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 2 A camera was used that takes periodic GPS fixes as well as recording where a picture was taken. It records a log which can be imported to Google Earth. The route can then be played as a tour. It speeds up over open country but slows to show features along the way or built up areas. You can explore in Google Earth by downloading the kml file here http://johnhawkins.ca/machawk/kml/sta.kml |
 3 The entry, known as a châtelet, controls access to the inner wards of Château d'Angers. |
 4 Upper view of the châtelet which appears to be constructed of tuffeau stone common to the area. |
 5 In 1562, Catherine de' Medici had the castle restored as a powerful fortress, but, her son, Henry III, reduced the height of the towers and had the towers and walls stripped of their embattlements; Henry III used the castle stones to build streets and develop the village of Angers. Nonetheless, under threat of attacks from the Huguenots, the king maintained the castle's defensive capabilities by making it a military outpost and by installing artillery on the château's upper terraces. At the end of the 18th century, as a military garrison, it showed its worth when its thick walls withstood a massive bombardment by cannons from the Vendean army. Unable to do anything else, the invaders simply gave up. Wikipedia. |
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 8 The Château d'Angers which houses the Apocolypse Tapestry. More on that in a a few more photos. |
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 10 An outer view of the 15th century chapel or sainte chapelle, the name given to churches which enshrined a relic of the Passion - the short final period in the life of Jesus as depicted in the Apocolypse Tapestry. |
 11 The Apocalypse Tapestry is a large medieval French set of tapestries commissioned by Louis I, the Duke of Anjou, and produced between 1377 and 1382. It depicts the story of the Apocalypse from the Book of Revelation by Saint John the Divine in colourful images, spread over a number of sections that originally totalled 90 scenes. Despite being lost and mistreated in the late 18th century, the tapestry was recovered and restored in the 19th century and is now on display at the Chateau d'Angers. It is the oldest French medieval tapestry to have survived, and historian Jean Mesqui considers it "one of the great artistic interpretations of the revelation of Saint John, and one of the masterpieces of French cultural heritage. Wikipedia |
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 15 Angers is the historical capital of Anjou and was for centuries an important stronghold in northwestern France. It is the cradle of the Plantagenet dynasty and was during the reign of René of Anjou one of the intellectual centers of Europe. Angers developed at the confluence of three rivers, the Mayenne, the Sarthe, and the Loire, all coming from the north and flowing south to the Loire. Their confluence, just north of Angers, creates the Maine, a short but wide river that flows into the Loire several kilometers south. The Angers metropolitan area is a major economic center in western France, particularly active in the industrial sector, horticulture, and business tourism. Wikipedia |
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 17 The Abbey of Saint-Aubin is a former monastery located in Angers , which was founded in the 6th or 7th century. It has its origins in a funerary basilica (memoria) built to house the tomb of Bishop Aubin ( 529 - 550 ). Wikipedia |
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 20 Time to go to school and experience hands on training in appreciation of the fruit of the vine. |
 21 An after tour chance to experience some of the product with vittles. |
 22 A view from the top floor of our home for a week in Saumur. Chateau Saumur in the distance. |
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