Last week on Wednesdays in France I mentioned a special village to us, Saint Aignan. We been back there three or four times, I've lost count but we never get tired of returning. Its the people we know and the fact that we are very comfortable in the area now. We know our way around but still discover little areas that capture our imagination.
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| During last year when in Saint Aignan I discovered a book had been published on the history of the village. I believe its origins date back to the 1030s but I could be wrong as the book is in French. |
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| This illustration is from 1879 and many of the features here still remain. I've ridden my bike over the bridge that enters the village and up the main street by the church and the Chateau. To the right is a bridge that enters the Chateau. It remains to this day and in in the photo below. |
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| You may be able to pick the streets in this modern day tourist map and compare it to the 1879 engraving above. Not a lot in the streets has changed. |
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| The bridge that enters Saint Aignan across the river Cher may have seen changes however it does look hauntingly similar to the 1879 depiction although the toll houses are no longer there. |
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| Here's two post cards of Saint Aignan that I picked up at a local Brocante last year. They have a lovely script handwriting on the back sent to a Mr George Devoux. They fell out of the book, I'd forgotten I had them. |
All this makes us longing for Saint Aignan sur Cher.
I would think that we will return again next year - we hope so.
Great place! Never been in reality, but visit it every day virtually :)
ReplyDeleteYes - the boys keep us informed, don't they Judith?
DeleteBy "toll houses," do you mean the two small buildings on either side in the bottom postcard image? They are still there, one is now a new restaurant. What's no longer there is the large flour mill that stood at the southern end of the bridge (what you see in the top postcard image). It was abandoned and then burned and finally torn down in the 1970s (I think). Too bad; it would be so cool to have a local flour mill!
ReplyDeleteWalt, Have you been to the new restaurant? On an earlier visit, it was a casual sort of cafe/restaurant and last year it seemed to be closed.
DeleteNo. It's not open yet, but getting close. The previous business there failed. We're not hopeful for this one, but one never knows. :)
DeleteIt never ceases to amaze me the places that appear. We think we have covered every inch of around where we live then suddenly a surprise pops up.. Have you been to Troyes my latest blog? That was just amazing. Have a great weekend Diane
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