Blois France “The Best Chicken Caesar Salad Ever” according to my best travel partner!

Lawrie enjoying the live music during dinner

I have been struggling for a few days searching for a starting point for this week’s European holiday blog. 

I wanted to write about Blois France, and I asked Lawrie what he remembered most about this beautiful city; “The best chicken Caesar salad that I’ve ever had.” 

 

Huh.  I can’t remember what I had for dinner that night, or most nights, only that outdoor restaurant was located in the centre of town, with musicians playing good tunes, and stars sparkling overhead.  It’s interesting how we occasionally have different memories of the same location. 



Entering Blois

The ancient city of Blois is located on the Loire River between two other gorgeous and well known French cities: Orleans and Tours. 

The famous French female warrior Jeanne d’ Arc, or Joan of Arc had a presence in this city as well as a few others that we have visited in France.  On April 29^th in 1429 she rode to Blois, to use the chateau as her base of operations. 

At age seventeen she successfully led a military campaign to rescue the nearby city of Orleans from a lengthy English siege. 



Inside the Royal Chateau of Blois

Perhaps it is our fascination with ancient walled cities that leads us to places with such rich history, or perhaps it is that France and most of Europe has been settled for so many centuries that a number of interesting personalities re-appear from place to place. 

  

Over the centuries the Royal Chateau of Blois has been home to seven kings, and ten queens of France.  Other famous people who at various times have called Blois home include Charles of Orleans in 1140, Marie de’ Medici 1617-19, Gaston Duke of Orleans 1660’s, and Marie Louise the wife of Napoleon I lived there for a few years in the early 1800’s.  

The King's Bedroom

We happened upon Blois while wandering through our favourite country on a three-week journey; no plans, no hotel reservations, just driving wherever the whim led us. 

The Royal Chateau of Blois takes up most of the centre of the city, rising vertically from the road that twists along its base.  The views from the upper walls are spectacular.  Inside the chateau is a stunning collection of furniture, paintings, china, and fabrics. 










I want some of these for our house!

But my all-time favourite things to see were the snarling gargoyles displayed at eye level.  For once I could actually look at, and appreciated the intricate carvings.  So often the gargoyles are forty or fifty feet up on the edges of a cathedral roof – functioning as rainspouts.  



Supposed to scare parishioners into behaving.

Eventually we located a hotel a short walk from the old centre of the city.  We ambled along enjoying the warm evening.  In the centre there were a number of open-air restaurants set under the cool shade trees.  And live music.  It’s a great spot to spend a few hours people-watching, enjoying the music – and apparently eating the “best chicken Caesar salad ever!” 

Royal Chateau of Blois - walking back to our hotel

France - sensory overload!

The smells, the food, the wines!   Fabulous.  

Meandering along cobble stone streets in medieval villages on market day is a sensory experience. 

There are colourful bunches of sweet-smelling flowers, packets of dried or fresh lavender, and handmade aromatic soaps - all available for purchase.

 

In another part of the market are fragrant fresh fruits, crunchy new vegetables, bundles of pungent garlic, plus savoury chickens grilling on spits and dripping hot fat onto potatoes roasting below.

In the tiny stores that proliferate along the village streets we can buy red, white or rosé wines, fresh crusty baguettes, pastries, salami, cheeses, or a variety of olives, black, green, dried, or flavoured with olive oil and rosemary.  Ah! 


Market day in Lyons - Lawrie buying olives

The background scenery surrounding the villages is stunning, changing from the rocky north coast of France, to poppy-strewn wheat fields in Normandy, to the lush vineyards and chateaux in the Loire Valley. 

Boarding a high speed train in Paris we traveled south to Avignon - speeding at 180 kilometres per hour through the rolling countryside dotted with thousands of the creamy-white Charolais cattle. 

Picking up our Renault van at the Avignon train station we set off to explore the remote little villages of Provence for the next five days.  

Passing lavender fields - not quite in bloom, the scent just beginning to perfume the air - Lawrie, and his brother Richard, muscled the over-sized van through the meandering village roads of Provence, then up the twisting barely-one-lane-wide roads overlooking precipitous canyons in the mountains of Haute Provence, until we reached the summit. 

 

Haute Provence

These roads are perfect for fast sports cars, powerful motorcycles, or crazy bicyclists training for the Tour de France. 

The roads are not suited to a cumbersome multi-passenger van.  Think of the fun - if we had rented three Ferraris instead!

 

Stopping for lunch at the only restaurant available at the summit we had a laughter-filled meal.  The 'cheeky' waiter told us what we were having for lunch.  No options! 

Slow-roasted pig cheeks served with pomme frites (we call them French fries) and a bit of salad.  With a bottle of rosé wine, and a basket of crusty hot bread - it tasted terrific.

