Keyswench After BLUE MAX ADVENTURES: 2013-8-5 - Les Andelys - Chaeau Gaillard - Farewell dinner

8/5 At 6:30 am we left Rouen, arrived in Les Andelys at 1 pm & began a walking tour to the viewpoint of Chateau Gaillard. Wayne took this excursion & I wandered around this quaint town.

"Chateau Gaillard is a ruined medieval castle, located 90 m above the commune of Les Andelys overlooking the River Seine, in the Eure département of historical Normandy, now Upper Normandy, France. It dates back to 1196, the days when England ruled Normandy...It is located some 95 kilometers (59 mi) north-west of Paris & 40 kilometers (25 mi) from Rouen. Construction began in 1196 under the auspices of Richard the Lionheart, who was simultaneously King of England & feudal Duke of Normandy. The castle was expensive to build, but the majority of the work was done in an unusually short time. It took just two years, & at the same time the town of Petit Andely was constructed. Château Gaillard has a complex & advanced design, and uses early principles of concentric fortification; it was also one of the earliest European castles to use machicolations. The castle consists of three enclosures separated by dry moats, with a keep in the inner enclosure." A bit more history..."After Richard's death, his successor King John was not so strong a foe, & so Philippe sieged the castle as part of a series of battles that brought Normandy back under the French flag. But the castle was not surrendered easily. With French soldiers ravaging Les Andelys below, locals ascended the hill & found refuge in a well-provisioned fortress. This increased the number of 'residents' fivefold. Supplies dwindled until hundreds of the villagers were evicted, only to face their deaths at French hands. The standoff could have lasted longer were it not for a French soldier who found his way into the castle through a latrine chute that led to the chapel. Several troops clambered in, ambushed guards & opened the drawbridge. Surrender came quickly. To this day, Chateau Gaillard is considered one of the great castles of its time, even a masterpiece. To many, this comes as no surprise, considering its chief engineer was Richard the Lionheart.

The ruins of a castle in grey limestone dominating the landscape. The River Seine is in the background. The castle's keep protrudes above the walls of the inner bailey on the right, with a bridge leading up to the bailey's entrance. To are ruins of the wall enclosing the outer bailey; a tower stands taller than the ruined walls.

The ruins of Château Gaillard from within the outer bailey to the south. In the background is the keep & wall around the inner bailey; the other ruins are part of the walls of the middle & outer baileys. (from the web)

As seen from the Chateau - that's the Viking Pride docked in town

We casted off at 3 pm - next stop - Conflans. French pastries were being served in the lounge & a galley tour with Chef Stephan (pictures under aboard Viking Pride) The cocktail of the day was the 'Madras' (?). At 6:30 in the lounge the Captain's farewell cocktail party...at 7, a yummy dinner.