It was raining when we woke up, so we stayed in bed for a bit longer to see if I would stop. It didn’t, but eventually Helen persuaded me to go out for a run. The weather was so bad that a lady with an umbrella shouted ‘bon courage’ as we ran past. We got soaked through as we ran through the Saturday market and about 4km down the road before turning back. Helen informs me it took her 38.45 – I took a little longer.
We had our breakfast in a boulangerie after having showered and changed. It was a bargain at seven euros for both of us. We went back to the room to discover the cleaners were doing our room despite the ‘Do Not Disturb’ notice we had left on the door. There ensued scenes of mayhem as Helen attempted to do the washing while chambermaids busied themselves all around her.
As the weather was still looking unreliable, we decided to drive to Saumur. We took a circuitous route, crossing the Loire at Langeais and the going parallel to the course of the river got about 30km. When we got there, we left the car and walked to the market in the centre of Saumur which was in full swing. Exiting the market place on the far side, we found that the rest of the town was much quieter. We walked on to the Chateau which towers above the town. It has clearly been neglected for some period of time but it is now being restored and so it was closed to the public.
We went back to the car and decided to drive a further 50m to Angers along the route touristique which was indeed very pretty. We were not far advanced along I when Helen decided it was time for lunch. By this time the sun had come out and we sat just off the road in sight of the mighty Loire while we had our picnic.
Angers is much bigger place than Saumur and when we eventually got to the centre we had some difficulty in finding a parking space, though we were ultimately successful. We visited the dark, brooding chateau which was evidently built originally for militaristic purposes, rather than for decoration like those at Azay or Saumur. The highlight of the tour was the 14th century Tapestry of the Apocalypse, a massive work comprising 73 panels, each 23 metres wide and eight metres high, which illustrated the Book of Revelations from the New Testament. We were fortunate to enter the room where the Tapestry is housed just as an official guide was starting an explanation of its history and significance before explaining each one of the panels. She was both immensely knowledgeable and boundlessly enthusiastic about her subject, keeping an audience of 50 or so people of all age enthralled for over an hour. With the help of mi interpreter (Helen) I was able to pick up quite a lot of what she was saving. As well as describing the way in which the Tapestry was made, she drew the parallels between the first century AD when Revelations was written and the Christians were being persecuted by the Romans, and the fourteenth century, when the French were being oppressed by the English. It was a fascinating glimpse of the fourteenth century view of the world (or the end of it at least!). I left wishing I knew my New Testament better and that my French was more proficient.
We drove back to Azay, using the motorway this time. We went out to dinner and, by a stroke of luck, got a table in the local resttaurant that seemed to be frequented by all the locals. Helen has chicken with lardoons; I had rouget with a vaguely curry sauce. This was accompanied by a local Azay white, which was very acceptable.
We had our breakfast in a boulangerie after having showered and changed. It was a bargain at seven euros for both of us. We went back to the room to discover the cleaners were doing our room despite the ‘Do Not Disturb’ notice we had left on the door. There ensued scenes of mayhem as Helen attempted to do the washing while chambermaids busied themselves all around her.
As the weather was still looking unreliable, we decided to drive to Saumur. We took a circuitous route, crossing the Loire at Langeais and the going parallel to the course of the river got about 30km. When we got there, we left the car and walked to the market in the centre of Saumur which was in full swing. Exiting the market place on the far side, we found that the rest of the town was much quieter. We walked on to the Chateau which towers above the town. It has clearly been neglected for some period of time but it is now being restored and so it was closed to the public.
We went back to the car and decided to drive a further 50m to Angers along the route touristique which was indeed very pretty. We were not far advanced along I when Helen decided it was time for lunch. By this time the sun had come out and we sat just off the road in sight of the mighty Loire while we had our picnic.
Angers is much bigger place than Saumur and when we eventually got to the centre we had some difficulty in finding a parking space, though we were ultimately successful. We visited the dark, brooding chateau which was evidently built originally for militaristic purposes, rather than for decoration like those at Azay or Saumur. The highlight of the tour was the 14th century Tapestry of the Apocalypse, a massive work comprising 73 panels, each 23 metres wide and eight metres high, which illustrated the Book of Revelations from the New Testament. We were fortunate to enter the room where the Tapestry is housed just as an official guide was starting an explanation of its history and significance before explaining each one of the panels. She was both immensely knowledgeable and boundlessly enthusiastic about her subject, keeping an audience of 50 or so people of all age enthralled for over an hour. With the help of mi interpreter (Helen) I was able to pick up quite a lot of what she was saving. As well as describing the way in which the Tapestry was made, she drew the parallels between the first century AD when Revelations was written and the Christians were being persecuted by the Romans, and the fourteenth century, when the French were being oppressed by the English. It was a fascinating glimpse of the fourteenth century view of the world (or the end of it at least!). I left wishing I knew my New Testament better and that my French was more proficient.
We drove back to Azay, using the motorway this time. We went out to dinner and, by a stroke of luck, got a table in the local resttaurant that seemed to be frequented by all the locals. Helen has chicken with lardoons; I had rouget with a vaguely curry sauce. This was accompanied by a local Azay white, which was very acceptable.
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