These three windows are on the street facade of Hotel de Vareilles, a town house built in the Puits Châtel quarter of Blois in the 16th century during the reign of Louis XII. Ces trois fenêtres se trouvent sur la façade de l’hôtel de Vareilles construit dans le quartier de Puits Chatel à Blois au …
Category Archives: Historical buildings
16th century wayside chapel – Petite chapelle du 16ème siècle
We came across this lovely little stone chapel on our walk last Sunday. Built at the beginning of the 16th century, Saint Anthony’s chapel in Tavers. People came to pray here to have eye diseases and scrofula cured, to find lost objects and help women conceive. Nous sommes tombés sur cette jolie petite chapelle en …
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Joan of Arc’s House – La maison de Jeanne d’Arc
This is the house in Orleans where Jacques Boucher, the Duke of Orleans’ finance minister, hosted Joan of Arc when she came to free the city in 1429. Below is the statue of Joan on Place du Martroi. Cette maison à pans de bois était celle de Jacques Boucher, trésorier général du duc d’Orléans, qui …
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Through the Archway – A travers l'arche
This photo is taken in the Puits Chatel quarter of Blois from the back of two of the Renaissance houses in Rue du Puits Châtel. At least, I think so … Cette photo est prise dans le quartier Puits Chatel à Blois derrière deux hôtels particuliers d’époque Renaissance dans la rue du Puits Châtel. Mais …
Printing Presses – Presses typographique
We were surprised to find a whole room of printing presses at Château de Saché where Balzac wrote many of his masterpieces. We learnt that he was a printer before becoming a writer and initially published his own works. These are not his presses, but ones used during the same period. Nous étions surrpris de …
The Lily of the Valley – Le Lys dans la vallée
Sunday’s bright sun took us on a bike route to the heart of Touraine and Château de Saché which provided Honoré de Balzac, one of France’s most prolific writers, with the inspiration for several of his novels including Le Père Goriot, Louis Lambert and César Birotteau. From 1825 to 1848 he stayed there regularly, away …
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Postcard from Isbanbul – Topkapi Palace and Harem
We kept the best for our last day in Istanbul – Topkapi Palace – but we were disappointed as two of the best exhibitions were closed for renovation as well as several important rooms in the harem (sultan’s mother’s apartment below). Like many Ottoman palaces, Topkapi , built in the 16th century, consists of a …
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Postcard from Istanbul – Rooftops
I took this phot from the terrace of the mosque of Soliman the Magnificent whose photo can be seen below. J‘ai pris cette photo depuis la terrasse de la mosqué de Soliman le Magnifique dont la photo se trouve ci-dessous.
Postcards from Istanbul – Dolmabahce Palace
This modern palace built in the 19th century was the home of six sultans and their harems until the republic was proclaimed in 1923. It showcases the best craftsmen of Europe at the time and occupies a prime site on the Bosphorus. Unfortunately, it is not possible to take photographs inside. It then became the …
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Postcard from Istanbul – First Impressions
You may have noticed that I missed a couple of days – I was getting ready for a trip to Istanbul. Here we are and are enthralled. What a wonderful city! Here are just a few photos. The first is taken from the edge of the Bosphorous looking towards Galata Tower, the area we are …
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