Eventually, after spending a few nights in Haute Provence villages, we wound our way back down to traffic snarled streets in Nice on the Mediterranean Sea before returning the van to Avis. 

Linda Grierson - sampling chocolate!

The six of us are slowly sipping, sampling and smelling our way across France. 

Pure heaven.  
 

It's a family thing, her brother Lawrie and chocolate.

Dancing Fountains of Versailles

Apollo Fountain at Versailles

“Huh!  That’s it. 

That’s what we paid extra money for, and then waited three hours to see?”

The twice daily “Dance of the Fountains” at Versailles occurs at eleven in the morning, and again at three-thirty in the afternoon. 
 
“Why?”  We wondered gazing around the vast and meticulously groomed gardens.  Why such a short amount of time, and why not leave the fountains working all day from the time the park opens until sunset? 

Water – or more correctly the lack of water is the problem, and has been since Versailles was built in the 1660’s during the reign the Sun King, Louis the 14^th. 

Waiting for water!

The gardens of Versailles cover eight hundred hectares; have fifty fountains, with over six hundred jets to spray the water from the mouths of Gods, water nymphs, horses, or mythical sea creatures. 

The original gravitational hydraulic system included thirty-five kilometers of piping.  Before the advent of electricity a combination of windmill-power and horse-power was used to pump the water, diverted from local rivers, up to the reservoir on top of the beautiful Grotte de Thétys.  From this reservoir the water would make its way back through the fountains returning to various streams or ponds.

Rental boats on Grand Canal

Around 1668 the 1500-meter long Grand Canal was constructed as a pretty venue for boating activities, doubling as a collection basin for the water. 

Still there was not enough water.  The head Fountaineer Jean-Baptiste Colbert devised a system of signaling, via whistles, to warn other Fountaineers that the King was walking towards their area.  

One arm of the Grand Canal at Versailles

The workers would scramble to turn on the appropriate valves, ensuring the fountain was working as the king strolled past with his entourage, then turn off the valves to feed the next fountain on his route. 

It must have been a bit of a comedy show at times, anticipating where his royal highness intended to stroll next. 

Perhaps the Sun King had a mischievous sense of humor, making last minute adjustments to his promenade – just to see if the workers could keep up with him.



People watching, waiting for the fountain show.

Two more attempts were made to solve the critical water shortage at Versailles.  In 1681 a complex system of waterwheels and pumps was engineered to pump water from the Seine River up 100 meters above the level of the river into the fountain system at Versailles. 

With various equipment failures and conduit leakage the expected volume was reduced by half. 

Then in 1685 twenty thousand soldiers were employed to divert water from the Eure River.  The war of 1686 – 1689 ended that project, unfinished. 

Versailles with its stunningly beautiful setting still has water problems.  The twice daily Dance of the Fountains is quick, and a tad repetitive. 

Go, enjoy!   Just remember; it’s not Vegas.




Hotel de France - perfect, just outside the main gates.

Lisieux France, Normandy

Saint-Dennis Cathedral in Lisieux France

Begun in the 6th century and completed in the 12th century the ancient limestone structure of Saint-Pierre Cathedral dominates the centre of Lisieux France. 


Gazing at the intricate carvings and the buttressed walls I was reminded of my favourite novel: Pillars of the Earth, written by Ken Follett. 


In the book the author describes in detail the effort, the materials, and the skills required to build the massive cathedrals of the era. 

Cathedral details

The novel recreates, quite vividly, the entire life of the village surrounding the cathedral, and of the people who live there.  The construction of cathedrals typically happened over a span of a hundred or more years. 

It was at Saint-Pierre Cathedral in 1152 that the future King of England Henry II, married the richest woman in Europe - Eleanor of Aquitaine.


However, this cathedral is noted for a less noble distinction.  The Bishop Cauchon, who in the 15th century played a key role in the trial and death of Joan of Arc, is buried in there. 

Luckily this ancient cathedral somehow escaped serious damage during bombing campaigns of the World War II. 

Lisieux is a small city in the northern reaches of France - called Normandy.  The area has been inhabited since pre-historic times, by an amazing mix of people. 

Cathedral details

 In the late 3rd century, barbarian raids devastated Normandy.  Coastal settlements were raided by Saxon pirates.  In the 5th century, Germanic tribes invaded from the east, while the Saxons subjugated the Norman coast. 

The area was also very desirable for the occupying armies during both World War I 1914-1919, and World War II 1939-1945.  It would seem that everyone wanted a part of this fertile area with its rolling hills, that dip down to the valley of the Seine River. 

Normandy is famous for cattle, cheeses, butter, apples, apple cider, and the potent apple-brandy known as Calvados. 



Ancient wooden houses in Normandy


Looking for something interesting for dinner we wandered away from the centre of Lisieux towards a group of ancient, sloping, half-timbered houses: still inhabited. 


