tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70626052130674805212024-03-13T16:25:38.661-04:00Destination: FictionEmbark on a novel journeyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger42713tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062605213067480521.post-53638765628390777242021-03-23T15:13:00.000-04:002021-03-23T15:13:23.944-04:00Château de Chambord<p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">King François I built a huge Renaissance palace as his country getaway in the Loire Valley. From its humble origins as a hunting lodge, <b>Château de Chambord</b> became a symbol of the French king's power. Today the palace sits within the largest enclosed park in Europe, a forested domain that is home to deer and wild boar. Here's a peek inside the imposing château, from the double-helix staircase thought to have been inspired by Leonardo da Vinci to the carvings of the monarch's personal emblem, the salamander.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2iYTmOOLtiYI30bmaJcRvoVcSa3dP7w7AnqJb1ofFYb-hNy3j_9XWQjj0X83obE_9B8TV1OL0rTlGUVMZvrcZm5LwF7Jd2Tf0OZ-LgVNbf3kORxEe7iATVscOicdvQSYKpH3t52wCbdoA/s2048/Chambord.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1535" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2iYTmOOLtiYI30bmaJcRvoVcSa3dP7w7AnqJb1ofFYb-hNy3j_9XWQjj0X83obE_9B8TV1OL0rTlGUVMZvrcZm5LwF7Jd2Tf0OZ-LgVNbf3kORxEe7iATVscOicdvQSYKpH3t52wCbdoA/w640-h480/Chambord.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Château de Chambord</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>The Double-Helix Staircase</b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD8UZVmSpDUln_ajHun90cAcJmLX0FZlBlcMkAjXXCtg5cCiCFttQjLNcuc0ohe0b79kq5tJ7YyMUo0N8LxlD4QbpQhJ78ApL3usyUg5eL9gFxaN1XvESwItnLNZd7nI0c7B4v7UxdVuUj/s2048/staircase.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD8UZVmSpDUln_ajHun90cAcJmLX0FZlBlcMkAjXXCtg5cCiCFttQjLNcuc0ohe0b79kq5tJ7YyMUo0N8LxlD4QbpQhJ78ApL3usyUg5eL9gFxaN1XvESwItnLNZd7nI0c7B4v7UxdVuUj/w640-h480/staircase.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Double-Helix Staircase</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OCt4hT8EIagohYyThCP66U7_R9kpotlky-c9X16N1mFcQWfHNo_2NXangfbj4Nte9dvmh_Ok3VzZI67YI3UiPN0Tw7kf33XL6V3FVhO3m_T2IHDW_JHCpx-YvYd-ztjbNgmLpfsrSJ3b/s2048/stairs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OCt4hT8EIagohYyThCP66U7_R9kpotlky-c9X16N1mFcQWfHNo_2NXangfbj4Nte9dvmh_Ok3VzZI67YI3UiPN0Tw7kf33XL6V3FVhO3m_T2IHDW_JHCpx-YvYd-ztjbNgmLpfsrSJ3b/w480-h640/stairs.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>1st Floor Apartments</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHtqkw5vLfoaEyhTT_h66j1CnWwwKpr-o1WwDSjUyLISzGpm3eNqp01KHGkjLandtOoj394r9DQ2SCmc2HwmN2fyHkn3GNfrhDP85NtolAfAhVIpQ33TtFpgoB0MKOdZ5mHjRxeTK2czd/s2048/window.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1535" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHtqkw5vLfoaEyhTT_h66j1CnWwwKpr-o1WwDSjUyLISzGpm3eNqp01KHGkjLandtOoj394r9DQ2SCmc2HwmN2fyHkn3GNfrhDP85NtolAfAhVIpQ33TtFpgoB0MKOdZ5mHjRxeTK2czd/w640-h480/window.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Window Overlooking the Gardens</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9VSNFW0Y5RelEK4iZ1Ff9tjsHJo0wbVwbauhiyPzgMAar78Os-aHbjeXq_piWXrhfsAmi7Rd905bd5Kt9JGy-EKwVBPHVMW7RzzQ8OsiAkLk6_tPg6_vR4aSDyqdwqwlX88rOZtqKpVU5/s2048/Ceremonial+bed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9VSNFW0Y5RelEK4iZ1Ff9tjsHJo0wbVwbauhiyPzgMAar78Os-aHbjeXq_piWXrhfsAmi7Rd905bd5Kt9JGy-EKwVBPHVMW7RzzQ8OsiAkLk6_tPg6_vR4aSDyqdwqwlX88rOZtqKpVU5/w640-h480/Ceremonial+bed.