Part Deux: Saintes, France

Happy Monday!

After leaving you in Saintes on Friday, we’re going to extend our visit for another day.  I can’t resist posting photos of the medieval cathedral, Saint-Pierre.

along the walk down the hill, back to the center of town and the cathedral

ah, here we are at the entrance (behind a group of Frenchies taking a tour)

surrounding the entrance...

...wonderful examples of Gothic church architecture

an impressively MASSIVE structure

the pulpit (the wood 'crown' was added later)

one of several private chapels along the perimeter of the (inside of the) cathedral

a private space to give blessings

displayed on the wall is a list of the evêques (bishops) of cathedral of Saintes

brilliant stained glass windows, fortunately (for us as visitors) de rigueur in French cathedrals

the courtyard adjoining the cathedral

a look up at the lithe gargoyles

more lovely details, enhanced by age

a look back at the cathedral as we headed back to our car

I hope you enjoyed this mini-tour of Saintes.  If you’re traveling in the area, it’s worth a visit.  I hear that during the summer the town is much more lively – and it would be warm and sunny, instead of grey and chilly like when we were there in January!

À bientôt,

k.

A Look Back: Mystery in Saintes, France

Taking a walk down memory lane, or, well, looking back through iPhoto, I came across a ton of material that I meant to blog about, but never got around to it.  So I thought I’d share some inspiration from our trip to Saintes, France.  My boyfriend and I stopped in this smallish town of about 26,000 people while on our road trip from Paris to Bordeaux and back up again.

We decided to make a pit-stop in Saintes because of its history – it was founded in 20 B.C.E. by the Romans, when it was known as Mediolanum Santonum.  The town boasts a Gothic Flamboyant cathedral, Cathédrale Saint-Pierre, built from the 12th to 13th centuries.  Saintes also has the gorgeous Basillica Saint-Eutrope, another Gothic Flamboyant structure, started in the year 1081, but not finished until the 17th century!

Saintes is located in the Charente-Maritime département, in Southwest France (marked “A”):

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Without further ado, a peak at Saintes, France:

entering the town, we're greeted by a Washington D.C.-style town hall

almost immediately, we come across a gorgeous château

a little church, tucked away in a narrow back street

and its lovely door

Heading up the hill (for a killer view!), we came across a medieval cloister...

...an incredibly modern library...

...and a tiny old church attached to a yucky, 1970s-style retirement home. boo. but the detailed doors and original stonework is wonderful.

the little church's gothic cross

even "plain old" buildings in France are charming!

at the top of the hill, we were greeted by a gate

As we wandered through the gate, we weren’t sure what we were heading into.  But it seemed to be public space..

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The building is lovely!  What a surprise!  It’s remarkable, but DESERTED!  (?!?!)

the side of the stunning complex

'leaving one's mark' is not a modern concept!

the building is clearly pre-1930

It was obvious that this place has seen better days. Look at the stunning, colorful stained glass covered up by the ugly metal sheeting.

a passage to the basement/cellar

a view from the top of the hill, from the grounds of the mysterious building, to the cathedral below

another foggy view of the cathedral

and around back, are ugly 1970s institutional buildings? what??!

a cool graffiti site map (plan du site). doesn't really fit with the fancy "château"..

a ragin' piece of outdoor art. I wasn't expecting it in this location, though.

So there was clearly a mystery looming here – this lovely, abandoned structure – was it a chateau? a hospital? an institution? a hotel? an army barracks?  It was truly an enigma because the building was obviously more than a hundred years old, but there had been recent (1970-80s) renovations.  Change of uses?  If so, when and why?

When we headed back down into central Saintes, we chatted with a local who confirmed that this building was, in fact, several of the things we had suspected.  If I am remembering correctly, it was likely built in the 1800s as a private home (i.e. château), later turned into an army barracks during World War II, and was a retirement home after that.  We weren’t able to find out too much about the church portion of the structure – when or why it was added to the rest of the building, or if it was part of the original structure.   At any rate, all of the buildings and the entire grounds have since been abandoned.   The massive size and age of the historic building make it extremely expensive to keep up.

Naturally, when my boyfriend and I learned that the entire area had been abandoned, and that it had been been used for housing many people (army officers, retirees), the wheels in our heads started turning – could we turn this into a b&b or hotel?!   Saintes is a tourist draw during the ‘in season’, between April-October, peaking in the summer.  But we haven’t acted on it yet…maybe when we have a few million dollars to properly restore it to its former glory…

That’s a partial tour of Saintes..I have many more photos, particularly of the Cathédrale Saint-Pierre, so there will be a Saintes, Part II next week.  Stay tuned!!