In the bottom of one of the houses is a restaurant, the Vieux Norman, that has been in existence for hundreds of years at that location. 


The personable proprietor of the restaurant sold us on the Normandy speciality - galettes - a thin, buckwheat flour pancake slightly larger than a crêpe, traditionally folded over a savoury filling of cheese or cream-based sauces, and garnished with a slice of ham, or eggs.  We gave it a try - ham for Lawrie, and smoked salmon for me.   


Galettes are a hearty meal perfect for a day when the chilly fog rolls across the English Chanel and blankets the low-lying land of Normandy. 

Galette - hearty meal in Normandy France

Stuffed from dinner we wandered back towards our hotel. 

Exploring the backside of the cathedral, we poked under tarps that covered scaffolding, piles of limestone blocks, carved stone decorations, and a myriad of building materials stockpiled while yet more repairs are made to the ancient Saint-Pierre Cathedral. 


So, maybe there is no actual "end date" to a cathedral.  Maybe they are on-going projects - built, and re-built over the centuries, with additions and improvements appearing as money is raised from the populace.

Materials to repair the cathedral



Lisieux was a very pleasant, and quaint stop on our way through Normandy.









Orleans France, hot bed of royal intrigue

Jeanne d'Arc

Jeanne d'Arc lowered herself onto her left knee, bowing her head in subservience -quietly pledging to her Dauphin, Charles VII, to escort him to Reims to be crowned as the rightful King of France. 

Jeanne d'Arc, or as we know her Joan of Arc, was just 17 years old.  Hers is a history recounted by innumerable famous authors, film makers, and more recently animated computer games.  She said that she had visions from God that instructed her to recover her homeland from the English, overrun by King Henry V of England in 1337, in a war started as a succession dispute between the French Armagnacs and the French Burgundians. 

The uncrowned King Charles VII sent her to the siege of Orléans as part of a relief mission.  She gained prominence when she overcame the dismissive attitude of veteran commanders and destroyed the siege in only nine days earning her the soubriquet, The Maid of Orléans.

 Orléans Cathedral underconstruction between 1278 & 1329

A skirmish in northern France on Mary 23rd 1430 led to her capture, when her forces were overrun by the Dauphins rivals, the Burgundians. 

She was unhorsed and sold to the English by Duke Philip of Burgundy.  The English Duke of Bedford claimed the throne of France on behalf of his nephew Henry VI. 

Inside the Cathedral

Joan of Arc had been responsible for the rival coronation, hence condemning her was an move to undermine the king's legitimacy.

She attempted several escapes, on one occasion jumping from her 70 foot (21 m) tower to the soft earth of a dry moat, after which she was moved to the Burgundian town of Arras in northern France.

Jeanne d'Arc watching over the square

On May 3th 1431 the saviour of Orléans, nineteen-year-old Jeanne d'Arc, was burned at the stake, as a heretic, because, well, I guess, a mere woman should never annoy men by getting involved in politics, war, or religion.

The present day Orléans has many statues commemorating Jeanne d'Arc.  It is an extraordinarily beautiful city, saturated with history, culture, art, and the all important ingredient - money - necessary to keep everything functioning. 

We stayed in a modest hotel on the main pedestrian street, and wandered up and down the centre of the old city, at one point sighting a bride impatiently waiting for her groom to arrive at the civil registry office. 

Waiting for arrival of groom

Later on Saturday night we discovered the modern tradition of stag or stagette parties celebrating in the city square, under the watchful eye of a very stern Jeanne d'Arc mounted on horseback. 

Saturday night stag party in Orleans France

I wonder what she would have thought about that; people older than she, enjoying silly frivolous fun on a Saturday night, without a care in the world?

Paris - never enough time

Paris Icons,the Eiffel Tower and the "Gendarme"

The City of Lights is a beguiling city. 

A beautiful city. 

A place of many neighbourhoods, cafes, bakeries, and shops. 

We are only here for four days, and we can't possibly see it all.

Petit-Luxembourg Palace

We wandered through the Luxembourg Gardens, the second largest public park in Paris, located just blocks away from our hotel.  Marie de Medicis, the widow of Henry IV and the regent for the under-aged King Louis XIII decided to recreate the Pitti Palace located in her native Florence.  In 1611 Marie purchased the hotel du Luxembourg and began her new creation.  This beautiful park surrounds the French Senate, located inside the still existing Petit-Luxembourg palace.

Notre Dame Cathedral

Eventually we wound, our way through various charming neighbourhoods, to the Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral located on the Île de la Cité in the River Seine.  Notre Dame de Paris is considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture in Europe.  The first phase of construction started in 1163, and the cathedral was essentially completed by 1345. 

