I watched yesterday’s Coronation Street this morning and sobbed my heart out. It was so terribly sad. My heart goes out to people who are in that situation at the moment or have been through something like that in the past. Throughout my nursing career, both in hospital and in the community, I have always marvelled at the courage shown by patients who have cancer and are in the terminal stage of the illness and their ability to provide support to their loved ones who are feeling lost and helpless. I felt that, as difficult as it was to watch, Coronation Street dealt with this very difficult subject so well.
So, with the sun shining and hardly a cloud in the sky I set off for the Châteaux de Chaumont. Another day, another château 🙂
Chaumont is a UNESCO world heritage site (there are 41 in France) and it is stunning! Originally built around the year 1000 by Odo I, it was used to keep watch over the border between the counties of Blois and Anjou. It was owned and lived in by Catherine d’Medici too but in 1559 she swapped it with one of her rivals for another château – the Château de Chenonceau. Chaumont was taken possession of by the French State in 1937.
It’s beautiful. There aren’t very many rooms to look around but everything you see is well worth a look. There is also currently a modern art exhibition at the château, mainly located in the stable block and out buildings. Some pieces are absolutely amazing and some, as I often find with modern art, just make me think « what? » I guess it’s all down to personal taste isn’t it? You can probably guess too that I only took photos of the ones I liked 🙂
There is a garden festival on at the château too until the beginning of November which is lovely- and the weather was just perfect to make all the exhibits look their absolute best. Pumpkins and all things autumnal decorated the paths and gateways. So pretty.
At 18 euros it is the most expensive place I have been to so far- but I feel it was worth it.
I met a nice man today. He works at the château. I was wandering along a path trying to decide which way to go when he came along in one of those buggy things that they provide for elderly and disabled people to get around in. He stopped and asked if I was ok- wondered if I was lost. I said no, but thank you for asking. Then he passed me again a bit later on and waved. When I was ready to leave Chaumont at the end of the day I decided, before I did, that I’d go and get an ice cream because, contrary to what I said previously, it was 20 degrees and NOT boots and tights weather- and I was boiling!
As I walked towards the steps that led to the exit he was there again, riding towards me on a bike, and he stopped to talk. We talked for so long (mainly in French I’m pleased to say) that my ice cream was melting and running all over my hand and dripping onto the ground! It turns out that he lived in Paris for a while but now lives in Blois near the Mona Lisa steps (there’s a pic of them on my blog from when I was there). He asked if I was having any French lessons, what are my plans etc and said he’d like to stay in touch. I told him about the Lindy Hop class on the 5th November and said he should come along as he said he loves dancing. I was rather hampered by my ice cream and so he found a scrap of paper and wrote down my mobile number. He also said he owes me another ice cream!
Who knows if he will get in touch? It doesn’t really matter I guess- it was just very nice 🙂 Maybe that chocolate does indeed have magical properties though……
Not the best journey home. My satnav decided to be a bit silly and kept trying to send me into fields and up roads that weren’t there! Added about 10 minutes onto the journey. Also very rural roads- very narrow with nothing between you and the field but a shallow ditch. Needed my wits about me!
Safely back around 7 and lots of people just arriving at the church next door.
Read a bit, wrote a bit, had a chat with Will, then early bed.
Bonne nuit 🙂
Jane’s Tour de Force 