The woman in the photo just above is my old friend Jeanine. She and I had stopped to stretch our legs and have a look around on our drive down to Saint-Aignan from Rouen in early February 2003.
Maybe you've never been to, or even heard of, the town of Châteaudun (pop. 17,000 or so). It's about 80 miles southeast of Paris and 60 miles northwest of Tours, half-way between Chartres and Vendôme. That puts it about 55 miles north of Saint-Aignan, a 90 minute drive. I don't know it very well, but I've been there at least three times over the past 20 years.
There's a big old château in Châteaudun,as you might expect. The donjon is one of the first round castle keeps ever built in France, and is one of the most imposing and best preserved.
There are old houses, narrow streets that wind down a bluff along the Loir river, and several churches. The house pictured on the left was built in the 1570s.
The Michelin guidebook gives Châteaudun and its château two stars. It seems like a good destination for a day trip once the weather improves a little. Maybe we should go on a Sunday, when the town is quiet, and have a good walk around with Tasha on her leash.
I don't know what the proper architectural term is for that central part of the structure in the photo in the lower right corner but it is fantastic. The detailing is amazing. I got to start doing some research on French architecture and how chateau evolved. The planning that went into these building is almost unbelieveable. And so many survived.
ReplyDeleteUtterly charming. Your friend Jeanine fits right in with her long dark coat and umbrella. You'd think it was the 19th century, but for the fellow in lightwash blue jeans.
ReplyDeleteI agree!
DeleteIt looks like a lovely town with a lot of history.
ReplyDeleteBettyAnn
I hope you visit there soon and take some more photos. It looks so interesting.
ReplyDeleteI second what Evelyn said!
ReplyDeleteSo the locals still are staying shut in ? People around here are out and about...unfortunately I need to stay close (diabetic cat) otherwise I would be thinking about invitation I received yesterday with my french classmates to book a class in Bordeaux in October 2023. More travel photos!!!l Loving them!
ReplyDelete