10 May 2007
A statue of Joan of Arc in Beaugency, France
10 May 2007
Beaugency, France
10 May 2007
A statue of Joan of Arc in Beaugency, France
10 May 2007
The devil built this bridge (with all it's 22 arches) in a single day in Beaugency, France. In exchange, he demanded a soul. The town gave him a cat soul.
Despite it's demonic origins, there used to be a small alter dedicated to St. Jacques, that pilgrims would visit on entering the city. The altar is gone now (hence, no photo), but is marked with a historical marker decorated with a clam shell. In France's there's a dish called "St. Jacques' Nuts," which is a dish made of clams. I don't know if this has the same double-entendre in French as it does in English, but it seems to me that there's a tension in the secular / religious naming of the dish and also in a demonic bridge with a pilgrim chapel in it.
10 May 2007
Beaugency, France
10 May 2007
Farmland in the Loire valley in France
10 May 2007
Nicole prepares to take a photo of farmland in the Loire valley in France. (Either that or she's hungry for backpack)
10 May 2007
Me on bike with Xena in tow in the Loire Valley in France
10 May 2007
A village church in the Loire Valley in France
10 May 2007
Chambord, France
10 May 2007
Chambord, France
10 May 2007
Nicole in front of the castle in Chambord, France
10 May 2007
Chambord, France
10 May 2007
Chambord, France
10 May 2007
The castle even has a moat in Chambord, France
10 May 2007
Nicole pours some (slightly) hard apple cider in Chambord, France
10 May 2007
The castle at Chambord, France is really huge.
10 May 2007
Xena trots towards the chapel at Chambord, France
10 May 2007
Blois, France
10 May 2007
Blois, France
10 May 2007
Blois, France
10 May 2007
Blois, France
10 May 2007
Blois, France
10 May 2007
A dandy statue of Houdin in Blois, France
10 May 2007
A Joan of Arc plaque in Blois, France
«1429 - 1929
«JEANNE d'ARC arrive á BLOIS le 25 avril 1429. Elle y organise son armee fait benir son ETENDARD en l'EGLISE St SAUVEUR et part le 27 avril pour delivrer Orleans»
"Joan of Arc arrived in Blois on April 25, 1429, where she organized her army and hung(?) her standard in the church os St Sauver and departed on April 27 to liberate Orleans"
10 May 2007
Blois, France
10 May 2007
Blois, France
11 May 2007
There were many fountains in Blois, iirc, dedicated to St. Jacques
This one was at street level when it was installed
11 May 2007
There were many fountains in Blois, iirc, dedicated to St. Jacques
11 May 2007
Blooming flowers in Blois, France
