- Vézelay
The hollyhock grows in every corner of the town. So beautiful. - Vézelay Abbey
- Château de Chenonceau
Chambre de Diane de Poitiers. - Château de Chenonceau
One of the many chandeliers in the Gallery across the river. - Château de Chenonceau
One part of the castle kitchen, with modern equipment. - Château de Chenonceau
Another magninficent fireplace, this one is in the Salon Louis XIV. The salamander and the ermine are the symbols of Francis I and his wife Claude of France. - Château de Chenonceau
La tour des Marques The only remaining (and renovated) part of the medieval castle owned by the Marques family. - Château de Chenonceau
La chambre de Catherine de Médicis A typical renaissance baldachin bed. - Château de Chenonceau
Chambre de Louise de Lorraine, the black room. She was mourning the death of her husband Henri III. - Château de Chenonceau
View of the castle from the gardens of Catherine de Médicis. - Château de Chenonceau
A 16th century farm in the castle gardens. Here all the flowers used for the castle decoration are grown. - Château de Chambord
Chambord is the largest château in the Loire Valley. Built in 1519–1547 as a hunting lodge for François Ier. A hunting lodge! - Château de Chambord
The double-spiral staircase in the centre of the castle. The castle is so wonderfully symmetric, it's quite easy to lose orientation. - Château de Chambord
The 18th century castle kitchen. - Château de Chambord
The centre of the spiral staircase has a lantern at the top. - Château de Chambord
One of the famous Flemish tapestries commissioned by Francis I in 1532. It depicts the story of Scipio Africanus, the Roman General who defeated Carthage. The oxen are taken to the temple of Jupiter to be sacrificed, while the elephants and camels carry the wealth brought back from Africa. - Château de Chambord
The almost perfectly symmetric castle. - Château de Chambord
Laurel bedchamber was refurbished in the 18th century. Parquet floor was added and the walls covered with wallpaper. I love love love this pattern. - Château de Chambord
Ah, the castle terraces. The lantern tower is topped by a royal crown with a fleur-de-lys. - Château de Chambord
All the details of the castle become visible from the terraces. - Château de Chambord
The view of the French gardens. Louis XIV had a similar view from his bedroom. Not bad. - Château de Chambord
Am I repetitive with these pictures? Maybe. But the castle, pardon, the hunting lodge, is splendid. - Château de Chambord
The NE facade of the keep. It was here that we realised that we 'lost' our younger son somewhere in the castle. It's just the largest castle in France, no biggie. - Château de Chambord
Lapidary deposit. This is a part of the original lantern tower. Obviously showing more salamanders. - Château de Chambord
Chambord in all its beauty. The keep was finished under François Ier in 1519, the wings were added later on. The castle was first open to visitors in 1821. - Longues-sur-Mer battery
More WWII bunkers with original guns on the Normandy coast. - Fougères
This belfry was the first in Brittany, built in 1397. - Mont Saint-Michel
What a perfect architecture. - Mont Saint-Michel
We planned the visit to avoid the crowds. But we didn't think it would be so empty on a Sunday afternoon. - Mont Saint-Michel
Plenty of lovely souvenir shops and places to eat in the town, but some of them closed fairly early in the evening. - Mont Saint-Michel
What a magnificent place indeed! - Côte de granit rose
An old tidal mill at Grand Traouïero. The mill's been here since 1375, the current building is from the 18th century. If I remember correctly, it was used to crush ice for the fishing trade. - Côte de granit rose
View of the sea rescue ramp hidden in a well protected cove. - Cairn of Barnenez
The tumulus contains 11 chambers entered by separate passages. - Cairn of Barnenez
It is considered one of the oldest man-made structures. And yet not many visitors! - Cairn of Barnenez
Early Neolithic monument (4800 BC). It's 72 m long, up to 25 m wide, and over 8 m high. - Cairn of Barnenez
Art exhibition by local kids. Love it! - Manoir de Kervaudu
I get the door. I get the open upper part for ventilation or light. I even get the cat door. But why do you need two cat doors?