- Calle Molina Lario
Now this I like. Although it was still insanely hot, we could walk in shadow. - Alcazaba
I just learned that Alcazaba comes from Al-qasbah. D'oh. - Alcazaba
The fortress was built on the slopes of Gibralfaro from the 11th to the 14th century. Puerta de los Cuartos de Granada. - Alcazaba
Interesting multifoil arches in the Taifa palace (11th century). - Alcazaba
Reconstructed Nasrid palaces. - Alcazaba
Cuartos de Granada - Patio de la Alberca
Patio de la Alberca (Pool courtyard) in the Nasrid palace. - Alcazaba
What lovely patterns! - Roman Theatre
Dating from the 1st and used until the 3rd century, the theatre was discovered in 1951! Parts of the theatre were used to build Alcazaba. - Málaga Cathedral
The Renaissance Cathedral was built between 1528 and 1782. - Chamonix
Well... it's got character. - Grand Hôtel des Alpes, Chamonix
The Grand Hotel in the centre of Chamonix. - Chamonix
The town centre was crowded as the Marathon du Mont Blanc was taking place. And the white mountain was hiding in the clouds. - Beaune
What a lovely sign above the O'100dwich sandwicherie in Beaune :-) - Beaune
Remparts de la Comédie, the ramparts around the town is actually a street with some charming houses. - Beffroi de Beaune
Belfry, dating from the 13th-14th century, renovated and repaired multiple times after that. - Basilique Notre-Dame de Beaune
The porch dates from the mid-13th century. A great place that protects you from the elements. - Basilique Notre-Dame de Beaune
A 12th century romanesque basilica in Beaune. - Panda Bâ
Panda Bâ by Julien Marinetti, it was placed here just two weeks prior to our visit. - Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune
The reason why we came to Beaune: The hospices. Founded in 1443 as a hospital for the poor by Phillip the Good was in use until 1971. - Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune
Trente-trois. Trente-trois. Trente-trois... Thirty three. Thirty three. Thirty three... Oui, oui, oui, oui, oui... - Christ of Pity
A 15th century sculpture of Christ of Pity sculpted from one oak trunk. The craftsmanship on the crown of thorns and ropes is wonderful! - Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune
The ceiling in the Room of the Poor is an upside-down boat-skiff shape. - Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune
Such lovely beams under the ceiling. I think the inscription says Seule * as seule etoile, meaning the founder's wife. - Hospice kitchen
The kitchen in the Hospice. My (second) favourite part in this kitchen is the rotating spit with Mr. Bertrand apparently rotating it. It was made in 1698 by a local clockmaker Defresne. - Hospice kitchen
This is my favourite part in the kitchen. The two swan-like faucets for running hot water. - Hospice Pharmacy
A very interesting pharmacy. - Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune
View of the glazed-tiled hospice roof from the cour d'honneur, the main inner court. The roof type probably has central European origins, but is now a trademark of Burgundy. - Maison du Colombier, Beaune
What a lovely house with plenty of dovecotes. And doves in the cotes. - Basilique Notre-Dame de Beaune
A magnificent stained glass window. But I have no idea how old it is. May be old, but my uneducated guess would say quite recent. - Meursault
We obviously went to Meursault because of the Grande Vadrouille, but did not regret it. What a picturesque, friendly and lovely town. - Meursault
A lovely town known mostly for its wine. - Meursault
A restaurant in the town centre. - Vézelay Abbey
This Benedictine abbey, which is a well-known pilgrimage church, was constructed between 1120 and 1150. Here stood initially a Roman villa, then two Carolingian convents, then then reformed Benedictine order of Cluny. Built to accommodate pilgrims, and extended to accommodate even more pilgrims... - Vézelay Abbey
The portal on the exterior of the church. - Vézelay Abbey
A lovely detail on the facade indicates the grandeur inside. - Vézelay Abbey
The narthex was added to accommodate the influx of pilgrims, who came to see the relics of Mary Magdalene. - Vézelay Abbey
St Paul the Hermit's burial. Saint Anthony burying Saint Paul, with two lions digging the grave. - Vézelay Abbey
The crypt - Vézelay Abbey
Adam and Eve. A snake climbs the Tree of life and gives grapes(!) to Eve. - Derrière une porte
I once had to write a story "Derrière une porte" being given an image similar to this one. I probably could write another one for this door as well. - Vézelay
The hollyhock grows in every corner of the town. So beautiful. - Vézelay Abbey
- Château de Falaise
From the Loire valley - via Le Mans - towards Normandy. First stop was Falaise, where William the Conqueror was born. The construction of this castle started in 1123 by Henry I of England. - Falaise
