The other side

This is the northern, or exterior, façade of the renaissance (François I) wing, Château de Blois. It's recognizably Italian in style, especially the loges along the breadth of the building. If you look closely, just behind and above the largest of the rounded shrubs, you can see the stained glass windows of the Oratoire (oratory or small chapel) de Catherine de Médicis extending outward from the façade.

The renaissance wing of the Château de Blois. October 2012.

The deck contractor came by yesterday and finished his work by installing a piece of aluminum edging that he needed to order because he ran out. We had rain most of the morning and the slope of the deck seems to be correct. There were no water incursions toward the house, although there are a couple of puddles that form on the outside edge beyond the roof line. That's pretty normal.