This is the time. Our longed-for Christmas. A time when we can relax for a little while, forget about university. This is the time when we can spend time with family and loved ones. The time when we can eat dishes that are not prepared without occasion, but are specially dedicated to the Christmas. Time when we also have presents.
At this point I would like to wish you all the time mentioned above with your family, family warmth, time spent at rest, full tummy, satisfaction with gifts. Let each of us forget at least for a moment during this Christmas time about a BA thesis, take it easy, these 3 days will not save you, you still have time, and those who work let them forget about this work for these 3 days and let everyone rest. I wish you all this and for myself.
At the end I will add you, as long as I have access to the family album, a photo of our house in France decorated for Christmas, as well as a photo of a manger made by hand by my mother, and finally a photo of the cake, because maybe you know or not, but on December 24 I celebrate my birthday, yes so I found a picture of a cake from 13 years ago (?) in the form of a known French cake baked for Christmas - Yule log.
Hi! Today will be a fairly short post because of a place quite similar to Puy du Fou - the city of Tiffauges. It is a city located about 20 km from Les Epesses, which is why the attractions located in this city, and more specifically in the castle located there are quite similar - they refer to history, and specifically to the Middle Ages.
I immediately point out that the photos in this post come from the internet, because unfortunately, I can not find the disc on which there are photos incl. from this city and many others places - it's sad.
The castle at Tiffauges is huge. From the street you can't see what to expect behind the walls, what attractions await us. You can see through the walls that it is very old - it dates from the 12th-13th century.
Entering through the gates, at first glance you can see a large wooden catapult, as well as a wooden watchtower. Then, passing the paths, you can see many medieval tools, weapons, exhibitions In the whole castle, or rather its courtyard, you can see many spectacles, such as knights' skirmishes, or hmmm I don't know what to call it, just look:
Finally, see the movie advertising this castle, and I think that after these two movies and a few photos, which I will upload, I will encourage you to visit these two places someday - Puy du Fou & Castle of Bluebeard - this is how it has been called for many years Tiffauges Castle.
Hi! Today, like the post about Ile de Re, I will tell you about the place mentioned above - Les Epesses, and more about the event that takes place there "Puy du Fou".
Les Epesses. This is the city where the Puy du Fou theme park is located, which I have already mentioned, that I was there with my class. For the record - it is a historical theme park. There are several "places" there, there are about 25-30 various performances. What else can I say not to repeat myself? It is a cool alternative to seeing the history with your own eyes instead of watching boring movies.
As you can see in the pictures, in this amusement park we can see such performances like these with the participation of Vikings, or various birds, e.g. owls, hawks trained to live among people, as well as a show about musketeers and Richelieu (unfortunately I do not have a photo).
After all performances, groups of visitors go to the village medieval in this park, where you can see exhibitions from the Middle Ages. It was very interesting to see such old census boards or fabrics from such a distant era.
It seems to me that this park is suitable for adults and also for children. There are shows for which it is inadvisable to take children, but for both age groups there will be something interesting in this park. It will make the time more pleasant, and also come out with new knowledge about history. I recommend this place to you!
Hi! Today's post will be short, because it is a place that I wrote to you quite thoroughly last academic year while mentioning numerous trips to the ocean. Do you know what city this is about? Yes, I mean La Faute-sur-Mer. It is an oceanic place famous for access to the ocean rather than for monuments and tourists, so this post will be a reminiscence for me rather than recommending any buildings to see. It's not like that apart from the ocean, this place has nothing, but to see anything you should refuse to lie on a sunny beach or winter walk along the ocean. If we are already talking about seeing anything in this place, I am able to tell you that there is a church there, or rather a chapel - Saint Teresa's Chapel. It is a nice, quite modest chapel, and what else can you say about the church? You can pray in peace when you have such a need, because it is another church in which masses are held every two or three weeks.
Well, let's move now to the most important vantage point in La Faute-sur-Mer - the ocean. Probably most of us dream of warmth, sunshine, beach, ocean. Well, this place is perfect for everyone. As I mentioned last semester, having so few kilometers to such a place, my family and I were regulars there. Whether in summer for sunbathing and cooling off in the water or in autumn or winter for a Sunday walk along the ocean shore. It was fun for kids like me and my sister to either run away from the waves or look for shells at low tide. Something beautiful.
Honestly, there is no more to describe about this city, I will add to you at the end of this post two photos from the family album showing me and my sister on this wonderful beach. One was done in May (yes, where I lived there could have been such hot temperatures even at the beginning of April) and the other somehow in November and shows me and my sister looking for more shells for the collection - as if we had few at home, haha 😅
Today's post will be about the city of history and art, because that's how it was announced - Rochefort. I will try to make the post not as long as the one about La Rochelle, but it is a real challenge considering the number of interesting places, monuments to see and visit.
Therefore, let's start without dragging the topic. The first place worth seeing in Rochefort is the Royal Ropery. It is a building from the 17th century and impresses with its length and size. It is a museum, a great museum, where you can, among others, see an 18-minute audiovisual performance showing the history of this place, its purpose in the Arsenal since its construction in 1666 by king Louis XIV.
I'm already skipping the rest of the museum, and there are a lot of them, believe me a lot in Rochefort (I would have to write and write about them endlessly, boring you the same).