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The King's Ceremonial Bedchamber</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAanX-wYVuESkwunYkd-bG3ye7LaAM8J10_TEKB0IYlPo1r7qoJBQ28bJmiGztdqb7agiYVG08zE5xBymliKw5ymW7qFnmEgT-r4UXTQV-iUnj0RylAjxYLWFAbYzhpp7NjAGg2y7anZj/s2048/Queen+Bedroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAanX-wYVuESkwunYkd-bG3ye7LaAM8J10_TEKB0IYlPo1r7qoJBQ28bJmiGztdqb7agiYVG08zE5xBymliKw5ymW7qFnmEgT-r4UXTQV-iUnj0RylAjxYLWFAbYzhpp7NjAGg2y7anZj/w640-h480/Queen+Bedroom.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Queen's Bedroom</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>2nd Floor Vaulted Rooms</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_i9hlFIVRGRHulGMOE_8m1Au3M6ACVehjg1fqyhpQL467RaAJxApTqJaRji9Y_DkE-__hrCSmzw8gC0v6yG4pw_T6mbctikzZt_CBDjDR6S1x7L3ZzdNA-wl9sJA1uA9d4NrHLqkQd62/s1866/salamander.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="1866" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_i9hlFIVRGRHulGMOE_8m1Au3M6ACVehjg1fqyhpQL467RaAJxApTqJaRji9Y_DkE-__hrCSmzw8gC0v6yG4pw_T6mbctikzZt_CBDjDR6S1x7L3ZzdNA-wl9sJA1uA9d4NrHLqkQd62/w640-h480/salamander.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Emblem of King François I: The Salamander</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4j5roA8hZax84DUQuQ4T1CmFNYq6RDDKtUjqUqRksTSdlas1ch72GeVPbwfoTbnI1Ovie7fZXIEyOdMEPnJkQ_ADr0hhS8YBMtW3bCxHtFzJ0HklMD1U7nYkp4QzAAzGLQ_152Z1HymxX/s2048/door.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4j5roA8hZax84DUQuQ4T1CmFNYq6RDDKtUjqUqRksTSdlas1ch72GeVPbwfoTbnI1Ovie7fZXIEyOdMEPnJkQ_ADr0hhS8YBMtW3bCxHtFzJ0HklMD1U7nYkp4QzAAzGLQ_152Z1HymxX/w480-h640/door.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Salamander Carved into a Door</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>The Terraces</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVpIvGY4QkALrbB5gTGG3iBrLG7yX8HQYvyxJpSk3vAXh66gl4g5TQx-nH3bMuldN8EwZb3Qj-3Rj9WWFsqwcG0SlDW-FBfKNJsmftpTTz4PAywghyphenhyphenPAOKGvfl9lqDbDthud9GU1N90pw/s2048/view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVpIvGY4QkALrbB5gTGG3iBrLG7yX8HQYvyxJpSk3vAXh66gl4g5TQx-nH3bMuldN8EwZb3Qj-3Rj9WWFsqwcG0SlDW-FBfKNJsmftpTTz4PAywghyphenhyphenPAOKGvfl9lqDbDthud9GU1N90pw/w640-h480/view.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">View from the Terrace</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik1nz2js8_g_yU27WuIyPFvgJHiTYwwX42pCRht21MVyMldklFc4bTTVcKEYXezC3OwgyLQ0w21yjxSTQH7ID2gTspe9IZJUb6LXv9jlHxTtYUlyE5439XCOvWf6ZXJs2j9fZzkxU83V3V/s2048/garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik1nz2js8_g_yU27WuIyPFvgJHiTYwwX42pCRht21MVyMldklFc4bTTVcKEYXezC3OwgyLQ0w21yjxSTQH7ID2gTspe9IZJUb6LXv9jlHxTtYUlyE5439XCOvWf6ZXJs2j9fZzkxU83V3V/w640-h480/garden.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">French Formal Gardens</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-qEi4gPf1Jg2gIlu0q6pP5QE6OoIZhPq3_q8SBymfmRP27kasjBFL8qFwyTZ6k5BpjhKcxmc2g4EiokDf6c_c0_b0K0ck3YTjkPuL__Af3UaVoVfP65RJSitrolRfMoDh6X06aN7Id4U/s2048/towers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1535" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-qEi4gPf1Jg2gIlu0q6pP5QE6OoIZhPq3_q8SBymfmRP27kasjBFL8qFwyTZ6k5BpjhKcxmc2g4EiokDf6c_c0_b0K0ck3YTjkPuL__Af3UaVoVfP65RJSitrolRfMoDh6X06aN7Id4U/w480-h640/towers.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Spires and Chimney Stacks on the Terrace</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUk-Ar6VaJdCEStelKtiefzqMgvBZ_eJnttWRlC9jiothTWoPvLoEfVZd3xHuu7hnXQnAOjRKY8rmR5kTar_jccFJX7R_E7IjUTOXaeWo3gCoYzzIo0CSJ5umQn0AjTMixygwtASZm1ros/s2048/Lantern+Tower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUk-Ar6VaJdCEStelKtiefzqMgvBZ_eJnttWRlC9jiothTWoPvLoEfVZd3xHuu7hnXQnAOjRKY8rmR5kTar_jccFJX7R_E7IjUTOXaeWo3gCoYzzIo0CSJ5umQn0AjTMixygwtASZm1ros/w480-h640/Lantern+Tower.