Bon weekend!

k.

as the sun sets on 2011…

Two weeks ago, before my boyfriend and I came back to the US, we set out for one of our last adventures in France before we move.  We chose northeastern France, near the German border for two reasons: first, neither of us had been there in over 15 years, and second, there are few better places in the world to spend a pre-Christmas weekend.  (More about our trip to Alsace-Lorraine in a future post.)

I took this photo (below) while driving just outside of Colmar, France.  I like how you can still see the low-hanging clouds that had earlier brought snow (as we passed through the Vosges mountains) and rain, while glowing yellow and pink as the sun sets over the steeple of one of the hundreds-years old churches that appear throughout the countryside.   The steeple is a very small part of the picture, but is immediately recognizable to me.  Seeing church steeples across the landscape is one of my favorite parts of driving through Europe.  It’s remarkable, as many of the towns that are home to these architecturally exceptional old churches, are tiny – sometimes only a few hundred residents.

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The realization that my boyfriend and I will be moving back to the U.S. at the end of January hasn’t quite hit me yet.  The reason for the move is utterly practical: lack of working visas, more and better career opportunities (especially for me), higher income, greater purchasing power, etc, etc.  I know relocating is the right choice, but I will dearly miss being able to pick up and drive for 3 hours to another country!  We’ll still travel to Europe, I’m sure, but our exploits will only begin after an 8 hour plane ride.

So as our time in France comes to a close, I’m making a list of everything I want to do in the next month, and going through my mental photo reel of memories from the past almost 2½ years.  I would imagine that everyone is reviewing their own reels from 2011.  May you appreciate your accomplishments and the opportunities you’ve had, and have the fortitude to achieve your goals for 2012.

À demain,

k.

Christmas comes early here, a cultural lesson

I’m back in Minnesota for the holidays, and like most people, I was out running last-minute errands yesterday.  While at the cash register at The Container Store (so American – love it!), the man in line behind me complimented me on my earrings (see below).  I said, “thanks, they’re my Christmas earrings.”  Then I added, “I guess I’m wearing them a couple of days early, aren’t I?”  He replied, “well, Christmas is really a season, isn’t it?”  And there it was.    The difference between the holidays in France and the holidays in the US.  What I had been trying to explain to friends in France had been summed up by this stranger in 1 line.  

So there you have it.  And by the way, here are the earrings:

my Christmas earrings (photographed on my mom's vibrant upholstery), bought at the Gent (Belgium) flea market for 1€

À bientôt,

k.

Happy Monday!!  For a gentle entry to the week, take a look at this door:

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A wooden door of a wooden house in a historic town in the center of France.

Now look closer:

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Yes, the lock is a heart.  So many romantic scenarios come to mind… I mean, who does that?   Someone who’s incredibly sweet and has incredible attention to detail!

Bonne semaine!

À bientôt,

k.

Going Global

photo: 365astronomy.com

For whatever reason, I’ve recently developed an obsession with globes.  They’re my new must-have objet of home décor.  I’ve been scouring flea markets and memorabilia shops for ‘vintage’ and antiques models here in Paris.

I found a rather small one on a dainty wooden pedestal and in great shape in a vintage shop in the Marais a few weeks ago.  The shop owner was young and very friendly and spoke English, and told me that this particular globe had been made here in Paris between the two world wars.  He also showed me the mark of the company that made it and I could tell by how the countries were labeled (Africa was still under colonial rule, for example) that it was the real deal.  The problem: 180 euros.  A bit less if I paid in cash.  Even at 165 euros, that’s still US$234.  I couldn’t do it.  So I walked away empty-handed.  But I’m still thinking about it.  Maybe I’ll buy after all – if it’s still there.

Although I didn’t get the globe at the shop in the Marais, I did find one at a flea market in Ghent, Belgium for only 20 euros (about $28).  It’s old, it sits on a perfect little wooden stand, it’s got sweet touches including intricate paint work and two axises with wonderful details.  Check it out:

here it is, my little gem

the lovely wooded north-south axis

look at this neat little detail: the months of the year and corresponding astrological signs

unfortunately, the printing inside the frame has been worn away, and with it, the brand of the globe and perhaps the year it was made

I can't quite figure out what language the globe is in..Spanish and/or Italian and perhaps English?

All of this yearning got me wondering, what else is out there in the world of vintage globes?  So I checked out a few online sources.

On Istdibs.com, I found this exquisite circa 1830 (!!) American globe from Susan Silver antiques ($3900):

photo: Susan Silver Antiques

I also found this mid-20th century globe/clock/barometer/thermometer combo from Gray Morell ($1,050):

photo: Gray Morell

On ebay, I found this awesome piece – a vintage Italian ‘mini orrery tellurian’ tin globe set (shipping from Italy),very cool and only $280:

photo: ebay.com

And although Cram’s Springfield globe is brand-new, it’s the perfect complement to any room with neutral décor ($509 on amazon.com):

photo: amazon.com

Bon weekend and happy globetrotting!

À bientôt,

k.