The Loire Valley and especially Blois
This late 15th century flamboyant gothic doorway is on Chapelle Saint-Jacques in Vendôme, so-called because it’s part of the Camino. For those who are not familiar with it, the Camino de Santiago (the Way of St. James) is a large network of ancient pilgrim routes stretching across Europe and coming together at the tomb of St. …
Continue reading “The Camino in Vendôme – Saint-Jacques à Vendôme”
On the other side of the square from Rodolphe’s in Vendôme, we have the Saint Martin bar, but it’s closed. I guess there isn’t much opening for ice-cream in winter! Note the sculptures on the uprights. De l’autre côté de la place, face à Rodolphe à Vendôme, se trouve le bar Saint Martin, mais il …
Continue reading “No ice-cream in winter – Pas de glace en hiver”
If the cakes inside hadn’t looked so good, we might have tried these crèpes outside Rodolophe’s pâtisserie in Vendôme. Si les pâtisseries à l’intérieur n’avaient pas eu l’air si tentant, nous aurions déguster ces crèpes à l’extérieur de la pâtisserie Rodolphe à Vendôme.
These three spires in Vendôme are Saint Martin’s Tower and Trinity Abbey which has a Romanesque bell-tower in addition to its own spire. Ces trois flèches à Vendôme sont celles de la tour Saint Martin et de l’abbaye de la Trinité qui a un clocher roman en plus de sa propre flèche.
I was intrigued to see this bull’s eye outside the Vendôme town hall which used to the the Lycée Ronsard. All I can imagine is that it was possible to monitor the comings and goings of the school boys sitting down. J’étais intriguée de voir cet oeil de boeuf très bas à l’extérieur de l’hôtel …
Continue reading “The Sitting Bull's Eye – L'oeil de boeuf assis”
The system that enables the washerwomen to be level with the water can be seen in this washhouse, built in the 15th century on the Saint Jacques branch of the Loir River in Vendôme. It is one of the rare examples of a two-story washhouse, designed exclusively for a community, in this case the Cordeliers …
Continue reading “Fifteenth Century Wash House – Lavoir du XVème”
The mediaeval town of Vendôme lies at the foot of a hill flanked by the Loir River, 35 km from Blois. This gate, fortified in the 13th to 15th centuries, is also called the Big Meadow Arch after the surrounding countryside. In the Middle Ages, the amount of water from the Loir River was regulated …