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Lantern Tower</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Chambord liqueur was inspired by a raspberry beverage that was produced for French royalty to commemorate their visits to the Loire Valley. I sampled the fruity liqueur in one of the château's gift shops but waited until I returned home to buy a bottle.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB6CdmyEXUQunWPOnpPXzuFa5_jQzHU91PHKUACzVhPThhkYCzgh9OkXHP3RKEhd7j68yU1ghvsht4IKE4iqjgCNxx0JVX0XMRIn-Xlv_Gaa57JMTsL1fCRqxTfVdHbRZ2sJwUVS_X3jhm/s2048/liquor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB6CdmyEXUQunWPOnpPXzuFa5_jQzHU91PHKUACzVhPThhkYCzgh9OkXHP3RKEhd7j68yU1ghvsht4IKE4iqjgCNxx0JVX0XMRIn-Xlv_Gaa57JMTsL1fCRqxTfVdHbRZ2sJwUVS_X3jhm/w640-h480/liquor.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">For more information about the château, visit the <a href="https://www.chambord.org/en/">Domaine national de Chambord</a> website.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Next: Château de Chenonceau</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>Faye Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00177424005603028463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062605213067480521.post-80108253229156326712021-02-28T11:37:00.002-05:002021-03-23T15:15:00.142-04:00Tours: Heart of the Loire Valley<p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">A good home base for exploring the many grand <i>châteaux</i> of the Loire Valley is the city of <b>Tours</b>. One hour from Paris via high-speed TGV train, the region's largest city is also set amidst the valley's much humbler troglodyte homes. And I had the opportunity to dine in one of these fascinating caves.</span></p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPsxAwDl9sdTEDBrNpyJNyCwkDBlLCTEjyBikt3VNu3-B6-cJ19rBgTVwwwlflk19cERYgS4E2He_YPhbOr0XjgNYsVvrs1_St336qxsZUiZnxz4unKdJBaCO5HktsAYbY71Rmngwsj4Ty/s2048/town+hall.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPsxAwDl9sdTEDBrNpyJNyCwkDBlLCTEjyBikt3VNu3-B6-cJ19rBgTVwwwlflk19cERYgS4E2He_YPhbOr0XjgNYsVvrs1_St336qxsZUiZnxz4unKdJBaCO5HktsAYbY71Rmngwsj4Ty/w640-h480/town+hall.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Town Hall, Tours</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">I didn't have much time to explore this beautiful city, other than a visit to <b>Saint-Gatien Cathedral</b>, the <b>Gare de Tours</b> rail station and a quick shopping trip at <b>Galeries Lafayette</b>.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie753pTYy6SpMPB28RPERs7rSEKLMOTuMSbjDQhsBmK1gbii5JTvWo44bSYXDWoEpCelFsocvi3XvHmRnUuYxId3H73BjWFidue6TJomjZ60ONSf5M6_YDK9RTJvysdqxR6gwBwoiIPesC/s2048/window.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie753pTYy6SpMPB28RPERs7rSEKLMOTuMSbjDQhsBmK1gbii5JTvWo44bSYXDWoEpCelFsocvi3XvHmRnUuYxId3H73BjWFidue6TJomjZ60ONSf5M6_YDK9RTJvysdqxR6gwBwoiIPesC/w480-h640/window.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Window Box, Tours</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC0N3aLISZdAXUzqhdmaTr2B5YZvwsw8mdw1If_URQdcUPCXqri3hBO9hKVtxFXOc1rM3I0mOEE0Z5Mar_iq9s0DECF_jz4cPcgLI_cF_75naUhVGctY7kQ0WpXtcOayy6cMfO39EUlpxy/s2048/cathedral.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC0N3aLISZdAXUzqhdmaTr2B5YZvwsw8mdw1If_URQdcUPCXqri3hBO9hKVtxFXOc1rM3I0mOEE0Z5Mar_iq9s0DECF_jz4cPcgLI_cF_75naUhVGctY7kQ0WpXtcOayy6cMfO39EUlpxy/w480-h640/cathedral.