The campsite is between Bayeux and St-Lo, we have been to Bayeux four times now but only ever driven through St-Lo, it was about time for a visit. I did not remember anything of St-Lo and there was very little in the several France tourist guide books we had. So we made we obligatory picnic, I set a route to a car park by the river and off we went.
Driving trough St-Lo we came to very high Castle (or town) walls, I pulled over and parked beneath them to investigate (take photos). There were quite a few large photographs alongside the walls and on the walls themselves, they seemed to relate to France's colonial times in north Africa, some were very good and all colourful. We followed the walls (and photos) down hill, to the river and the car park I had planned to use, a car park with toilets, result, relieved, I walked back for the car. Before lunch we had short a walk long the river, latter we would climb the steps to explore the walls and whatever was up there.
There were plenty of bridges along the walk, eventually we crossed over via footbridges and a small island and walked back along the opposite bank. Back at the car park we sat by the river and had the picnic lunch, in the warm sun. There were a couple of motorhomes parked up and having a picnic, I do not think it is an official Aire but I do think they were staying there.
Now it was time to climb to the top of the walls and see it we could walk all the way round. The path up was fairly steep and some in poor state of repair but we made it to the top (after a few rests), we really need to get fit. The view though, makes the effort well worth while.
We set off in an anticlockwise direction, not sure why but I think the sun must have been shining on the path that side. The walls are pretty impressive but I am not sure how much was rebuilt after World War Two.
We took a detour inside the walls to look at Notre-Dame church, a rather odd shaped church with some strange brickwork on the façade. Inside the church we found the reason, the church had been badly damaged during the fight for St-Lo and was partially restored after the war. The facade was rebuilt as a plain green wall and one of its two towers was not restored at all.
From the church we crossed over one of the wall gates and on to the end of the south section of the wall. I do not think there is any of the east wall left, maybe there never was but the north wall just ends.
We crossed a car park surrounded by shops, next to the municipal buildings to the start of the south wall. There were a lot of teenagers in the square and I felt more intimidated by them than usual, so we didn't look at the war memorial there, maybe next time. And there will be a next time, as its Sunday most places were closed, so we will be back someday when its open.
This part of the wall starts with La Tour de la Poudrière (The Tower of the Explosives magazine), the only remaining part of the citadel still standing. Strange that the gunpowder store survived, or is it, it was probably the strongest building in the citadel.
As we walk this part of the wall, the sky darkened and we got the umbrella out just as there was a downpore we also tok shelter under a gateway. It was one of those rain storms that goes and quick as it came and the sun was back out within minuets.
We were back to the west wall by now and after admiring the view for a while we came down from the walls to the car. As it was still early we drove to a small town we had passed through on the way to the area, a few days earlier. Torigni-sur-Vire, a nice quiet place, although there were a few people out having a Sunday walk. We didn't walk far, as we had already done quite a bit on the walls but we did have a beer outside an nice little cafe and the sun was shining again.
No comments:
Post a Comment