- 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? - Basilica of San Vitale
The construction started in 526 on the orders of Bishop Ecclesius of Ravenna. Bishop Maximian completed the construction in 547. The building is octagonal, with the entrances next to the altar. So... strange. - Torre civica
I would not want to live opposite this tower. - The Arian Baptistery
The baptistery was built around 500 under the reign of the Ostrogothic king Theoderic. Arian Christianity was different from the Orthodox Christianity as they considered Christ as not truly divine but rather a created being. - The Arian Baptistery
Ha, 1500-year old topological defects :-D - The Orthodox Baptistery
The Orthodox baptistery, also called the Neonian Baptistery. Built by bishop Ursus but decorated by bishop Neon in 470. - Mouans-Sartoux
The French. They can even make an ordinary town hall pretty. - Schwammerlturm
The tower was originally built in 1268 and rebuilt in 1615. The first time I'm seeing the tower with blue background, so far only at night and/or rain.