VACANCES EN FRANCE PARTIE: LES QUINZE/ HOLIDAYS IN FRANCE: PART FIFTEEN

I immersed myself in the streets of Paris. I wanted to drink in my surroundings, I knew our journey was nearing the end. and I wanted to capture the vibrancy of the streets and taste the quiet moments of movement around me.

Since Paris is widely accepted as the birthplace of street photography, I knew I had to end our holiday attempting to show a vision of a situation and place; a place that was going to forever capture my heart. Paris is such a cosmopolitan city and it has helped to define street photography as a genre, and the photography has helped to form the city as people know it.

I had captured the Eiffel Tower, The Louvre and now I wanted to show its true spirit, the people of Paris. This collection of images is from the last two days in Paris.

I normally do not use vertical images to keep a continuity to the images here, but so many of my street style images of people are vertical, so I broke my own rule for this post.

VACANCES EN FRANCE: PARTIE B TREIZE/ HOLIDAYS IN FRANCE: PART THIRTEEN B

One Hotel Room at a Time. 

I woke on our last day in Paris, feeling sad and nostalgic. I was not ready to go home. France had worked its magic on all of us, and I wanted to stay. It seemed only fitting that after our trip to the Eiffel Tower, the previous night, that we should start our final day with a visit to the Pont des Arts, or Passerelle des Arts. It  is a pedestrian bridge in Paris which crosses the Seine River. We walked there with our lock in hand, to place it among the ever growing collection of love locks.

The love padlocks have been a phenomenon in cities as varied as Belgium to Japan. For those of you who haven’t heard of them, here's the story. A couple writes their names on a padlock and locks it onto one of the bridges. They then throw the key into the Seine River as a symbol of their undying love. Well, our padlock did not have a key it was a combination lock, and instead of our names, we opted to write “JJJ”, for the eternal love of our family.

The river was so beautiful at that time of the morning, and we finally thought to get a group shot together, yes Justin has his eyes closed, unfortunately the random guy we asked only took one photo.

We ended up spending the rest of the day wandering around Paris, just taking photos, eating and trying to absorb everything we could. 

All too soon, it was time to get a taxi to airport and head to Korea. Yes I am looking sad and wistful. But can you blame me?

VACANCES EN FRANCE: PARTIE A TREIZE/ HOLIDAYS IN FRANCE: PART THIRTEEN A

One Hotel Room at a Time. 

After leaving Chateau de Brou, and arriving Paris, a strange energy over came me. For a lot of the trip, I was a little lax in taking photos. But after arriving in back in Paris, it was as if I wanted to consume the entire city, with my camera and my tummy. I could not get enough. Paris on the way in was like a tired old lady. Paris on our way out, it was if the old lady got out of her dressing grown, and dressed up in all of her finery for us to see.

Paris this time showed me why people fall in love with her. Our hotel, Hotel de Seine, was located in the historic 6th district in central Paris, near Boulevard Saint Germain. An amazing location, with a crepe place every couple of meters, and walking distance to everything we wanted.

Selfie in the elevator mirror 

Wasn't our hotel a classy old girl?

We spent the morning exploring the streets around our hotel, and the afternoon at the park. It seems to be a very 'French thing" to go to the park with your children on a Sunday, as the park was crowed with families. Oh and we fitted in lots of food stops.

We had saved the Eiffel Tower for our last night in France, and I am so glad we did, it was such a gorgeous night. Jarvis fell asleep soon after the Tower visit, which gave Justin and I a chance to have a romantic (read uninterrupted) meal and view of the Eiffel tower.

Near the Eiffel tower was the “Buddy Bears”, one bear for each country. Here is Australia’s. The unique United Buddy Bears project features 140 bear sculptures representing as many countries recognised by the United Nations. Standing together hand in hand, the 2m tall bears promote tolerance and living together in peace. 

So, yes that is a lot of photos of the Eiffel Tower, but I fell in love with it all over again

( I am going to break Paris into three parts because I did go crazy with the camera)

VACANCES EN FRANCE: PARTIE DOUZE / HOLIDAYS IN FRANCE: PART TWELVE

One Hotel Room at a Time. 