Now I will show you the so-called Sun Door, the gate located in the heart of the city - the gate of the Arsenal. The gate of Arsenal Rochefort is a remnant of this former military port. From this door you could access the arsenal and a large part of the inhabitants of Rochefort crossed it on a daily basis to go to their place of work in the Arsenal. Personally, I associate it a little with the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
We are now smoothly moving to Place Colbert. It is the central square of Rochefort surrounded by bars and many shops. It is ideal for a leisurely stroll. You can see there beautiful fountain. Here we can observe several organized activities for locals and tourists: A Christmas rink, sometimes concerts, dances. The photos do not reflect the size of this square at all, it can be seen in the photos that show two places on this square next to each other, and yet the landscape is different.
Now, quite briefly, towards the end. It is time to introduce you the Transporter Bridge. This is an interesting and unusual way to cross the river. It's a lot of fun. It is located a short distance from the city center. A gondola crosses this bridge over this bridge. A hanging gondola from the bridge. This is only good for people with strong nerves and no fear of tallness, because I personally never got on it.
Rochefort has numerous museums in its offer to visit, but also numerous parks, such as the famous Return Garden, which is located next to Coderie Royale, as well as many others. You can't describe it, you have to see it. At the end I will show you the Garden of Returns and here I say goodbye to you for a week. To the next post !
I come to you today with a post about La Rochelle. I will tell you quite briefly about this city, which you know for certain from history, whether in high school or from our beloved subject "History of France". 😅 La Rochelle, Richelieu, Siege of La Rochelle - these are three associations that connect with each other and you probably associate this city with it. And if it is not certain now, when I show you a painting by Henri Motte, showing just the Siege of La Rochelle, everything will remind you:
And what? Do you know what city I'll write about today? I hope so, so let's get to the point for not to write a long dissertation 😇
As you know from last semester, I lived in France when I was a child, so I don't associate this city with history, but beware ... with fireworks. Yes, with fireworks on the occasion of July 14 - Bastille Day. I was on it twice, once with my grandparents and the next year I was with my parents - I will tell you so - I have never seen such an event in my life. It is a city that is currently famous for the entire department and the surrounding area with these fireworks. Probably each of you has already seen fireworks in your life, but I thought these 12 years ago that there are the most beautiful fireworks in the world, haha. See for yourself and jugde it:
Getting to the point, to the place, monuments worth visiting, I immediately say that the pictures are from the internet, because oddly enough - until I saw the pictures on the Internet from La Rochelle I did not associate it with these monuments, but when I saw them I recognized it "I was here!". The first obligatory aspect to highlight is that this city is somewhat a remnant of old La Rochelle from even the Middle Ages, and not to mention the times of Richelieu (1628). The first point on the tour plan is the city fortifications, i.e. the Saint-Nicolas Tower, the Tower of the Lantern and The Tower of the Chain which are located in the old harbour. They are majestically great. They make an impression on man.
These are three towers located on the sea side of La Rochelle and were in the forteenth / fifteenth century perhaps a lookout.
The next point worth seeing is the City Gate of La Rochelle, called "City Gate of Grosse Horloge". Hmm, you wonder why Grosse Horloge? Simple. It has a big clock at the top, hahaha.
Then we have the town hall. It is difficult to capture it in photos because it is enormous, and it cannot be captured in one frame. I could add you and add these photos of this city hall to show it in all its glory, however, I would have to add these photos probably about 30, because every inch of this building is worth photographing.
La Rochelle has numerous museums to explore, like natural history, etc. In addition, you can visit many remains of defensive walls as well as churches. I will mention here some names of cathedrals and I will post pictures without describing them, because this post would leave a huge dissertation about La Rochelle and that's not the point, haha. See these photos yourself and rate if you would like to see them live 😎
1) St. Louis Cathedral
2) Saint-Sauveur Cathedral
3) Notres-Dame-de-Cougnes Cathedral
At the end, many people who come to La Rochelle combine this with a trip to the island of Ile-de-Re, because these two places are relatively close. And the culmination of a trip to La Rochelle can be seeing Fort Boyard from the beach - fortification on the ocean. Finally, I will add a picture of this Fort. Doesn't he impress you?
To sum up quickly, I think this is another place worth visiting. Today's post is very long, but in the rematch the next post will be short because it is more of a memory for me than recommending you to see any monuments. In this place I say goodbye, until next week!
Today will be about the city called Vouvant. It is the only fortified city of Vendée still preserved. Immediately, as long as I remember - this is another city from which I do not have photos in the family archive, because they are "lost", so I will upload photos from the Internet, or Wikipedia, depending on which photos will be nicer 😉
I don't have much to write about this city and describe what I saw, because the photos I will add will show you how beautiful this place is. I don't have much to describe, because I visited this place with my family by accident looking for a zoo in the town next door - Mervent, which I will tell you in the next post.
I present you the Melusine Tower
This tower is very high, because it is up to 45 meters high, and for those who are not afraid of heights you can enter and admire the spreading views of the entire city and even the cities neighboring the borders of Vouvant.
Here is a bridge from the Middle Ages, also called the Roman bridge
Church of Vouvant - His Portal - The nave Théodelin
Is this not a beautiful church?
It is a church classified as historical monument. The portal above the door dates back to the 11th century.
Being in Vouvant you can also visit the atypical garden, the so-called The Garden of Senses, which consists of beds of various plants. I know that I have already shown a similar garden in the post about Fontenay-le-Comte, but I personally like my mother very much captivate such places, so I would not be myself if I did not show you how it looks in the pictures:
I think that I briefly described you Vouvant and thus I encouraged you to visit it in the future. In addition to monuments, places to visit, the city often organizes many cultural and entertainment events for both residents and tourists. I recommend it to you ! 🙏
