Tuesday 9 October
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Continued northwards over the Massif Centrale through some more outstanding scenery. Almost without exception the days here dawn with a chilly fog and heavy cloud covering that does not begin to lift until about midday. Consequently, the landscape was obscured in an eerie shroud for the first part of the journey. Nonetheless, this did not seem to detract from the beauty of the countryside. A word about French road signs and tourist facilities is now necessary. For some reason the French are given to erecting very large official roadside signs with very attractive graphics saying things like “Chateau Such-and –Such”. However, strangely, neither that sign, nor any other, gives any indication of where the said Chateau (or other point of interest) is to be found! Even more disturbing to the Prop is the fact that either the French do not see the beauty of their own country or (which is more likely) do not want anyone to photograph it, because there almost never any parking anywhere near the most scenic lookout spots. After a long day in the cockpit of the McRent Reisemobil, the Prop and his wife made for the quaintly named “Camping Municipal Robinson” in Bourges on the edge of the Loire Valley.
Wednesday 10 October
Having spent most of the preceding day on the motorway (we note that the French do not call them “freeways” for a very good reason – they are not free. Au contraire, the tolls or “péage” which are extracted from the motoring public are exorbitant.) we again decided to travel on a few back roads. It was in this way (and because the Prop has difficulty in differentiating between a left hand turn and a right hand turn, that we ended up - quite by accident – in the mediaeval town of Loches. After taking lunch in a traditional Lebanese Kebab House, we discovered the old city more or less accidentally. Within are to be found “the old keep” built in the 11th century and the later (16th century) Royal Lodge, the latter having been built as a kind of weekender by the Dauphin (later Charles VII of France) not long before being reassured in the living room thereof by Joan of Arc that he was the true heir to the French crown. So persuasive was young Joan that the Dauphin marched up the road to Orleans, defeated the Poms with whom the French had been at war for 100 years (actually a bit less than that but “the Hundred Years War” sounds a lot better that the “Seventy-Three Years War”) and then went to Reims to be crowned King. No doubt the people of France are hoping that “Les Bleus” will emulate the Dauphin’s glorious victory over the English at Stade de France this coming Saturday! Having spent nearly all day in Loches, the Prop and his wife were obliged to make camp at the nearby “Camping La Citadelle” which is handily located not more than a trebuchet’s throw from the Royal Lodge at Loches.
Thursday 11 October
The grand tour of the Châteaux of the Loire valley continued. From Loches we travelled to Chinon to inspect the castle/chateau. Chinon too claims to be the location at which Joan d’Arc persuaded the Dauphin to make his takeover bid for the whole of France! In fact it turns out that Joan met the Dauphin first at Chinon and then (perhaps because he thought what she had told him was too good to be true) had to have a second crack at him at Loches before he finally believed her! The Chateau at Chinon was also the place at which the last of the leaders of the Knights Templar, Jaques de Molay, was imprisoned before his execution in the 14th century. From Chinon to Azay-Le-Rideau for a glimpse of its very impressive chateau and then further on following the Loire to Amboise whose chateau rises majestically from the banks of the Loire surrounded by the old and then the new city. Bathed in the late autumn sun, it had the appearance of a set from a Walt Disney fairy tale. Bivouacked (?) at “Le Jardin Botanique” at Lumeray – the most appealing feature of which was its name. Its least appealing quality was its near proximity to the TGV (very fast train) rail line and the astonishing frequency of that service.
Friday 12 October
From Lumeray the McRent Reisemobil (and her crew) continued along the banks of the Loire veering inland only long enough to allow us to visit the truly remarkable Chateau Chambord! Built over a period of about 200 years commencing in the 15th century this amazing example of neo-gothic renaissance architecture defies further description! Now a national monument, the prop could not help thinking that it would have made ideal clubrooms for the now defunct Associates Rugby Club!
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