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Saint-Gatien Cathedral</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ38N5Ok5Pt8tgZ0j66iMSohBMEnVWrgGP-H83F5BpLiY1a_LKOEvuo4OS4BKwpcpb0Vi5EtljldRpeGUiN0VJ3IghRh37XEvtVYxTCcoJ9zu77aH5tqJIloXvrM829VNWpCqAdm0B9XkY/s2048/gare.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ38N5Ok5Pt8tgZ0j66iMSohBMEnVWrgGP-H83F5BpLiY1a_LKOEvuo4OS4BKwpcpb0Vi5EtljldRpeGUiN0VJ3IghRh37XEvtVYxTCcoJ9zu77aH5tqJIloXvrM829VNWpCqAdm0B9XkY/w640-h480/gare.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Gare de Tours, the TGV Rail Station</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-en3sBe5bDY5CM2_K0eAfVgoqvgx4JmD8WgJNmrcprMjHUUNS4DvJkbepLDumYupQSENSKEAPo1RfPfYe-4niqcGi_jYOp_6elFRTFV5sz9wEN-lEXweRKxHVYWiJvYANf_RpdEZTatV/s2048/Galeries.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1535" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-en3sBe5bDY5CM2_K0eAfVgoqvgx4JmD8WgJNmrcprMjHUUNS4DvJkbepLDumYupQSENSKEAPo1RfPfYe-4niqcGi_jYOp_6elFRTFV5sz9wEN-lEXweRKxHVYWiJvYANf_RpdEZTatV/w480-h640/Galeries.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">We stayed at the historic <b>Hotel L'Univers Tours</b>. The inviting lobby has a portrait gallery with murals of the establishment's many famous guests including French chanteuse Edith Piaf and Winston Churchill.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbT2kX2EGjhXPqnXXwlDrfFExKsZZ54DRcaT60Q1Xl7wKM7UOSlFsApCZAZLjjlAp7_G6BHhCmlaVyCbFMf_DKsLLO3l5Qp-teTlo-PIJUBJe30TWgN_oa3Diazh5EtS5IppSjUm4XOO_D/s2048/lobby.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbT2kX2EGjhXPqnXXwlDrfFExKsZZ54DRcaT60Q1Xl7wKM7UOSlFsApCZAZLjjlAp7_G6BHhCmlaVyCbFMf_DKsLLO3l5Qp-teTlo-PIJUBJe30TWgN_oa3Diazh5EtS5IppSjUm4XOO_D/w640-h480/lobby.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Lobby of the Hotel L'Univers Tours</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhawP_oxQbFE_O5g25RqFKO2x0mmr9XiEuySG_wK4VxqK6MHQ44irznwlIvpACtZU4D69gGWGFBXqMzBUTL2q7tcJC4U7uOz3iARBH9kGNVAno0aIBcW87Jgznkjq700JXyq8U2zmg-ilWp/s2048/ceiling.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhawP_oxQbFE_O5g25RqFKO2x0mmr9XiEuySG_wK4VxqK6MHQ44irznwlIvpACtZU4D69gGWGFBXqMzBUTL2q7tcJC4U7uOz3iARBH9kGNVAno0aIBcW87Jgznkjq700JXyq8U2zmg-ilWp/w640-h480/ceiling.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Palm Trees and Chandeliers</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7xDbcbOke3abr2uxQssNgw7AsrGRLWX5C9JMZvaOhOaqzWjh3tu_YUmEGyAUKOf7-xnPGOahCZRjyDn2Cpm53KQ59MyAGBtRpbIIQUnn94zpqwKNBoPgGZWDP5CdcW0VahID4Lo_O_euO/s2048/Piaf.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7xDbcbOke3abr2uxQssNgw7AsrGRLWX5C9JMZvaOhOaqzWjh3tu_YUmEGyAUKOf7-xnPGOahCZRjyDn2Cpm53KQ59MyAGBtRpbIIQUnn94zpqwKNBoPgGZWDP5CdcW0VahID4Lo_O_euO/w640-h480/Piaf.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Edith Piaf (centre)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVVpL2TwjCVg1AruU4zmH6gQDr-yurMQ4vwRz5Oiu5P0TxVbXu6G43Wkrpa53kHrNCVQlrZOBdkIYRyBxl78DVeyK3h7bWiGGGuT492uAfImhqeLT3N01JLKdwgF5K6800PYOQ-qoKSf_1/s2048/Churchill.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVVpL2TwjCVg1AruU4zmH6gQDr-yurMQ4vwRz5Oiu5P0TxVbXu6G43Wkrpa53kHrNCVQlrZOBdkIYRyBxl78DVeyK3h7bWiGGGuT492uAfImhqeLT3N01JLKdwgF5K6800PYOQ-qoKSf_1/w640-h480/Churchill.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Winston Churchill (centre)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">In the evening we headed out into castle country for dinner, with a detour to see the bronze sculpture of a rather buff Leonardo da Vinci gazing across the Loire River at <b>Château Amboise</b>. The artist and inventor moved to Amboise at the invitation of King François I and spent the last three years of his life here.