Monday, October 3, 2011

Guedelon

Mary just outside the castle walls

Diane and Mary bond with the horses

A workman making beams
Wow! We are getting behind on our blogging.  After this update we still have trips to Amsterdam, London, and Annecy in our queue...

Mary's folks came out to visit us in mid-September.  They wanted to do something a little different so one Saturday we drove two and a half hours south to Guedelon.  There they are building a castle, the way they would have in 13th century.   Picture a medieval Williamsburgh, instead of making hand-dipped candles, they are quarrying and dressing stone, cutting timber, and really building a castle. It is a long term project, currently they are fifteen years in and have twenty more years to run. I imagine its a great place for a family with kids tired of yet another cathedral or museum. 

A castle rises in the distance.

Since it is a bit off the beaten path its one of the few sites in France, we have visited, where French is the predominant language.  An interesting experience, but Mary and Dave were left to puzzle rough explanations for Mary's parents.

A ne'er-do-well gets scolded
medieval crane