Fifteen years ago, when I visited Château de Chamont for the first time with Jean Michel, he showed me “his” Loire. At the time, I found it somewhat austere. Today, it has become “my” Loire too. Il y a plus de quinze ans lorsque j’ai visité le château de Chaumont pour la première fois avec …
Monthly Archives: January 2014
The Open Fireplace – Le foyer ouvert
I always find it amusing to see the remains of a room open to the elements. I’m not sure what this building is at the entrance to the royal fortress of Chinon but it still has its original monumental fireplace. Je trouve amusant de voir les restes d’une pièce ouverte aux intempéries. Je ne sais …
Through the arch to Chinon Castle – De l'arche au château de Chinon
Maybe Joan of Arc passed through this lovely pointed arch on her way up to the royal fortress of Chinon. Jeanne d’Arc est peut-être passée par ce joli arc d’ogive pour gagner la forteresse royale de Chinon.
Putti on the roof at Chambord – Angelots sur le toit à Chambord
The roofs in Chambord are full of wonderful details. Here putti and a Pegasus decorate intricate ornemental urns surmounted by the famous slate incrustations in the local tufa stone that are typical of Chambord. Les toits à Chambord recèlent de détails merveilleux. Ici des angelots et un pégase se trouvent au-dessus de vasques richement décorés …
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Sun on Blois and the Loire – Soleil sur Blois et la Loire
I always love the view of Blois when we reach the last bend in the Loire particularly on a sunny day. La vue sur Blois lorsque nous arrivons à la dernière courbe de la Loire est toujours aussi belle surtout sous le soleil
First Saturday Market of the Year – Premier marché de samedi de l'année
Not many stalls at the first market of the year, but a bright blue sky. You can see the Robert Houdin House of Magic behind. Note the colour of the coats – black, brown beige and red! Peu de stands au premier marché de l’année, mais un beau ciel bleu. On voit la Maison de …
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Prehistoric antlers – Bois préhistorique
These prehistoric antlers from a cervus megaceros, ancestor of the elk, are at the top of the Grand Staircase in Château de Cheverny. Found in the icy regions of Siberia two centuries ago, the antlers are more than 6000 years old. They were a gift to the collector, Paul, Marquis of Vibraye, in the 19th …
Mistletoe for New Year – Au gui l'an neuf
There is a golf course along the Loire between Blois and Amboise. From the road, we could see trees where the mistletoe was low enough to pick easily. When we got there, we found three freshly cut branches on the ground. Someone else must have had the same idea as us! In the Middle Ages …
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Three Generations on the Market – Trois générations au marché
We were delighted to discover that we could buy our favourite Italian delicacies on the market in Blois on Thursday and Saturday. The most senior of these three lovely ladies had come to buy goodies from her daughter and grand-daughter. She is the president of the Loir et Cher Franco-Italian cultural association, http://www.acfida41.com. Nous qui aimons …
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