Views From The Château

St.-Aignan's château's terrace sits up above the river and faces north. There's an island in the river here which is a park on its upriver end and a collection of garden plots on its downriver end. The bridge neatly bisects the island.

Looking roughly east, upriver, with the town's roofs sloping down to the water.

Also on the island is a small bistro. We haven't been there since it became a bistro; its previous incarnation was a small bar which we visited once for a beer with friends. It was nice enough, but it was a bit expensive. One of these days we'll need to check out the bistro. If it lasts, that is.

Looking roughly west, downriver. The pool is in the center left.

The other attraction on the island is St.-Aignan's municipal swimming pool. There are actually two pools, one indoors and one outdoors. Both are hubs of activity all summer long. The hours are reduced drastically through the winter, even for the indoor pool.

Looking roughly north, with the island and bridge in the center.

The views of the valley are always changing, depending of course on the season and the weather. The morning I took these pictures, it was mostly sunny, but there were some clouds and morning haze burning off. Some days when the weather is dry and crystal clear, you feel you could reach out and touch the horizon. Other days when its wet and rainy, it's difficult to see even as far as the river. Sometimes the clouds are low enough that there is no view at all.

A view to the northeast and the eastern tip of the island.