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuS0dnffmYCcOvxLyMyECyXt1jvMzxuL61RNH0pxvoPjBW__12mvdUT_4z_OGbnIwJvDbyHP59zLWSRmVbtNNQ7MR1grlYpPghBXcvLKQYFl2JXxEq9IaFQzh2x_N659UQkhz6RMVsfnOk/s2048/bridge.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuS0dnffmYCcOvxLyMyECyXt1jvMzxuL61RNH0pxvoPjBW__12mvdUT_4z_OGbnIwJvDbyHP59zLWSRmVbtNNQ7MR1grlYpPghBXcvLKQYFl2JXxEq9IaFQzh2x_N659UQkhz6RMVsfnOk/w640-h480/bridge.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Bridge Over the Loire River</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9f6HY6LdAIBWU39GVWc6g3emx6pYW4M2f9pz4HDvrGhXlmHWR7HkiNWobNzh4yoDqUj5w6FDQFT9F9HIEKtzNghpw8aUh-MPVvrv5-pKFJxMf0oUb6ZcC6qwr9mD8LaPCoX0LQyUxToiu/s2048/Leonardo.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9f6HY6LdAIBWU39GVWc6g3emx6pYW4M2f9pz4HDvrGhXlmHWR7HkiNWobNzh4yoDqUj5w6FDQFT9F9HIEKtzNghpw8aUh-MPVvrv5-pKFJxMf0oUb6ZcC6qwr9mD8LaPCoX0LQyUxToiu/w480-h640/Leonardo.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i>Leonardo de Vinci</i></b>, Amleto Cataldi (1923)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSRCGpVB_loaq7JvZpg66f6xJG8LAg65B4OantgEWn1hy1UWYv-WX30LpTGGzsMGNJHLO4ghRqKXErTpnNhyyfLI1FoUDbgSm05b5Jw07MGQ9qKs-cDOs0jpojWrUWuMb0RG9QzeEU-uT/s2048/face.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSRCGpVB_loaq7JvZpg66f6xJG8LAg65B4OantgEWn1hy1UWYv-WX30LpTGGzsMGNJHLO4ghRqKXErTpnNhyyfLI1FoUDbgSm05b5Jw07MGQ9qKs-cDOs0jpojWrUWuMb0RG9QzeEU-uT/w640-h480/face.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfG3jCsDKTvkJsIqYl38EoF4ez4j0bUvzTNYt8fhx9yMqe3ND88q4HO3dTU9thT069fOqtuor24llIQjVn5eQmoudZ9mdy-mY98rWUqi1urj08oTRhI0OlFoOSdD8Zi7gA45vSs2if9-po/s2048/Amboise.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1535" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfG3jCsDKTvkJsIqYl38EoF4ez4j0bUvzTNYt8fhx9yMqe3ND88q4HO3dTU9thT069fOqtuor24llIQjVn5eQmoudZ9mdy-mY98rWUqi1urj08oTRhI0OlFoOSdD8Zi7gA45vSs2if9-po/w640-h480/Amboise.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Château Amboise</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The limestone cliffs of the Loire Valley have been quarried for centuries to build the region's homes and châteaux. This left cavities in the cliffside that were later used as troglodyte homes. One of these homes in Montlouis-sur-Loire was more recently used as a wine cave and is now the <b>Restaurant La Cave</b>. The warm decor and central fireplace created a cozy ambience in which to enjoy the delicious local cuisine.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17I-mcKBk3FzPFpBIQksiBkWiMB9tA6dUbAgQkFvDc0a24s0mFBpH27U5HSpvYCCQghIhNqif_Msdhujq9_G4-MORtVcqMrh5C13kdaXy7eYEnsclLx8sybeKMb_ZIb4DWrDC1EY24cT9/s2048/restaurant.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17I-mcKBk3FzPFpBIQksiBkWiMB9tA6dUbAgQkFvDc0a24s0mFBpH27U5HSpvYCCQghIhNqif_Msdhujq9_G4-MORtVcqMrh5C13kdaXy7eYEnsclLx8sybeKMb_ZIb4DWrDC1EY24cT9/w640-h480/restaurant.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Restaurant La Cave</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0PWZcFcx3pNnleMumVhkdZYM9GPm2-fjh4vfqs5MzPz_dLs5Keu8Re3kxB34PJAGxl1TjLDuwSp6XEQDGWjU5VscHEqTqvf0eT6Ci8_lm7GSRzapapESdPAlCV0wfLSalSZjVZO0LxTQO/s2048/bar.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0PWZcFcx3pNnleMumVhkdZYM9GPm2-fjh4vfqs5MzPz_dLs5Keu8Re3kxB34PJAGxl1TjLDuwSp6XEQDGWjU5VscHEqTqvf0eT6Ci8_lm7GSRzapapESdPAlCV0wfLSalSZjVZO0LxTQO/w640-h480/bar.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Bar</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhshyphenhyphenkiRWs47eodwGYRmphLbKrBFE0DsjAk-MvAR7yqhwEDMVg3C85fRLJ6s_IB_shucY8Ll_JoUo_03X2gKdmnWxhpyksQBcl7NKN4YjV_z47MhR5lFcB5evNGCXQXt5jFLIK4rnfLg8j1/s2048/fireplace.