Domfront

  As I mentioned in my last post, I am in Saint Fraimbault right now so there can be suspense as to whether I got here OK.  I was so concerned about finding the Gare du Montparnasse (Montparnasse station) #3 that I left two hours ahead of time from my hotel to get to the station that was about half an hour away.

I had Googled the way from the hotel and the station and was looking at the paper with the directions on the corner about a block from my hotel when I was approached by two older ladies. One held a book and I thought she might be trying to convert me but it turns out they just wanted to help me find out where I was going.  But they looked at the map and listened to my terrible French and were totally confused about even where I wanted to go.  One lady was trying to send me back to the hotel.  I said merci and got on my way.

But as I followed the route it became clear that Google was giving me the car route rather than the walking one.  I think I went about five blocks out of my way and even at that I found myself above the station--in a park.  It was only because I heard the PA in the station that I had any idea where I was.  But I did manage to finally find my way there.  And there was this view that almost made it worth it. (Hope you can see the Eifel Tower in the background.  It's quite faint.)

I used to be almost fearless about getting around even in countries whose language I did not speak--I drove a car in Rome for God's sake--but those days are gone, I'm afraid.  I was so anxious about being on the right train, being able to have time to get off at my stop, that I did not enjoy the two-hour trip the way I might.  I'll be better next time.

So finally I got the Flers, my stop and Jim and Ceci were there to meet me.  I was so glad.  If they had not been there or if I had missed the train or even worse, gotten on the wrong one, I'm not sure how I would have straightened that out--but I did not have to find out.

The house is lovely, with a small room for the living room and dining room, and a good-sized kitchen on the main floor, two bedrooms and a bath on the second floor and a nice bath on the third floor--with a space that can be converted to a bedroom.  It actually could be used as a bedroom right now since the weather is nice, but it would be too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter without being finished.  We are looking into doing that soon.

I'm afraid I did not take pictures of the house or the town right away--I was too tired I guess, but they will be coming soon.

Sunday morning we drove to Domfront, known as the Medieval City because so much of the buildings from the 12th Century remain.  But there is also the ruins of a castle that was the home of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine.  For those who have seen Lion in Winter with Peter O'Toole and Katherine Hepburn, those are the two characters they played.  Now Henry was king of England and Normandy and I wondered why he was so fond of this place, which seems in the middle of nowhere, or at least it must have in the 12th Century.  But when you get there you understand.

Domfront (named after Saint Front believe it or not) sits on top of a hill with an almost 360 degree view of the countryside.  It would be extremely hard for an enemy to sneak up on you there.

The old parts of the town are very old.  The main street rises up the hill and is lined by very old beamed house like this one that was renovated to be an architect's office.

Here's another one that is very old.

The street is actually inside the old city walls, which had many torrets that are now private homes.  Here's a view of one of them from a courtyard off the street.

Later we saw those houses from the outside of the walls.

The old city has a number of bars and restaurants, though most were closed when we got there on Sunday morning.

At the top of the road was the City Hall (Mairie) where the mayor's office is.

And then across a bridge---over a road that replaced what once was a moat-- is the ruins of the castle--actually the keep, where many prisoners were kept.  I'm not sure where the living quarters were, but I do know that hundreds of years after Henry and Eleanor lived here, the minister of the king of France (Henri IV) blew up the place, probably because it was such in such a strategically strong location.

Here's the "keep".

And from another angle.

The rocks in the front were apparently part of a great hall that once stood there.

We walked back down the main road inside the city and saw a few homes that were of interest.  I really liked this one, right on a hillside with spectacular views.

But Jim liked this one better just because of the novelty of it, I think.

On the way home we stopped at this chapel--the site of the baptism of Eleanor's daughter Eleanor.

And I believe Thomas Beckett once said mass here.

It was certainly very well preserved.

Then we went home, had lunch and I went to work.  So strange to start working here at 2PM when the clock on my computer says 8AM, the time on the East Coast.

Next time, Bagnoles L'Orne where they have hot springs.