Angers

In Angers I sought the Tourist info and booked a Chambre D'Hotel out of town then set about to see the Castle. It was commenced in the 12th century and modified by the various kings and governors who ruled the Anjou region over the centuries. It is unusual in that it is striped due to the alternating use of Tufa and slate. The big attraction was the 12 th century tapestries. They are the "Apocalipse Tapestries" commissioned by Henry 2 in the 12 century to hang in the Cathedral at Angers. The theme is the disobedience of man and the wrath of god and the political implications for the bourgousie for the time were pretty obvious. They are curiously dichromatic ..with blues and reds predominating. The setting was a huge hall , darkened, but the tapestries illuminated.

I cycled around Angers and got lost, fell on some cobble stones and bruised my derriere then set off for the Chambre de Hote. I found it but though it was a house with a lovely garden the garden door had a remote lock and once in I got a bit scared that Le Monsieur who seemed a bit aggitated that I spoke so little french might not let me out. This was reinforced when I couldn't get out the flat door. Was he some weirdo who would lock me in the cellar? He then insisted that I needed to book a restaurant . I got out after a clean up , headed to the ville of St Gemmes and found he was right. The only restaurant that was open was that particular restaurant and the ville was tres petit. The lamb was beautiful especially after a largely vegetarian diet in the preceeding weeks. The waiter spoke English which was a relief. I found that the town was actually on the Loire and had a stroll up the river in a beautiful park called Parc des Amoruex. It was then that the mal returned and the toilettes publique were "sans papiere". "Sans Papiere" is the french expression for asylum seekers. Any way made it back and headed to Samur faire de velo today