The Iron Animals of Loches

Georgie and Graham set off early to buy some mugs and a gel seat for the bike.  Si and I waited for the host to arrive to check that we hadn’t run off with the keys from the historic apartment.  We retraced our steps to Viegnes and en route were stopped by a French man in a car who wound down his window to talk to us, then with great excitement, got out of the car and started asking us questions through google translate – where were we going, how long were we travelling. He seemed to find us delightfully novel. 

 We caught up with Graham in the town square, and waved to Georgie in the queue for the boulangerie across the square. We decided to buy some bread for dinner, but also as an emergency back up if there was an issue with our chosen lunch restaurant.

The route took us through farmland and along quiet country roads to the pretty town of Cormery.  Georgie made some friends as we were leaving town.  We reached Azay-sur-Idres for lunch, but the restaurant we had selected was closed, despite the sign on the door showing it was open on Mondays.  We were grateful for our emergency bread supply and were able to make up sandwiches in a lovely picnic area by the river. 

On reaching the fortified town of Loches, we made a quick detour to the supermarket for breakfast and dinner supplies before checking in, putting on the washing and settling down for a cup of tea.  However, there were sights to see and 30 minutes later we were on our way to visit Loches Cite Royale, built on a rocky spur, with two major monuments, the Royal Residence and the Keep.

We stopped at the church of Saint-Ours where Agnes Sorel is buried – we would learn more about her life on our visit to the Royal Residence.  

The Royal Residence with its elegant turrets sits above the town and was built at the end of the 14th century. The iron Winged deer sculpture in the gardens was the emblem of Charles VII which could also be found within the Residence.

 The Residence is also renowned for welcoming two other important women: Joan of Arc and Anne of Brittany. There was a video that showed how Joan of Arc met Charles VII and persuaded him to go to Reims to be crowned King of France.  The new king then had a love affair with Agnes Sorel and both Charles VII and his successor Louis XII married Anne of Brittany.  After exploring the Residence we strolled through the gardens which had lovely views across the town.  

The 11th century Keep towered above the town and is considered a masterpiece of well-preserved military architecture.  The Keep saw many sieges and battles and was expanded with new defence features over time.  We climbed up and down the many steps to explore its rooms and dungeons, which came to life through the interactive tablet provided.  Two more iron sculptures, a majestic unicorn and frightening dragon could be found in the garden of the Keep.

We were amongst the last to leave as we made our way back to the house for a delicious chilli beef dinner cooked by Georgie and Graham. 

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