river and had a look at the small caves. It was wonderful. There was no-one else there except a couple with a black lab and they walked really fast and were out of sight in no time. We were too far from the road to hear traffic and it was so easy to imagine how it was way back then. The caves were all sizes in a row along the cliff face and there was a small river/creek running in front of them. It was no problem at all to see why it would be a desirable residence for cave people.
The boys by the river.
Another picture of the river.
The path between the river and the caves.
A home with a riverside location and wonderful views.
A mansion.
A cottage.
The big cave was closed for lunch (because the French take lunch seriously) so we went for a walk by the river and had a look at the small caves. It was wonderful. There was no-one else there except a couple with a black lab and they walked really fast and were out of sight in no time. We were too far from the road to hear traffic and it was so easy to imagine how it was way back then. The caves were all sizes in a row along the cliff face and there was a small river/creek running in front of them. It was no problem at all to see why it would be a desirable residence for cave people.
The boys by the river.
Another picture of the river.
The path between the river and the caves.
A home with a riverside location and wonderful views.
A mansion.
A cottage.
Canal de Bourgogne
The Canal de Bourgogne was one of the destinations from The Cat Who Walked Across France. We stopped at Dijon for a night and then went to visit it near Pouilly-en-Auxois.
The boys had a look at a lock and I think they kinda, sorta got how it works.
Walking along the tow path.
The lock and the lock-keeper's cottage.
The boys had a look at a lock and I think they kinda, sorta got how it works.
Walking along the tow path.
The lock and the lock-keeper's cottage.
The wierd castle
One day as we were driving about we saw a tourist sign for a castle. We had some time to spare so we dropped in. It appeared to be deserted and there was nothing to see but a few old carts in the courtyard so we turned to leave. The next thing we knew an old crone appeared from a cellar and gave us a dirty look. Then she released her dog!!
A giant sooky lab. It's hard to know who was happier. The dog or the boys. I think that it was the dog once it discovered that the mountain man was willing to throw its toy.
The dog was the least successful guard dog ever - not only did it not scare us away it encouraged us to stay for a few more minutes. We took a bit of a walk around the castle afterwards and enjoyed the sight of a few more tourists arriving and then leaving within minutes looking bemused and underwhelmed.
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