From the moment we buzzed at the secured gate and drove down the drive way, which is reminisce of a Grimm’s Fairy Tales setting, we knew that Chateau de Brou was going to be something special. Set in the heart of a 100-hectare wooden area, this castle from the 15th-century welcomes you into an intimate and opulent atmosphere.

Walking in from the rain, the sights and the smells that welcomed us into the Chateau was amazing. The foyer overlooked the waiting room, one look and I was immediately in love. 

It is not a large place, there are only twelve bedrooms, which are decorated in an original style, with each one honoring someone that has made their mark on the history of the region. We stayed in one of the luxury rooms, or a superior double room, on level two called the Ronsard. What a superb room! With a bathroom that has visible beams and includes a balneotherapy shower which is within one of the château’s towers.

Even though it was raining, Justin and I could not wait to explore the gardens, so armed with umbrellas and cameras in hand we set off on an exploration. All I can say is… wow! How beautiful it all was.

Dinner the first night was in the restaurant, authentic French cuisine in such refined candlelit surroundings. We interrupted this elegance, with a bread roll throwing table guest. Jarvis was well behaved, but he gets bored after about a half hour or so, and with the tree courses served very slowly, his attention and patience ran out and wanted to play. So we ended up having desert in our room, sitting on the floor, which I found way more romantic than the opulent restaurant settings.

Two nights in the Chateau felt as relaxing as a month. When it was time to check out I felt a little teary, not sure if it was because I loved Chateau de Brou so much, or because I knew it was a sign our holiday was coming to an end.

About Castel Story...

The elegant Château de Brou, whose architectural merits are enhanced by the greenery that frames it, was built in 1475 by François de Gébert, Lord of Noyant.  In 1997, it became the property of the Girault family.  Emilie & Pierre Moricheau, their children and fifth generation of Hotel business manager manage the hotel restaurant.

In accordance with the wishes of its new owners, the Château was restored to its former glory in terms of its artistic and historical appeal, and it was additionally endowed with the level of comfort that a 21st century guest might appreciate during their stay here.  The very best builders and craftsmen worked together on a full and beautiful restoration of the château.

Noteworthy are the tapestries woven in accordance with cartoons of the ancestors of the renowned Antoinette Rose de Tours; the silks and fabrics by the famous artists Frey, Braconnier and Lemanach; lighting of the grounds by Pierre Bideau, a lighting specialist whose reputation extends past our borders; a superb little chapel with organ dating back to 1864; windows signed by the glass artist Lobin in 1868; and an equipped and identically reconstructed dovecote.

Each bedroom a homage to the historical figure from whom it takes its name.

Tucked away in the midst of a 100-hectare forest that completely surrounds it and hides it from view, the Château de Brou overlooks the Manse and Courtineau valleys. The Château has been open as a hotel since 1998, and is a place of rest and harmony. 

Pierre de Ronsard

Ronsard (1524-1585) was one of the stars of the Pléiade, French humanists who were inspired by classical culture, but sought to create a French literature. His poetry is wonderfully musical, sensuous, pagan, and romantic. Although a cleric in minor orders, he was constantly celebrating the beauties and sorrows of his various loves. He was patronized by Charles IX and wrote pieces for some of Catherine de' Medici's court pageants, but he was much more than a royal apologist.

These poems were written near the end of his life, when he fell in love with the much younger Hélène, a lady-in-waiting to Catherine de' Medici who kept him dangling but refused his passion for her. Sorrow is good for poets, as these poems testify.

VACANCES EN FRANCE: PARTIE A ONZE SUITE / HOLIDAYS IN FRANCE: PART ELEVEN CONTINUED

One Hotel Room at a Time. 

Maison Taupe is in Les Tuilieres, a rural hamlet, just outside Oradour-sur-Vayres, and only a few minutes from Rochechouart, St Mathieu, St Junien and Chalus in the Haute Vienne. It lies to the south west of Limoges. The owners, Peter and Barbara are a lovely English, couple who bought and renovated the farm, turning it into a B&B.

