Gentle Freinds... I am so glad you are enjoying my France Posts... here's the next one...
... this is "house" my friends rent in Le Puy... it is really a huge place and was once a working winery and the back are still has all the winemaking equipment still in place...
... ... this is the tower on the front bedrooms and on the lower level is a dining room,,, yes, the bottom of the tower has been hit quite a few time in its history as this is a very busy street through the village.... and Le Puy is a very small village... except it has a huge
... this wonderful medieval church is a fortified church with extra thick walls with very high windows...
... this is the bell tower...
.... the history of the Le Puy and by 1793 was called Puy-la-Montagne - and the village is built on a hill called "Mary's Mountain." It is called this because William, 9th Duke of Aquitaine, (1071-1127) is reputed to have brought back part of the waistband or Virgins Girdle, of the Virgin Mary from the Crusades and deposited if in the church. His granddaughter Eleanor of Aquitaine founded a Collegiale church to honor the relic which, according to legend, facilitated pregnancies and male offspring. With this relic in the church, the village became a stop of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.
... looking down the nave towards the high altar... this is a beautiful white stone church with soaring cluster columns and super groin vaulting...
... this is the South Transept with the altar and to the right...
... the relic is placed in the two reliquaries in this fine woven silk belt which measures 1.60m x 4 cm.
... one of the many finely carved doors...
... the choir stalls date to the 16th century
... and on this stalls seat is the emblem of Le Puy of a peasant enjoying some wine...
... the high altar...
.... the 16th century carved pulpit...
... you can really see how big and thick the walls are...
... the town was originally surrounded by walls, which over the centuries have been mined for the stone to use in other buildings this gate is the only big piece still in place and used as a back gate to a backyard...
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We headed to Chinon for a visit to the Chateau Restoration and ruins, lunch and visiting the Brocante. A Brocante is an outdoor antique/car boot sale. These sales rotate through the villages and towns and have some super things to see and buy!!
... looking down the Rue Ste. Maurice...
... the brocante was along the Vienne river and under the trees... the weather was beautiful a=so it was a fun visit...
... the Vienne River...
... from the rue Ste Maurice up to the Clock Tower of the Chateau...
... this is the route up to the Chateau that Jeanne d'Arc took when she came to Chinon in 1429 to make the request of Charles VII, the Dauphin of France, for troops to fight the English... before we went up to the Chateau we went to have lunch
.... and although the Red Hat has a restaurant they also serve out under the trees ... it was a lovely warm day so we ate outside...
... this is one of the Starters and was the special that day... with little shots of cold melon soup and bream tartare...
... I had the Terrine de Foie Gras extra a la Poire Tapee confit au Cabernet Franc... which translates to delicious foie gras with dried pear cooked in red wine...
and for a Plat, or main course... I had... Filet Mignon de Roi Rose, jus infuse a la Sauge... roast pork with seasonal vegetables.... and then came dessert...
... on the menu this was called Le Fruit du Pecher, which I knew meant something peach and I was intrigued..... out came this lovely thing.... which turned out to be a Peach Ice cream sitting on a piece of shortbread with some raspberry coulis that had been made to look like a peach... so cool!!!
... wrapping up the meal with espressos... and out came a plate of little treats... the orange rind with chocolate and the little squares of raspberry jell were delicious and I just can not remember what the yellow meringue tasted like and my notes are a bit sketchy.... so not too memorable...
.... now on to the Royale Chateau Chinon... after you get up the limestone cliff to the main ticket office you cross over the bridge and then under the Clock Tower...
looking back at the Clock Tower and out over Chinon...
... between 2003 and 2010 the castle was the subject of a massive excavation and restoration project. It is a Wolrd UnESCO Site. The cost was around 14.5 million euros. These Royal lodgings (Logis Royales) which had been roofless for the past 200 years, were restored inside and out and given a mock 15th century interior. In addition, the restoration project included about 150 meters of the ramparts...
... the decision to leave the main room gable preserved and the large fireplace was an interesting one...
... the Coudray Tower where Jeanne d'Arc stayed when she came to see the Dauphin...
... the long drop outside the Coudray Tower...
... walking down the steep road from the Chateau to the town...
... it had gotten hot and so after touring, we headed back down to a cafe and a much-needed glass of water.....
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There you go sports fans, thanks for stopping by do stop again!!
Take care,
edgar
Indeed, I am enjoying each day's "Tour de France"
ReplyDeleteIf I ever win the lottery, I am going to hire you guys to take me on a tour of Europe! Thanks for all the sharing that you do!
ReplyDeleteAs always, your photos and attention to detail are wonderful.
ReplyDeleteEnjoying the tour, Edgar! So glad you post your vacation pics:)
ReplyDeleteThat Church was just magnificent!!You have certainly seen many wonderful sights and eaten some equally wonderful food! Thanks so much for sharing these photos!
ReplyDeleteI saw it, felt it, tasted it all....what a feast to follow your
ReplyDeletetour and absorb your expert observations, Edgar. If one cannot be
there, you do a magnificent job of making it seem like a reality.
Many, many thanks.