La Doutre

I wandered a bit around La Doutre yesterday, the neighborhood on the other side of the river from me, and the city center. It's a really old part of Angers that had been protected by the fortifications during King René's day, which no longer stand and where, during the 19th century, the bourgeois built mansions on the higher area less susceptible to flooding. It has a maze of narrow roads, which was so fun to discover.

Here's the Tour des Anglais built in 1448. I read that there a lot of towers with this name around this area, evoking the many battles against the Bretons, with whom the frontiers were often moving back in the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below is L'hôpital St Jean. Built in 1178, it's one of the oldest hospitals still existing in France although it hasn't actually been used as one since 1874. It was built by order of King Henri II Plantagenêt, king of England and count of Anjou who was eager to atone for the assassination of Thomas Becket. And this is what Angevin gothic architecture looks like... I should go take another picture from a better angle...

But it's not all history in la Doutre. Here is a little advertisement that made me laugh. It says. "The Grand Bagel Cheese. Even the Americans want to taste it."

 

Posted with Blogsy

Bike ride to school

I was sleepily and slowly biking to class this morning after a late night at the pub quiz a few of us lecturers host at an Irish pub. It's a really successful and fun night. Last night we had 13 teams play despite the cold rainy night. We mix anglophones and francophones on each team so people can practice a foreign language, meet new people, and have a good chance at answering the questions.

Anyways back to my ride this morning. It is so difficult for me now to wake up for a 9:30 class! But the bike ride is so pretty once I finally get out there that I shouldn't mind. The light and the sky are always so pretty for this rare morning commute....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Mainz and Frankfurt

From Paris...

to Klein-Winterheim where Mareike is living for now, just outside of Mainz, which is nearby Frankfurt. You can kinda see the steep hills in the background where grapes for the local Riesling wine are grown.

And some glimpses of the pretty city of Mainz...

 

 

 

 

 

These whatchamacallit's below are being set up for the upcoming Christmas market for people to have a seat inside to warm up and chow down.

 

And here is the Rhine River! I had to take a picture of the other side of the Rhine, you know the original Over-The Rhine

We sat down for an "American" breakfast at a cafe. This guy was smoking cigars and drinking white wine seemingly all morning.

 

 

 

We walked around town and stopped by a little stand where a lady sold a very young wine, unusual in that it's a wine Mareike likes.

And we parked by Andreas' school so as we passed kids stuck their head out the window, exclaiming hello to Herr Urban.

Frankfurt, taken on mine and Mareike's drive back from visiting the zoo there.

Above, a fuzzy picture of a great restaurant serving delicious traditional German food. The beer they brewed was my favorite from the whole trip and the schnitzel, yum! And below, the Old Town of Mainz which I only saw at night. It looked so pretty with lots of neat shops; I really wanted to go back the next morning while Mareike was at work but alas, it was pouring.

 

Posted with Blogsy