O'er The Ramparts We Watched

The medieval city of Loches is perched high on a bluff overlooking the valley of the Indre River. The bluff is surrounded by walls that formed the defense of the city. On the south end is the old castle, whose donjon tower still stands. It's great fun to explore with caves and towers and artifacts from the old days. You can climb the 160 steps to the top of the eleventh century donjon for unobstructed views of the surrounding countryside.

"Hello down there!" "Hello up there!"

On the north end is the newer Renaissance château, also a nice place to tour, with great views of the newer town down below. The ramparts surrounding the medieval city measure about one kilometer in length and have only two gates allowing entrance to the city.

I have no idea who the people in this picture are, but I think it's cool how it looks like the two women are trying to communicate. I don't remember if they actually were talking (or shouting) or if this was just a coincidence.

In more timely news, today is the last day of the hunting season. On my walk with Callie this morning I could hear the hounds barking, the hunters shouting, the horns blowing, and the guns going off. Callie flushed two deer out of the vineyard. The sun is bright in a clear but very cold morning sky. I could hear a train in the distance, and woodpeckers doing their thing on trees. All the little puddles are iced over. It was a nice walk.

Mis-aligned Rooftops

This is a view of some of the roof elements on the royal logis in Loches. I like the photo, but the reason I rejected it the first time through is that I really don't like the alignment of the three primary elements. I would have preferred to have the round tower on the bottom right a little more toward the center so it's not directly in front of the chimney.

Interesting rooftops in Loches.

Another problem with the original picture is that the spire on the turret to the left rises up too high; keeping it in the frame meant that there was too much blue sky and not enough roof to balance the image, at least to my liking. So I shortened the spire for this picture. Thanks, Photoshop!

I don't know why I didn't notice these things when I was taking the photo. It may not have been possible for me to move into the position I wanted because of buildings or trees in the way. I will have to go back to Loches and try again. I think I'll wait for better weather.

Pit Stop

This is a little pocket park in Loches, just outside the gate to the upper medieval city. If it's not too busy, you can park your car right across the street in a small lot along the ramparts, otherwise you need to park below and walk up. Next to the gate there's an informational sign about the medieval city and this little park which features a free public restroom.

A very inviting place to rest on a warm summer day.

The bench is there for resting while you and your friends take turns using the facilities. There's also a nice overlook of part of the newer town below.

A Doorstep In Loches

This little series of photos from Loches was taken during a summer walk around the town. I'm still sifting through some older photos and trying to give them new life. For one reason or another, I rejected these pictures the first time through.

Impatiens adorn this windowsill in Loches.

Now, since we're in the middle of winter, I'm finding time to work on them a bit and bring them to the blog for the first time. I hope you're enjoying them.

I'm always amazed at the little details in the buildings and streets and walkways in these old towns. The places are almost always lived in, but sometimes you wouldn't know it. Curtains are drawn, shutters are closed. But the signs of life are everywhere, from freshly painted doors to meticulously maintained flower pots on window sills.

Candles At Loches

Many of the churches one can wander into in France, Catholic as they are, will have votive or prayer candles of one style or another lit. Sometimes they're in red glass votive holders, other times they're in more ornately painted glass containers. But many times they will be simple tall tapers held in old iron candelabras.

Tapers burn in the Collégiale St.-Ours.

This was a rather plain one-row candelabra in the Collégiale Saint-Ours up in the old medieval section of the city of Loches.

La Tour Saint-Martin In Vendôme

Only the bell tower survives in the square where the Church of Saint-Martin once stood. The church was built in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, but was weakened by modifications after the Revolution. Its roof collapsed in 1854 and the church was demolished.

The bell tower of the former église St.-Martin.

Since then, the space occupied by the church has been transformed into a public square.

Une Gargouille

Gargoyles are fascinating bits of architecture. They come in all shapes and sizes from the purely functional to the ornate and fantastical. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans used gutter systems and gargoyles to throw rain water away from their buildings' walls.

A rather plain and unassuming gargoyle.

The gargoyles that we are probably most familiar with are carved in the shapes of grotesque animals peering down from the heights of gothic cathedrals. In addition to their water spouting duties, such gargoyles are said to have had spooky supernatural purposes like warding off evil spirits. I would expect no less from waterspouts on religious buildings.

The word gargouille means 'gurgle;' its verb form, gargouiller, 'to gurgle.' Its origin is likely from the Latin gurgulio meaning 'throat.'

I saw this one on a small castle-style building in Vendôme. I believe the building is the Porte Saint-Georges, a gate into the city where a bridge crosses the Loir. It was built in the fourteenth century but was embellished with more ornate features in the sixteenth century by the duchess of Vendôme, Marie de Luxembourg. The city council has met in the building since then.

Vendôme is the northern of the two sub-prefectures in the Loir-et-Cher département. The other, in the southern end of the département, is a small city called Romorantin. The main prefecture is in Blois.