Sunday, September 30, 2012

Dimanche Autour Tours! (Sunday Around Tours!)

 The Hotel de Ville again, in all her glory above, and the Palais de la Justice below. 
 Our first objective was a Prieure near the village of Le Grais.  Thanks to our GPS (Mademoiselle Fifi LeBonBon) and Tom's map reading skills we found it. 

It was closed. 

So we walked around a bit. 





We were standing just about here when a man came out and said firmly that the Prieure was closed and we were forbidden to enter.  Sigh. 

Off to our second destination -- Chinon. 


Chinon is one of the most important chateaux in France.  It was the home of Henry II of England, who claimed much of what we now call France through his own right and that of his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine.  The basic structure of the chateau is from this time, although much of it has been destroyed or burned and restored at various times. 

The Hundred Years' War was fought between the French and the English over the succession and control of France.  It came to an end when Joan of Arc came to Chinon to convince Charles VII to give her an army to defeat the English, so that he could be crowned in Reims.  Joan first met the king at Chinon, and he waited here while she took on the English armies to the north.

The chateau fell into ruin after that, until the last king of France, Louis-Philippe, established a program to  repair and maintain historic structures throughout France.  The chateau was rescued and restored. 
































 After a thorough viewing of the chateau, we were off to Tours.  We almost made it to the road, when Tom spotted unusual activity in a field. 

We stopped to take a look. 




















Cool.

Now, back to Tours...



a quick dinner, off to the station, and back to Paris. 

Merci bien, Zaza!