2025-france-part-7

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• Thu 20th Feb

  Chateau de Puyguihem. Built in 1515, but like all such buildings, suffered much change, damage during France’s many wars, and dereliction. And, like all we have visited, extensively restored.

  

  

  One of several restored fireplaces, seemingly an important part of France’s chateaus, this featuring the labours of Hercules.

  

  The entrance into the Chateau, a rather imposing ceiling, about the only decorative feature in the Chateau. At least, anything else has been lost.

  

  The Grand Staircase, per the leaflet.

  

  The back of the Chateau, described as plain. I thought, not that plain!

  

  The dovecote.

  

  Inside the dovecote.

  

• Sat 22nd Feb
  Chateau D’Oiron, 16th Century.

  The not quite symetrical view from the front.

   

  

  The more elaborate (and bigger) wing.

   

  

  Rather stark stairway. In fact, all the monuments we have been to have plain stone walls, which makes them cold, both physically and visually.

  

  Looked impressive on entry, nice original ceiling, but the wall decorations are peculiar.

  

  Bits of bodies, and other bits and pieces stuck together.

  

  A very elaborate ceiling, in a pink room.

  

  The pink room.

   

   

  

  And this room is just plain gaudy.

  

  A most interesting looking stairway, leading to……..

  

  a much less interesting room.

  

  To crown it off, wonky pictures interspersed with pitchforks stuck into the wall. Modern art, or modern crap?

  

• Cont’d

  55 meter long painted gallery, painted between 1546 and 1549, depicting the Trojan story. Unfortunately, the paintings are badly faded.

   

  

  And, at the far end of the gallery, a lonely fireplace. Not sure how effective it would have been.

  

  A file of stones on the right, a pile of bones on the left.

  

  Inside one of the towers, wooden support structure at first floor level.

  

  A model of the wooden support.

  

  Second floor, two views.

  

  

  And the outside.

  

  The back of the Chateau, not quite symetrical, Paladio would not have approved!

  

  Display of two hemispheres suspended on a magnetic field.

  

• Chateau d’Angers
  Chateau?

  

  

  A fortified gatehouse, curiosity built within the castle, presumably overtaken by subsequent changes, built between 1450 and 1455. Somewhat asymmetrical.

  

  

  Two views from the battlements. Looking outside.

  

  Looking inside.

  

  The chapel in the centre was surprisingly large inside.
  

• Mon 24th Feb

  Chateau de Carrouges.

  Originally a 14th century castle, it was converted into a residence in the 15th century. Astonishingly, the same family lived in it until 1936, obviosly many changes and updates, but still largely intact, and with the original decor and furniture. What the informative leaflet unfortunately does not say is how they escaped the french revolution.

  A very attractive gatehouse, devoid of any information.

  

  The front of the Chateau, the centre is all that remains of the original castle. Inside, it is a warren of narrow passages, stone walls and very cold!

  

  The inner courtyard.

  

  The rooms.

  

  

  

  

  

• Cont’d
  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

• Fri 28th Feb
  Slow drive up the coast to Calais, a splendid meal in the restaurant we found on our first night, an easy crossing through the tunnel, and back home to some remarkably fine weather. Talking of which, for most of the time the weather has been very favourable, with rain mostly when we were driving or at night.
  Disturbingly, French public transport is no longer dog friendly, both buses and trams not allowing dogs, although we got away with it whenever we wanted to, but not sure we would have with a bigger dog than Josie.

  Fin.