France June 2016 - Chinon
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On the west side of the Loire Valley is Chinon, alongside the Vienne River. A nice Bed and Breakfast in Chinon would be our base for the next two days.
In this picture, the Royal Fortress of Chinon overlooks the Vienne River.
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From the fortress walls, looking south at the Vienne River and its bridge.
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| Looking west. |
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A better look at the bridge.
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A closer look from across the river.
There has been a fortress-castle up on that hill over over a thousand years. England's King Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, who ruled a vast realm from Scotland to the Spanish border, reigned from here around 1150. They had eight children (among them two future kings, including Richard the Lionheart). Remember the four painted sarcophagi at the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud not far from here? It was in this castle that Joan of Arc pleaded with Charles VII to muster the courage to rally the French and take the throne back from the English. Charles had taken refuge in this castle during the Hundred Years' War.
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| Looking east. |
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| Looking across the dry moat at the Chateau Du Milieu, most of which is in ruins. |
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It would be difficult to get across the dry moat.
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| This section is called Chateau du Coudray and is the oldest with remains of tenth-century walls. There were a bunch of rooms in this section of the castle you would walk through and see various exhibits. |
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"A seventeen-year-old peasant girl, in 1429, in her little village of Domremy, 350 miles away in the northeast of France, heard the voices of her beloved saints telling her to go to Chinon, where the dauphin (the uncrowned heir to the French throne) was in residence, to bring him to Rheims to be crowned, and to drive the English from Orleans." Ina Caro describing Joan de Arc in "The Road from the Past".
This is the middle section -- the Chateau du Milieu -- or what is left of it, that had the Royal Lodge, Palace, and apartments built by successive Kings of France in the 13th and 14th centuries.
The open area with the flags is spot where Joan of Arc first met the dauphin. "When Joan arrived in 1429, Chinon was at the height of its grandeur."
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| We stayed at the Les Cathelinettes B&B in Chinon for two nights and it was very nice. |
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| Our room was the little section to the left of the main house. It was quite nice inside. There was a pool right outside our door although we didn't use it. The B&B sat on the top of a hill overlooking the river and the Loire Valley. One evening we enjoyed talking with the B&B hosts over some of their homemade cherry wine. |
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| The B&B cat. I must say it was friendlier than our own cat back home! |
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| Enjoying an alcoholic beverage at an outdoor cafe on Chinon's main street. This is a very nice pastime the French have! |
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| We probably had the best dinner of the French vacation in Chinon. |
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