13 -14 August '05, Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday was a travel day. leaving Dinan, we headed towqard Reenes, and then on to Angers. The weather is still holding, with sunny days and cool evenings, so driving was a delight and absolutely beautiful. Arriving in Angers, we found the traffic really light and hardly anyone in sight. This Monday is "Feast of the Assumption" and the whole weekend is a "bankers holiday". It also is one of the most important holidays in France. It seems that everyone has left. our new campground is about a 5 km walk into Angers, has a nice swimming pool, is next to a lake and river, and has more walkng/biking trainl than you can count. I'm sure wwe can find something to do....besides, it has a computer with 'FREE' internet access. Sunday we put on our "hiking" swhoes and headed into town. Angers was heavily damaged during WWII, buy has come back with a lot of charm. It straddles the Maine River, and has a lot to see on both sides. The big draw that we really came for is the "Apolcalypse Tapestries". They are kept at the Chateau d Angers (Castle). The Castle comes from as far back as the 9th century and like most other castles, has had to put up with a lot of different invasions. A point of interest, is that this castle has 17 towers. This is in addition to all of the other towers hat were on the city walls. it was and still is quite a structure. Inside, we found the tapestry, and what a masterpiece of medieval art. It consists of 77 pieces and stretches out for 335 feet over-all. Most of the pieces are about 3 1/2 feet high as well. It is huge... Opposed to the tapestry in Bayeus, this is a true "tapestry" and that in Bayeux was an "embroidery". The story here illustrates the book of Revelations written by St John with scenes like "Le Grande Prostitute, and Babylon invaded by7 demons. It was very impressive to say the least...I hate to say it, but as we were walking toward another part of the castle, I was drwn into having a "coffee with cream"...which, turned out that we just had to have lunch as well. A chicken breast salad, quiche, 1/2 liter rose, and a baguette...we're really getting into this French stuff.. Crossing the plaza, we decided to take another "tourtist sightseeing train" ride. It was amazing, but the city was absolutely barren of people...a very few restaurants and bars, the TI, and the castle...I think that was it...no cars, no people except a very few tourists,... someone opened the doors of the city and let all the locals out I guess... Then our walk back to the campground was like walking around Green Lake on a sunny day...except no one on the beaches Tomorrow...catching a few "Loir Valley Chateau
's
Saturday was a travel day. leaving Dinan, we headed towqard Reenes, and then on to Angers. The weather is still holding, with sunny days and cool evenings, so driving was a delight and absolutely beautiful. Arriving in Angers, we found the traffic really light and hardly anyone in sight. This Monday is "Feast of the Assumption" and the whole weekend is a "bankers holiday". It also is one of the most important holidays in France. It seems that everyone has left. our new campground is about a 5 km walk into Angers, has a nice swimming pool, is next to a lake and river, and has more walkng/biking trainl than you can count. I'm sure wwe can find something to do....besides, it has a computer with 'FREE' internet access. Sunday we put on our "hiking" swhoes and headed into town. Angers was heavily damaged during WWII, buy has come back with a lot of charm. It straddles the Maine River, and has a lot to see on both sides. The big draw that we really came for is the "Apolcalypse Tapestries". They are kept at the Chateau d Angers (Castle). The Castle comes from as far back as the 9th century and like most other castles, has had to put up with a lot of different invasions. A point of interest, is that this castle has 17 towers. This is in addition to all of the other towers hat were on the city walls. it was and still is quite a structure. Inside, we found the tapestry, and what a masterpiece of medieval art. It consists of 77 pieces and stretches out for 335 feet over-all. Most of the pieces are about 3 1/2 feet high as well. It is huge... Opposed to the tapestry in Bayeus, this is a true "tapestry" and that in Bayeux was an "embroidery". The story here illustrates the book of Revelations written by St John with scenes like "Le Grande Prostitute, and Babylon invaded by7 demons. It was very impressive to say the least...I hate to say it, but as we were walking toward another part of the castle, I was drwn into having a "coffee with cream"...which, turned out that we just had to have lunch as well. A chicken breast salad, quiche, 1/2 liter rose, and a baguette...we're really getting into this French stuff.. Crossing the plaza, we decided to take another "tourtist sightseeing train" ride. It was amazing, but the city was absolutely barren of people...a very few restaurants and bars, the TI, and the castle...I think that was it...no cars, no people except a very few tourists,... someone opened the doors of the city and let all the locals out I guess... Then our walk back to the campground was like walking around Green Lake on a sunny day...except no one on the beaches Tomorrow...catching a few "Loir Valley Chateau
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