Christmas at Tours City Hall – Noël à l'hôtel de ville de Tours

We were in Tours yesterday but the white Christmas trees seemed a little early with everyone still sitting on the café terraces! Nous étions à Tours hier mais les sapins de noël blancs semblaient là un peu tôt vu le nombre de personnes en terrasse.

Roofs & Windows of Fougères – Toits et fenêtres de Fougères

Yesterday through the archway, you could see some of these roofs and windows but this photo shows all the different sized roofs and windows to perfection as well as weathervane and clock. Hier on apercevait quelques toits et fenêtres à travers l’arche mais ici on voit clairement toutes les différentes tailles de toits et de …

Under the arches in Fougères – Sous les arches à Fougères

  I’ve already posted photos of Château de Fougères which is on one of our cycling routes but we had never been inside. It is state-owned and has been very well renovated. The court of honour which you can see here was built in the second half ot the 15th cetnury. J’ai déjà présenté ici des photos …

Two Red Burghers and a Dog – Deux bourgeois et un chien rouges

These sculpted figures decorate the façade of the Veyssière Sigma bookshop in rue Colbert in the historical quarter of Tours near the cathedral.I don’t have any further information but they would seem to be contemporary with the Acrobats’ House in Blois, that is, late 15th century. Ces personnages sculptés se trouvent dans le quartier historique de …

The Stone Cable – La cordelière en pierre

I love this detail on Hôtel Pierre du Puy (hôtel means town house or mansion in this case) built by Pierre du Puy,, a merchant and burgher of Tours in the late 5th or early 16th century. The cable moulding, seen on many buildings of the same period, is usually a tribute to Anne of …

Cathédrale Saint Gatien de Tours

More than 3 1/2 centuries were needed to build Saint Gatien Cathedral in Tours (1170 to 1547). It replaced a first cathedral built in the 4th century and a second in the 12th century, both of which were destroyed by fire. Il a fallu plus de trois siècles et demi pour construire la cathédrale Saint-Gatien à …

Beaugency Town Hall – Mairie de Beaugency

This beautiful Renaissance town hall, built in the 16th century, is in Beaugency, about 30 km north of Blois. Its 7,500 inhabitants are called Balgentiens. Cette belle mairie Renaissance, construite au 16ème siècle, est à Beaugency, à 30 km au nord de Blois. Ses 7500 habitants sont des Balgentiens. 

Postcard from Lisbon – Palacio dos Marquesas de Fronteira

The Palace and Gardens of Fronteira were built by the first marquis in 1670 in the outskirts of Lisbon as a hunting pavilion. The azulejos are quite stunning – even in the rain! Le Palais et jardins des Marquis de Fronteira furent bâtis vers 1670 par le premier marquis aux alentours de Lisbonne comme pavillon …

Postcard from Lisbon – Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

Today I fell in love with a World Heritage site- the early 16th century monastery of Jeronimos in Lisbon. The two-storey cloisters with their intricately sculpted columns and arches are quite extraordinary. Aujourd’hui je suis tombée amoureuse d’un site inscrit au patrimoine de l’Unesco – le monastère de Jéronimos à Lisbonne. Le cloître à deux …