J and P explore Europe with Reggie: 2023

 We visited a chateau and chocolate manufacturer today. The chateau had no carpark you just stopped on the road and looked closed, another car was there but they looked about the road and then drove off. We were braver and went into the grounds to find a receptionist there and so we bought tickets.  An amazing looking place with a big moat. We were the only people there and only saw one other person and that was a man weeding the courtyard on his knees very slowly. ( we spoke to him as it turned out he was English) The chateau had been in the same family since it was built ( 1468)  and managed to survive the French revolution. The first owner was financial advisor to 3 different kings of France. They had decorated the rooms in different styles and we we also allowed into the attics and back rooms which showed how the chateau was made and how much maintenance they must need to do as a lot of it was rough. under the church pew to remind you not to be a drunk there was no ex...

 We biked into Anjou via a the lake and water park, what an amazing facility to have lots of boats and also swimming platforms in the water for summertime. We Looked around the chateau for about 2 hours  The highlight being the Apocalypse tapestry .  At 328 feet, the tapestry remains one of the largest in the world. The piece was commissioned by the Duke of Anjou in 1370 and completed in a mere seven years.   There are 90 panels within the tapestry and each tells its part of the story of the Apocalypse (from the  Book of Revelation  by Saint John the Divine).  The tale is divided in six parts, beginning with the rebirth of Christ and his ensuing triumph over the Apocalypse. An amazing piece of work and in good condition. When new  t was hung in the cathedral of Angers on major festival days. But during the French Revolution, the tapestry was cut into pieces for its protection and given to different people. After the Revolution, a Canon of the...

 We explored Nantes today, specifically the Dukes of Brittany Chateau and the mechanical animal park. The chateau was quite grand. prisoners from 200 years ago had time for quite deep graffiti incredible model of the town We walked about the town where there more beggars than we had seen before in France and men who could have been extras as the baddies in a movie, big towns always have the edgy types. We then headed to the park of mechanical animals and watched the merry go round and the elephant. link to the park some arty things we saw After a good day we headed off to find somewhere to stay, not the easiest search we have done and we eventually settled on he banks of the Loire in a site that used to be for campers but maybe wasn't any more. We were glad when another Mh arrived and decided to stay. Then we moved to site that we couldn't get the entry card system to work and nor could the caretaker so now we are in a camp in Angers, and it is wonderful. Trees grass swimming p...

 Well a bit of a gap, with the days getting shorter and a couple of grey ones we have less solar electricity to run the laptops. Sadly my battery only works if plugged in or in the middle of the day in full sun ( when we are out exploring... We had a busy day exploring Vannes, more timbered buildings and cobbled streets, a little train and nice pedestrianised areas. See P's blog for photos  At St Nazaire P gave me a guided tour of the commando rid of 1942 where they rammed a boat into the lock to stop boats and submarines getting in. P's blog will have the full story and lots of photos so I won repeat it all here. this is a monument  remembering slavery shipments clever roof designs they are on lots of different buildings  that line up  We had parked by the submarine pens on the docks with 13 other motorhomes and a couple of boats in front of us but at midnight we gave up, the boats had generators going and the motor hum never stopped.  We drove around...