Sunday, April 10, 2011

France 2010 - Day 12, Part 1 - Angers

"I've stopped drinking, but only while I'm asleep." - George Best

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France 2010
Day 12 - 13th October - Angers
(Part 1)

The morning was dedicated to looking at the Apocalypse Tapestry - the longest in the world. I didn't have a guidebook for this area of France (the Loire valley and surroundings) because we hadn't originally planned to come here, but since we needed to return to Paris anyway we decided to take a southern loop.

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Rue St Denis

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Place du Ralliement, Opera House

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Rue des Deux Haies (Road of Two Hedges). Notice the donkey on the swing.

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Montée St-Maurice staircase

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Cathédrale St-Maurice

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Cathédrale St-Maurice

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I don't know what the term for these carved alcoves on the exterior of cathedrals is

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The cathedral was quite bare (thanks to the French Revolution), but had 13th century stained glass

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Nave

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South Rose Window

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According to my notes there's St Peter being crucified upside down and St Elas on 13th century glass somewhere, but I can't find it in this or the other stained glass panels before this

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Relic of St Martial, taken from the catacombs of Rome and dating from the 1st century

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Bishop's chair by altar

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Funeral monument
The plaque says it's from 1874 and for a 12th century Bishop of Angers but it looks to be done in a 12th century style

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Organ

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House in Place Sainte Croix

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Bus with sign reading "Belle Beille Techno". I can't find out what "Belle Beille Techno" is.

There was a woman in boots. Pulling 2 wheelie bins.


Garden in the Moat of the Château d'Angers
This was a bit vulgar as there was only one colour, but nice still

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Impressive towers of the Château

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Towers and empty moat

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Drawbridge

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Plaque about the Château

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Gatehouse

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Asymmetric Châtelet.

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Heraldic insignia

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Garden with 10th century wall

(The tapestry will appear in the next post, dedicated to it)


The GPS showed sites of interest, but we didn't use that feature (except to find petrol stations - not all of which existed/had not closed down).

Every other town or city was a "Ville d'Art et d'Histoire" or a "Cité de la caractère" (Distinctive City).
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