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhshyphenhyphenkiRWs47eodwGYRmphLbKrBFE0DsjAk-MvAR7yqhwEDMVg3C85fRLJ6s_IB_shucY8Ll_JoUo_03X2gKdmnWxhpyksQBcl7NKN4YjV_z47MhR5lFcB5evNGCXQXt5jFLIK4rnfLg8j1/w480-h640/fireplace.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Fireplace</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRciy5_vb2A8V6EzVNmni2TB2ILqIHQtUDxua5e-DHCKDAj7zXIrmTIDZJcR7mxzKFJz-957dbKVZ06eCxx9t8HRjh58ZxOJe78PglKbETJtyl3-zr-Vq9dWgPVtxW6J1prITOqp8xD8A/s2048/escargots.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRciy5_vb2A8V6EzVNmni2TB2ILqIHQtUDxua5e-DHCKDAj7zXIrmTIDZJcR7mxzKFJz-957dbKVZ06eCxx9t8HRjh58ZxOJe78PglKbETJtyl3-zr-Vq9dWgPVtxW6J1prITOqp8xD8A/w640-h480/escargots.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Escargots with Mushrooms and Bacon</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">I'm happy to say that Château Amboise was merely an appetizer. There were two more castles on the menu for the following day: Chambord and Chenonceau.</span></p><p><br /></p>Faye Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00177424005603028463noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7062605213067480521.post-24154522143701802972021-01-25T13:20:00.002-05:002021-02-28T11:15:44.177-05:00Angers: Gateway to the Loire Valley<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The city of Angers<b> </b>on the Maine River in western France is a gateway to the Loire Valley and its many beautiful <i>châteaux</i>. A quick lunch stop in Angers gave me an opportunity to explore the city's medieval centre with its impressive 13th-century castle, <b>Château d'Angers</b>, and a cathedral constructed in a mix of Romanesque and Gothic styles, <b>Cathédral Saint-Maurice</b>.</span><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihB72cXEWv5lCKV5WmnwFxK95tBGr76NBpxxuKaVsvbaGU6-M96npl7vJJ9B3Y5mss3K8h4dEtwCtaUVTV6HtQOP8fPdtB5zKKTAEQ8P_XeIsXUO0vJBtKSyCmf9kF3pDADOD5q4SYWmz/s2048/Maine+River.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgihB72cXEWv5lCKV5WmnwFxK95tBGr76NBpxxuKaVsvbaGU6-M96npl7vJJ9B3Y5mss3K8h4dEtwCtaUVTV6HtQOP8fPdtB5zKKTAEQ8P_XeIsXUO0vJBtKSyCmf9kF3pDADOD5q4SYWmz/w640-h480/Maine+River.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The French City of Angers on the Maine River</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><b>Château d'Angers</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5CYhdDehQTVW3zhLIukUyHD2m_VlFFplipUebRq2gFgOX-Hw89m3C_fZpvYHAqNNc8naYg3j_NjuJjo4saB6YMHHRNRLJa6TXI4cyJvFud31VUUGouxFmeQL7rB0IcvOLgvPDEG7MiCf/s2048/Castle+Entrance.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5CYhdDehQTVW3zhLIukUyHD2m_VlFFplipUebRq2gFgOX-Hw89m3C_fZpvYHAqNNc8naYg3j_NjuJjo4saB6YMHHRNRLJa6TXI4cyJvFud31VUUGouxFmeQL7rB0IcvOLgvPDEG7MiCf/w480-h640/Castle+Entrance.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Château d'Angers, Angers Castle (1230)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhlnqTxE9Ny8NroLil251zotDGmdLJAOEG_p55uVWQ3a9gp-SeIvdja_q4eR5nBTGMuK5YKK_zxG-LusZkSA9TWGjvjgpqBpf9urd73X7vJ4u3aP5hsjVsv_T1KN36dyXVMDqnoBV6rpDX/s2048/Castle+Moat.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhlnqTxE9Ny8NroLil251zotDGmdLJAOEG_p55uVWQ3a9gp-SeIvdja_q4eR5nBTGMuK5YKK_zxG-LusZkSA9TWGjvjgpqBpf9urd73X7vJ4u3aP5hsjVsv_T1KN36dyXVMDqnoBV6rpDX/w480-h640/Castle+Moat.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Castle Moat, Converted to Gardens During the Renaissance</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXEbcbroNRw8nBBCsyZFR4doAv8rZaeRIN3uwX8NNvld4py-7MgtQIN4oAOoIHvsdR4n5G3_69ViUf4PtTdaVCIpEGLsmnl5myD7Zbx9fSc8wOvNYCntXzC8oBO06B3kSMtFOLmumD41Em/s2048/Castle+Stairs.