Friday, July 31, 2009

Rue Paul-Boncour

This street was originally called the rue du Pont (Bridge Street) because it leads up from the bridge into town. Joseph Paul-Boncour was a native of St.-Aignan who became a lawyer and a politician and served in various ministerial posts in French government between 1911 and 1938. He was a French senator and a prominent socialist.

Looking up into the rue Paul-Boncour from the river near the bridge with the collégiale in the background.

This is the street that cars take to go up into town and to the main square, the church, the château, and the post office. On market days, through traffic is forced around town on the ring road, but local traffic can still drive in. On festival days, the street is closed to all traffic. That only happens about twice a year.

Outdoor seating at Le Mange Grenouille.

A few years ago, a little building with a courtyard was renovated and turned into a nice restaurant called Le Mange Grenouille (roughly translated as the Frog Eater). Not surprisingly, they serve frogs' legs. Ken and I have eaten here twice. It's a bit too fancy and upscale for frequent dining, at least for us.

The rue Paul-Boncour climbs up into town.

At the end of the street, where it intersects the rue Constant Ragot, is one of the few remaining medieval buildings in town, complete with exposed timber frames and red brick. I can't find anything much about the building, but it's typical of the town's buildings from that era.

A reminder: most of these pictures look a lot better in their larger size. Click on them to see, then use your "back" button to come back to this page.

9 comments:

  1. I haven't been commenting but I love seeing these images from your home town and surrounds.

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  2. I love the building you mention at the corner of Constant Ragot. It has such character. I also noticed the last time I was in Saint Aignan that it is for sale.

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  3. Hi Walt, We had lunch at the Mange Grenouille last year, before coming to your house for drinks. In fact, it was thanks to the Mange Grenoulle that we met. Remember? Martine

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  4. I'm enjoying hearing the history of SA. Your photos are very good when viewed in the large size.

    That medieval building was built to last-it adds a sense of mystery as to what Saint Aignan must have been like so many years ago.

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  5. I am not commenting either for the past few days, just enjoying the photos of Saint-Aignan. Seeing the smaller cars make me miss the Toyota "Auris" we rented.

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  6. Some things I like about France: menus posted outside of restaurants, courtyard dining, those hanging signs outside of places (the kind that hang off of an iron dealy-- like the one Ken showed yesterday for the charcuterie/boucherie).

    I'm enjoying the scenes!

    Judy

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  7. Lovely pictures, Walt. You're good at this stuff and you live in a lovely place. The history lesson is brill, too. Thanks.

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  8. Ah yes, you are in tall cotton when it comes to history and village architecture.

    I particularly love things like finding an old engraving that shows how much of the eighteenth century or earlier flavor still clings to some of the towns.

    Your photo of the same scene is FAB.

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  9. victor, thanks. I'm worried that I'm boring a lot of people.

    kier, yeah, I think it is! Not sure I'd want a 14th century building on my hands, though!

    martine, I remember our meeting, but not the Mange Grenouille!

    evelyn, it's really neat to see the old engravings of the town that show these buildings, and more of them than currently survive.

    nadege, glad you're enjoying!

    judy, these are a few of your favorite things!

    jean, merci!

    ben, we're lucky that the previous owner left that stuff for us!

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