After the construction began and the new thinner-styled walls grew ever higher, stress fractures began to occur.  In response, the cathedral's architects built the first flying buttresses (large supports) around the outside walls.  Many decorative statues served as additional supports and/or water spouts. 

Among these are the famously fierce gargoyles, staring down from great heights on the timid parishioners.  The grey stone of the exterior and of the gargoyles was once covered with vivid colors but time has worn away the ornamentation - leaving only the scowls and the stinking, hot breath of the devils, dragons, and demons.

Galleries LaFayette Centre

A block from the cathedral we boarded a red-top open-air bus, for an overview tour of the city. For the next two hours we ricocheted through dense traffic, past famous sights: the Paris Opera House, built in 1861; the Place de la Concorde where in 1793 King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were guillotined; the 3,300-year-old Cleopatra's Needle that once marked the entrance to the tomb of Ramesses II; my favourite shopping centre the Galleries LaFayette built in 1912 with its gorgeous Art Nouveau glass and steel dome; and of course the iconic Eiffel Tower built as a temporary entrance to the 1889 World's Fair. 

Pont des Arte - and "lovelocks"

After exiting the bus tour, we ambled along the walkway of the Seine River, past book sellers, and artists until we arrived at a pedestrian bridge, the Pont des Arte, arching between the venerable Louvre Museum on one bank, and the Institute of France built in 1670 on the other bank.  The Pont des Arte sparkled in the sunlight - glittering with thousands of padlocks, known as lovelocks, secured to the metal bridge.  Much to the annoyance of city officials and bridge engineers the structure has become a romantic rendezvous for couples.  They declare their everlasting love by attaching a padlock to the railing and throwing the key into the river below.  The tradition started in about 2000 on this bridge, but in other countries has been happening since World War II.  Being as our last name is Lock, well, we just might have to participate in this custom.

Paris Catacombs & the bones of 6 million people

The next day Lawrie and I paid a visit to the fascinating Catacombs of Paris, located in an ancient and abandoned limestone quarry, right under our hotel. The Catacombs hold the remains of approximately six million people, relocated - between the end of the 18th century and the middle of the 19th century - from crumbling and infection-prone Parisian graveyards.  From the first day of their creation April 7th 1786, the Catacombs were a favourite attraction for the rich and famous.  In 1787, Lord of d' Artois, who became King Charles 10th, visited the Catacombs, with a group of ladies from the Court.  In 1814, François 1st, emperor of Austria visited.  In 1860, Napoleon III explored the area with his son.  I can't imagine what it would have been like to descend under the city along a labyrinth of low-ceilinged limestone tunnels, dark galleries and wet narrow corridors - before the advent of electricity! 

Our last night in Paris

Later that evening the six of us, two brothers, a sister and spouses, gathered for a relaxing meal at El Trocadero Cafe, across the plaza from the Eiffel Tower. 

We sipped wine, reminiscing about our four days in Paris and waited for the lights to illuminate the tower.  At ten in the evening the lights came on - sparkling and flashing causing the crowd to collectively suck in a breath and breathe out: "Wow!"

What a great way to end our short visit to the City of Lights.

Powerful - Vimy Ridge France

Road leading to Vimy Ridge monument in France

Walking through an alley of tall deciduous trees, dripping with bone-chilling condensed fog, we realized we were momentarily lost - unable to find the massive World War I, Vimy Ridge memorial.  Muffled voices came from our left, and we turned our heads as the mist cleared slightly showing the outline of the huge structure. 

It is a stunning sight.



Peering through the fog at the 88 foot tall monument


Rising 27 meters (88 feet) above the base, the towering pylons contain almost 6,000 metric tonnes of glowing white limestone brought to the site from an abandoned Roman quarry on the Adriatic Sea.

Designed by Canadian sculptor and architect Walter Seymour Allward, the monument took eleven years to build. The huge figures were carved on site from blocks of stone.

Walking around the monument we were both suddenly very quiet, somber.  Lightly running a finger over the names carved into the limestone - of 11,825 Canadian soldiers and service personal missing in action in France - I felt a sense of great loss and sadness. 

Altogether, more than 66,000 Canadians died in the First World War 1914 to 1918 when the total Canadian population in 1916 was slightly less than 8 million.  Our young country lost over 8% of its population, predominately its young men during the war.  It was a very heavy price to pay.

11,825 names of Canadians missing - 1914 to 1918

Lawrie remembers as a child - Auntie Mac - a good friend of his grandmother's who had been a battlefield nurse at Vimy. 

Her husband Bruce Davidson fought at Vimy Ridge.  They both survived - with vivid memories of the horrific conditions of trench warfare.  Memories that dramatically shaped their lives. 

I don't have any personal memories of friends or family members who were involved in "The Great War" but we both felt a certain need to visit the memorial, to pay our respects to the dead. 

It is a very powerful experience.

Some of the trenches at Vimy Ridge.