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXEbcbroNRw8nBBCsyZFR4doAv8rZaeRIN3uwX8NNvld4py-7MgtQIN4oAOoIHvsdR4n5G3_69ViUf4PtTdaVCIpEGLsmnl5myD7Zbx9fSc8wOvNYCntXzC8oBO06B3kSMtFOLmumD41Em/w640-h480/Castle+Stairs.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">For lunch we found a charming little restaurant near the castle, <b>Crêperie du Château</b>, where we shared <i>un galette </i>(a savoury buckwheat crêpe) in the tiny courtyard. Then we set off to find the cathedral.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0BCpt7CA30cOGsdiR-WwzREs7ey26ZqIQG92Z58rbT8MJuy9uQXk7JIHiXudAafLB_yElljKHl3CDknQuXp4_rdQmSfbgkNltb03EDHmYbbz9G0alfsv8JoZXLBpK_YbNnFJPFtWlJYoU/s2048/Alley.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0BCpt7CA30cOGsdiR-WwzREs7ey26ZqIQG92Z58rbT8MJuy9uQXk7JIHiXudAafLB_yElljKHl3CDknQuXp4_rdQmSfbgkNltb03EDHmYbbz9G0alfsv8JoZXLBpK_YbNnFJPFtWlJYoU/w640-h480/Alley.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Medieval Centre of Angers</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAYZxz3CwPUZSd9S8g0ikPqdSkUSRvS88rkzstXy6pIvNBLuNXOrcUDZ4OVhTxI2cCYVAjVmlMx0HdRAhrao6laSPvKw8e1V_W3ZqMBuvrRA5u41mSIwU7vFVYLUYJg_bAfwLXUQ4DC1pV/s2048/Creperie+sign.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAYZxz3CwPUZSd9S8g0ikPqdSkUSRvS88rkzstXy6pIvNBLuNXOrcUDZ4OVhTxI2cCYVAjVmlMx0HdRAhrao6laSPvKw8e1V_W3ZqMBuvrRA5u41mSIwU7vFVYLUYJg_bAfwLXUQ4DC1pV/w640-h480/Creperie+sign.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Cr<i>ê</i>perie du Château</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJmTUGLXucuStd9ha_1pyKl-w-bFQP0DLmxdjuOMXyzi8SXcm7dfBDfE0obHywJxVK_DBJS1JRojjW4uVQs5tTUQT6qi62BlXekbg-3DCOvCTSnRwo8H9XdTOB-eUKeRbfT1kwiIxZh4j/s2048/Creperie.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJmTUGLXucuStd9ha_1pyKl-w-bFQP0DLmxdjuOMXyzi8SXcm7dfBDfE0obHywJxVK_DBJS1JRojjW4uVQs5tTUQT6qi62BlXekbg-3DCOvCTSnRwo8H9XdTOB-eUKeRbfT1kwiIxZh4j/w480-h640/Creperie.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Crêperie Courtyard</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Sygi0BAfZyQ619b-LMlMNrDP5EHGUtTOqs2wuhU53N9oYm8f95l5Ovaejv5smhPwEfo8Yln9Apyn6Hg53arGgwEaoqtIOMno6VifM0GzEC1jKIibUww0jR00MHxkef5ewaSx7Xum0Nu8/s2048/bike.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Sygi0BAfZyQ619b-LMlMNrDP5EHGUtTOqs2wuhU53N9oYm8f95l5Ovaejv5smhPwEfo8Yln9Apyn6Hg53arGgwEaoqtIOMno6VifM0GzEC1jKIibUww0jR00MHxkef5ewaSx7Xum0Nu8/w640-h480/bike.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4N04NkDofq-ZnA9lh0SFezOoi1v8nCk0sYaxIiveK1fkXOT4TPdiiKHvuxEaURX9mpT_drqAZ94foD5EqB8j-Al846EgNXicOKPjJUwe6qOpHrNqGN0K1nHhLjmGCb_yr4HRU3BBqY7Yv/s2048/menu.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4N04NkDofq-ZnA9lh0SFezOoi1v8nCk0sYaxIiveK1fkXOT4TPdiiKHvuxEaURX9mpT_drqAZ94foD5EqB8j-Al846EgNXicOKPjJUwe6qOpHrNqGN0K1nHhLjmGCb_yr4HRU3BBqY7Yv/w640-h480/menu.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3GBDPa8srmEjt_WY5xGX8vr-8fwpcdkH6Zy22IDCehNpOE_3y0kA5vybXGtAIu-9T8BeP1rGjaF7awiCGl_PtBbARmSAvyZDmVuPIGOw0QDK4PubIGItykuSlrflHPFdoWgfLX8NWbE81/s2048/Crepe.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3GBDPa8srmEjt_WY5xGX8vr-8fwpcdkH6Zy22IDCehNpOE_3y0kA5vybXGtAIu-9T8BeP1rGjaF7awiCGl_PtBbARmSAvyZDmVuPIGOw0QDK4PubIGItykuSlrflHPFdoWgfLX8NWbE81/w640-h480/Crepe.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Un Galette</i>, a Savoury Crêpe</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJzv_lUx5uclNhQnkh-csOQKo8b0Q_KlhHnP3ejEHDx0WFVgZza4zEypq32aBpt-Whq80k9C3IaGLtAg7PF8tnSeU9jawa4jvugPbc_zE5gX6FHMTQKXlogz0_nKqUyd1LdRlz4bopFJw/s2048/Half+Timber.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJzv_lUx5uclNhQnkh-csOQKo8b0Q_KlhHnP3ejEHDx0WFVgZza4zEypq32aBpt-Whq80k9C3IaGLtAg7PF8tnSeU9jawa4jvugPbc_zE5gX6FHMTQKXlogz0_nKqUyd1LdRlz4bopFJw/w480-h640/Half+Timber.