They provide a continental breakfast and for a small extra charge a home cooked dinner. This for us, who had been traveling for a couple of weeks by now, was a great change from restaurant food. Jarvis love the property because of the sheep and chickens, which of course he called all of them cats.

Jarvis loved the "cats"

Justin took this image

This is connected to my last holiday post, as this was where we stayed when we visited Oradour-sur-Glane.

On the way to Oradour-sur-Glane, we stopped off and had a lunch at a La Cocotte, a family run restaurant. Delicious home-style cooking with huge portions; after five courses I had to stop, even though for the low price of 15 Euros it included more food than either Justin or I could eat, and jugs of red wine (which neither of us drank).

VACANCES EN FRANCE: PARTIE A ONZE / HOLIDAYS IN FRANCE: PART ELEVEN

One Hotel Room at a Time. 

Oradour-sur-Glane, I am still at a loss as to how to express the feelings and emotions that over came me, when we visited this town. The soft light was in the golden glow of a winter afternoon. The town was almost empty bar for the three of us. Even the air seemed to have a quietness to it as we walked the town.

The Story as told by official website to the town memorial:

10th June 1944

    Towards the end of the Second World War, in a peaceful part of France, there took place the war crime of a particularly horrible murder of 642 men women and children.

    On the 10th of June 1944, a group of soldiers from the Der Führer regiment of the 2nd SS-Panzer Division Das Reich entered and then surrounded the small village of Oradour-sur-Glane, near to the city of Limoges.

    At first, they told the Mayor, Jean Desourteaux, that there was to be an identity check and that everyone must go to the Champ de Foire (fairground) whilst this took place. After rounding up all the inhabitants that they could find, the SS then changed their story from that of an identity check, to one of searching for hidden arms and explosives. The soldiers then said that whilst they searched for the arms, the women and children must wait in the church and the men in nearby barns.

    The women and children were marched off to the church, the children being encouraged by the soldiers to sing as they went. After they had left, the men were divided into six groups and led off to different barns in the village under armed guard. When the people were all safely shut away the SS began to kill them all.

    A large gas bomb, seemingly made out of smoke-screen grenades and intended to asphyxiate the occupants, was placed in the church, but it did not work properly when it went off and so the SS had to use machine guns and hand grenades to disable and kill the women and children. After they had subdued all the occupants of the church, the soldiers piled wood on the bodies, many of whom were still alive and set it on fire.

    Only one person managed to escape alive from the church and that was Madame Rouffanche. She saw her younger daughter who was sitting next to her killed by a bullet as they attempted to find shelter in the vestry. Madame Rouffanche then ran to the altar end of the church where she found a stepladder used to light the candles. Placing the ladder behind the altar she climbed up and threw herself through a window and out onto the ground some 10 feet below. As she picked herself up, a woman holding her baby tried to follow, but they were seen by the soldiers and both woman and child were killed. In spite of being shot and wounded five times, Madame Rouffanche escaped round the back of the church and dug herself into the earth between some rows of peas, where she remained hidden until late the next day.

    At the same time that the gas bomb exploded in the church, the SS fired their machine guns into the men crowded in the barns. They deliberately fired low, so that many of the men were badly wounded but not killed. The soldiers then piled wood and straw on the bodies and set it alight, many of the men thus burned to death, unable to move because of their injuries. Six men did manage to escape from Madame Laudy's barn, but one of them was seen and shot dead, the other 5 all wounded, got away under cover of darkness.

    Whilst these killings were taking place, the soldiers searched the village for any people who had evaded the initial roundup and killed them where they found them. One old invalid man was burned to death in his bed and a baby was baked to death in the local bakery ovens, other people were killed and their bodies thrown down a well. People who attempted to enter the village to see what was going on were shot dead. A local tram which arrived during the killings was emptied of passengers, who after several terrifying minutes were let go in peace.

    After killing all the villagers that they could find, the soldiers set the whole village on fire and early the next day, laden with booty stolen from the houses, they left.

    The soldiers then journeyed on up through France to Normandy and joined the rest of the German army in attempting to throw the allied invasion back into the sea. Many of them, including Sturmbannführer Adolf Diekmann, who had led the attack on Oradour-sur-Glane, were killed in the Normandy battles.