View from the falaise of the Falaise castle. - Bayeux Cathedral
The portal of Saint Thomas Becket, showing the assembly of Northampton (1164) and the Assembly of Ambosus (1170); crossing of the English Channel and his martyrdom; and the veneration of his tomb. - Bayeux Cathedral
- Bayeux Cathedral
Plenty of old windows in the cathedral as well... These are from 1260, showing the local bishops Exupère and Loup. - Bayeux Cathedral
The 11th century crypt is simply magnificent. The entrance to the crypt was closed soon afterwards and the crypt forgotten - until 1412. - Bayeux Cathedral
One of the more unusual capitals in the crypt. - Bayeux Cathedral
One of the many angels in the crypt. They play all sorts of instruments. - Bayeux Cathedral
15th century fresco of angels in the crypt. - Bayeux Cathedral
Here is where the famous Bayeux tapestry was exhibited until 1793. Possibly from 1077. - Bayeux Cathedral
12th century carving. I see a lion and an eagle carrying a fish. But it may also be a lion and a griffin. - Bayeux Cathedral
Some more lions/griffons/creatures higher up, but the most notable are the Bayeux lovers underneath them. - Bayeux Cathedral
The ceiling in the Bayeux cathedral choir shows various local bishops and saints. The whole cathedral is indeed a stunning place. - Bayeux
What a lovely town it is. This is on the main Saint Martin street. - Arromanches
Arromanches beach was the landing area during the D-Day Normandy Invasion. - Arromanches
The endless windy beaches are perfect for flying kites! - Arromanches
Remains of the artificial port in Arromanches. - Arromanches
We returned to Arromanches for a lovely dinner. - Arromanches
- Pegasus Bridge Café Gondrée
First house to be liberated in France on the 5/6th of June 1944, located in Bénouville. - Fougères
What a picturesque castle this is! - Fougères
Anne of Brittany (1477-1514) is a name that comes up often in these parts. She was the Duchess of Brittany and Queen of France, twice. - Fougères
Now THIS is a castle. Built from 12th to 15th century, it occupies an area of two hectares. - Fougères
Hortensias everywhere. - Fougères
This belfry was the first in Brittany, built in 1397. - Fougères
Fougères castle. The original wooden one was destroyed and a new one built in 1176. The Gobelin tower is from the 13th century. - Mont Dol
What a lovely house - with a curved corner. - Cherrueix
What a charming village this is! - Cherrueix
Well... now you know! - Cherrueix
I really like this town. - Mont Saint-Michel
This is one of the most fascinating places on the planet. I have spoken. - Mont Saint-Michel
The roofs remind me of an Asterix village :-) - Mont Saint-Michel
Church of Saint-Pierre. Originally from the 8th century, often rebuilt, this tower being from the 15th century. - Mont Saint-Michel
We decided to visit the abbey in the afternoon and there was absolutely no queue. We just entered the ticket office. But if there was a queue, these guards would keep us in line. Clever design! - Mont Saint-Michel
Climbing the Grand Degré my kids said they felt like entering a computer game. Totally unreal and out of this world. - 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
I've seen many beautiful houses but this one might be my favourite. It looks good even in rain. - Le Croisic
What a lovely place Le Croisic is. - Le Croisic
One of the many crêperies. I think we counted six just here. Within a two minute walk. - Château de Beynac
The castle was built in the 12th century by the barons of Beynac, and later remodelled and enlarged. - Château de Beynac
The oldest part of the castle is a large keep on the right. Unfortunately, I could not convince other members of the family to visit yet another castle... - Beynac
The whole village is fascinating. - La Roque-Gageac
Oh, another spectacular village. - La Roque-Gageac
- La Roque-Gageac
A truly spectacular village. - La Roque-Gageac
If you have the time, hire a canoe. We unfortunately didn't. Next time :-) - Le fort de la Roque-Gageac
The ancient medieval fortification dates from the 12th century. It does have a spectacular location. - La Roque-Gageac
The main street in La Roque-Gageac. Well, the only street in La Roque-Gageac. - La Roque-Gageac
- La Roque-Gageac
I can imagine these are some old stairs... - La Roque-Gageac
Yes, it's right up there. A troglodyte fort. The wall's been occupied since the prehistoric times and the fort built in the 12th century. - La Roque-Gageac
The old picturesque village as seen from the fort. - La Roque-Gageac
Le manoir de Tarde from the 15th century. - Dordogne river
Climbing the exposed stairs might be scary for some. For me it was just insanely hot. But the views are rewarding. - Dordogne river