2015 Blois - Poitiers Walking

Finally, after many months, I could return to Blois in spring 2015 and continue, the walk, that I had started in Paris a year ago. For the first days the "Via Turonensis" followed the Loire. The small blue/yellow sticker with the shell made clear, that the direction was right.

An old bridge crosses the Beuvron, a tributary to the Loire, in the village Candé-sur-Beuvron. As the old bridge could not cope with modern traffic, a new bridge rund parallel to it, that is where I am standing. Large, lurid flower pots are placed on the bridge. They seem to be the "dernier cri" for the decoration of public spaces.

I had stayed overnight in a nice "chambre d ́hotes" in Onzain on the right side of the Loire. A bridge spans over the Loire here. The Via Turonensis runs through Chaumont sur Loire and turns "inland" just after the castle. The Château de Chaumont was once owned by Catherine de Medici, who entertained here numerous astrologers, among them Nostradamus. Later she forced her husband´s mistress Diane de Poitiers, to exchange Château de Chaumont for Château de Chenonceau.

Near the banks of the Loire all trees stand in perfect lines. Host trees for families of growing mistletoes. Around Christmas couples will probably meet under these trees and kiss. Already Pliny the Elder reports, that the mistletoe plays an important role in the Celtic mythology. Since Goscinny´s and Uderzo´s "Astérix" we all know, that Panoramix (aka "Getafix", "Miraculix"), the long bearded druid needs mistletoe (cut with a golden sickle!) to prepare the magic potion.

This house was built on a small mound, next to the Loire. Serious floods have been a deathly thread for all people living near the river over centuries. Only very few dams regulate the flow of the water.

Many caves are cut out of the chalk cliff. They probably were used as stables or for the storage of merchandise, shipped up and down the Loire. Some of the caves look decayed, forgotten by their owners. Some look as if Morlocks live deep inside. Here is a "troglodyte restaurant". 14,50 Euros seemed a good deal for me. The place was locked. I checked the menu, but I could not find Eloi. The Morlocks may prefer another restaurant, or they even may have an own canteen.

The "Château d'Amboise rises over the town. It´s owner Louis d'Amboise had unsucessfully plotted against Louis XI and was condemned to be executed in 1431. King Charles VII (aka "le Bien-Servi") pardoned him but took his château at Amboise. For about two centuries the château was a favourite of French kings. Over many decades the château got rebuilt. First in flamboyant Gothic later under Italian architects in Renaissance style. It was here, where Charles VIII died in 1498, afte after he hit his head on a door lintel. Francis I was raised here. He later invited Leonardo da Vinci to Amboise. Leonardo arrived in 1515 and lived here upto his death in 1519. Henry II and Catherine de Medici raised their children here along with Mary Stuart, the child Queen of Scotland who had been promised in marriage to the future French Francis II. www.chateau-amboise.com/en/

The "Tour de l'Horloge" once was a city gate ("Porte de l’Amasse") and part of the fortification. The pilgrims following the Via Turonensis entered Amboise here

Late afternoon in Amboise - the doors opf St. Denis are still open. The construction of this church was started about 1107 by Hugues, the first Lord of Amboise. It replaced an ancient church, probably from the 4th century, dedicated to St. Martin of Tours. The Romanesque church was part of a Benedictine priory, depending from the abbey Saint-Julien de Tours but as well served the parish. The structure got modified and enlarged in the 16th century.

The small islands and shallow sandbars within the river are populated by thousands of birds. Here is a colony of black-headed gulls.

The weather had improved, when I followed the "Chemin de Bellevue" into Montlouis-sur-Loire. I reached Saint-Laurent in the center, but the church was locked. The eastern part of the structure, seen here, is probably the oldest one. The festival "Jazz en Touraine" is held here in September each year. Here is the line-up for September 2015. www.jazzentouraine.com/editorial/13/40/espace-lig-ria

I left Montlouis-sur-Loire via this road, that soon evolved into a slippery track. I was now approaching Tours and could see on the map, that I had to cross the Loire, but the bridge I had seen from the cliff was a railway bridge. The "balisage" was clear. The "red/white" sticker stood for the "grand randonnée" GR655ET, the yellow shell for the "Via Turonensis".

The bridge, over which I crossed the Loire, was indeed a railway bridge, that I entered via a station platform. Just a minute ago a very long, noisy and fast freight train had run through here. I felt a bit unsure here, but no other train arrived, during the minutes I needed to reach the other side. I noted, that the new track ballast here is pink! Either this colour is en vogue at the moment - or - it changes the colour over the years. I know that a few decades ago, toilets in passengers trains were just a 'hole in the floor'. Passengers were discouraged, to use the toilet while the train is at a station. Sometimes even the doors got locked. But there was no stench, when I crossed the bridge.

The first church, dedicated to Saint Maurice, was built here on order of Lidoire, bishop of Tours from 337 to 371 (preceding Saint Martin). This church burnt down 561, it was restored by Gregory of Tours in 590. This church then got replaced by a Romanesque structure, that again burnt in 1166 during the conflict between Louis VII of France and Henry II of England, who as well was Count of Anjou. The erection of the present cathedral started around 1170 The chancel was built 1236 to 1279, but the nave took longer to build. It was completed end of the 14th century, before the Gothic facade, seen here, was finished about 100 years later. The towers are about 70 m high.

The first church, dedicated to Saint Maurice, was built here on order of Lidoire, bishop of Tours from 337 to 371 (preceding Saint Martin). This church burnt down 561, it was restored by Gregory of Tours in 590. This church then got replaced by a Romanesque structure, that again burnt in 1166 during the conflict between Louis VII of France and Henry II of England, who as well was Count of Anjou. The erection of the present cathedral started around 1170 The chancel was built 1236 to 1279, but the nave took longer to build. It was completed end of the 14th century, before the Gothic facade was finished about 100 years later. In 1562 Huguenot iconoclasts created great damages here, but they did not destroy the 13th century stained glass windows of the choir. Here is a detail from the "nativity window". The "Dream of the Magi" and the Magi on their way home. For many pilgrims on their way to Santiago, the Magi were ideals, as they took a long way as well. So it is no surprise, that the Magi can be found frequently along the "chemin".

"Cigarillos de boeuf en tatare façon Wellington" --- restaurant-lescapade-tours.fr/

When I left the restaurant L'Escapade (see previous upload), the "Laverie Colbert" had fallen asleep already.

It was difficult to find my way out of Tours. Too many roads, highways and roundabouts. After I had passed Saint-Avertin I found the "shell" again and knew, that I was on the right track. The "chemin" had changed direction. From Orléans to Tours it had followed the Loire westward. Now I walked southward. 1447km to Compostella.