I have a lot more pictures, but I'll be moving on from Loches after today. I'm not sure where I'll be going, but we'll see. There are a lot of places near Loches that merit a stop and a few photos.
Above, you see hôtel de ville in Loches, down in the lower town, and the logis royal, up in the cité médiévale
On the right is one of the French kings who lived in Loches. His name was Charles VIII, a.k.a. Charles l'Affable. He was born in 1470 in Amboise, and he died in 1498, just a few weeks before his 28th birthday. His death was accidental, as far as anyone knows. He was going to watch a sports event called jeu de paume (the ancestor of today's tennis) being played on the château grounds. In the excitement, along the way to the game he somehow banged his head on a low doorway (even though he was only 1m52 tall — five feet). It must have been a very low doorway. At first, nobody thought much of it. After watching a few hours of the game, the young king suddenly collapsed. Nobody called a doctor until hours later. He died that very evening. The exact cause is unknown to this day. He had been king (with his older sister as regent) for 15 years.
The menu below is typical of informal restaurants in France. You could order three courses, just two, or even just one, as your budget and appetite required. I've been searching the web for the restaurant this morning, but it seems that it is no longer in business or has been sold and is under new management.
Charley had some bad luck, but his nose looks well rubbed for good luck possibly.
ReplyDeleteLike Michel de Montaigne's shoe in the Latin Quarter, across the street from the Sorbonne.
DeleteWow, such a short life, and such a young king. I wonder what he did all day with his sister has Regent.
ReplyDeleteHis father kept marrying Charles VIII with the daughters of his rivals to make them his allies. He was a teenager at the time.
DeleteSeemingly small bumps on the head can be problematic - like Natasha Richardson. Interesting history.
ReplyDeleteI immediately thought of Natasha Richardson, as well.
DeleteBettyAnn
I just read about Natasha Richardson. She refused to be taken to the emergency room after her accident, and ended up dying from her injuries. My memories were vague. And then I thought about Sonny Bono. He was found dead after apparently crashing into a tree while skiing at South Lake Tahoe.
DeleteThanks, Ken, for the lovely tour of Loches.
ReplyDeleteBettyAnn
Il n'y a pas de quoi, BA.
Delete