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Half-Timbered House</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;"><b>Cathédral Saint-Maurice</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFyONhSwU-eL4r095EYLTdwf_52wKdY1PDod127-DevujuJn1X4wYWnx1ExmTFaiCC3uN-Obk9-tuHpsaBiTzKb_SjPPzq1L690IBj69vHA4l2cYxbnMP0NO1kkx8qd-4OskzDAPJyMy80/s2048/Cathedral.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFyONhSwU-eL4r095EYLTdwf_52wKdY1PDod127-DevujuJn1X4wYWnx1ExmTFaiCC3uN-Obk9-tuHpsaBiTzKb_SjPPzq1L690IBj69vHA4l2cYxbnMP0NO1kkx8qd-4OskzDAPJyMy80/w480-h640/Cathedral.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Cathédral Saint-Maurice, Angers</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hKQ9Sp99e3-xllt_sMz2GOWBN_dnLgxiswBPGLNWNSioFagjqVofVEkb20d7Sa3uXFrqIjlVZLG2RoK6t1oQlE3LIwY4HXGisqn1FaXpRLZIw8v6Onc9dbGTUC-UvjiB4NU1c6dVLIMK/s2048/Nave.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hKQ9Sp99e3-xllt_sMz2GOWBN_dnLgxiswBPGLNWNSioFagjqVofVEkb20d7Sa3uXFrqIjlVZLG2RoK6t1oQlE3LIwY4HXGisqn1FaXpRLZIw8v6Onc9dbGTUC-UvjiB4NU1c6dVLIMK/w480-h640/Nave.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Cathedral Nave</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7MSv4mUQnqEnHob4j4RgnEus0wZ8SAN7R-d9g3S74tU5GwFcvEts2NP23cYGNpAbpjpdbo07MLHC8a9cU4_ejL7RyPvigSCNRcUGwntEEK9Ntclv_VPtKCZGf2tTbEoGO_b5V9fbklWV/s2048/Altar.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7MSv4mUQnqEnHob4j4RgnEus0wZ8SAN7R-d9g3S74tU5GwFcvEts2NP23cYGNpAbpjpdbo07MLHC8a9cU4_ejL7RyPvigSCNRcUGwntEEK9Ntclv_VPtKCZGf2tTbEoGO_b5V9fbklWV/w480-h640/Altar.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Altar</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0m8-WEgSJHiV-E5pJb86breofSIw8rfE5uT2jo9ZSzrXbsrHZ78D1wQDjTqwITwDiXqyzTugR3oiDGkA57X-XpJC6ODiwCWdp4xGLKH78PuKLIGqeZtU_ZouoRfnv0BsseswcMfr8_3QR/s2048/Nave+2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0m8-WEgSJHiV-E5pJb86breofSIw8rfE5uT2jo9ZSzrXbsrHZ78D1wQDjTqwITwDiXqyzTugR3oiDGkA57X-XpJC6ODiwCWdp4xGLKH78PuKLIGqeZtU_ZouoRfnv0BsseswcMfr8_3QR/w640-h480/Nave+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Nave (viewed towards the entrance)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2tV1T2-nbME07Sm_J-3GfDb3RF8kMM6xMdvx5OWIK_I-3x_Av8ptt_U3sovt9IHunHVpvr70F_EOU871P5f5ye_IJe334T8pCWbcFh0NUyA0cnUS2bx8ITPjdoi6ERZL1Qsj17d-U427/s2048/Pipe+Organ.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2tV1T2-nbME07Sm_J-3GfDb3RF8kMM6xMdvx5OWIK_I-3x_Av8ptt_U3sovt9IHunHVpvr70F_EOU871P5f5ye_IJe334T8pCWbcFh0NUyA0cnUS2bx8ITPjdoi6ERZL1Qsj17d-U427/w640-h480/Pipe+Organ.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Pipe Organ</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYZqKMjx-odARx9Gh5SN720p3maQtzWcxdpdS7-JjV4Ii5cU4kVIEXMkoAjogbvOJLBw1LjnDHIduFOrLBqOfOnf3IazsVhF2A036B9fY0az09ShwRexmaCxEpcOURAJZoeewHzUlw0Vhk/s2048/Apocalypse+Tapestry.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYZqKMjx-odARx9Gh5SN720p3maQtzWcxdpdS7-JjV4Ii5cU4kVIEXMkoAjogbvOJLBw1LjnDHIduFOrLBqOfOnf3IazsVhF2A036B9fY0az09ShwRexmaCxEpcOURAJZoeewHzUlw0Vhk/w640-h480/Apocalypse+Tapestry.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Replica Panel from the Apocalypse Tapestry in Angers Castle</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">An unexpected treat capped off our visit to the cathedral: a rehearsal on the massive pipe organ.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">For more information about this delightful city, visit the <a href="https://www.tourisme.destination-angers.com/en">Destination Angers website</a>.</span></div><div><br /></div>Faye Northhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00177424005603028463noreply@blogger.com0