Saddle Up and get your chainmail ready. Release the Gimp and Grab your sword. We prepare for adventure my friends.
Onwards to the fields of glory!
Of course hiking up a muddy hill in full Armor would just be silly now wouldn't it?
Me = Sᵢdₑₜᵣₐcₖₑd
Bienvenu, Willkommen, Welcome and yI'el!
Please give it up for the pile of Rocks formerly known as-
Le Chateau de Montespan
Wife- What do you mean Castle, that's a church.
No its the parking lot. The Castle is somewhere over there.
Gestures vaguely to the left
Wife- But if this is just the parking lot why are you headed for the door?
Cause, Its open.
Wife- They might be getting ready for a service, Its Sunday.
Nah, I'm sure they just knew I was coming.
Wife- You have a high opinion of yourself, don't you...
Boy- Can we go see the castle now?
Ok,Ok, I'll come back and grab more pics later. Lets go!
Up The Hill of Mediocre steepness and difficulty!
So up the muddy muddy Hill we walked, I wont bother with pictures of that, It was wet, Had some trees around it and needless to say a bit slippery, But otherwise navigating to the top wasn't to bad.
It was a Hill.
Once you got towards the top the view drastically improved.
Would you look at that, That looks in pretty damn good condition from this angle.
I'm sure it will be more ruin like once we get closer.
And judging by the horses I'm guessing some other folks are here too.
Once you get around to the side of it, That's when the real Ruined look kicks in.
That's Much better.
So by now the lad was ready for a little bit of jumping around on the wall and a drink of water. To be honest it was pretty great just to stare at the scenery, and being a Sunday no one was in a hurry.
When you get to the back of the Castle itself it almost looks like a movie prop, The front and tower have been left intact, leaving the form of the place in one piece.
A Nice big falling apart tower with plenty of stone to fall on your head always gets me a bit excited.
OK Mr. director,
Lights, Camera, TRACTION!
Guess The Vines and Ivy are mosyly keeping everything together so shouldn't have to worry too much at the minute about getting brained today.
For some reason window surrounds always seem to survive the years well.
But judging by the look of these places usually nature ultimately wins out.
But I know for a fact that while all these old Castle bones are standing its a great way to go exploring, usually without any unwanted people around or long lines to wait in.
Yup that my friends is yet another surviving window surround. and top right, You guessed it! Another surround.
And here we have...A door surround!
You thought I was gonna say window didn't you?
There are a few smaller sections and tumbledown buildings all over the place, But generally not very photogenic specimens. Sorry Monsieur Chateau, but this aint your best angle. Lets reposition the camera, turn left, Thats better.
While these medieval fortifications aren't usually very large in the scheme of things you can still loose a good few hours wandering about.
Guessing by outlines and marks what rooms used to be.
Judging by that distinct shape on the wall and those holes my Dear Watson, I deduce that used to be the Fireplace!
Possibly the kitchen and those may possibly be for baking bread!
But Regardless of how interesting or uninteresting some of the pictures may be.
just walking around places like this with the family, or Friends makes a fantastic day out.
So I guess for now I'll head back down the hill past this lonely old tower. Stood all on its lonesome.
So in spite of extra planning required on grim days We survived the trek down the Muddy Hill of mediocrity.
Sometimes things just work out.
Every weekend we try to do something fun with the lad and Sunday has become known as Sunday Funday.
Usually we point the car in a direction and check google maps as we go.
BUT...
Throughout the cold rainy season here it means heavier planning and organising, Rain coats, baby wipes, Towel, Spare change of clothes for the boy. (Cause lets be honest if he can get muddy, he will get muddy.)
That sorta thing.
So after I grabbed the lad who was sneakily thinking hed get the jump on me with that stick its pack up time.
So we packed in the Car and set back off towards Some good Home cooking.
Which of course, I hadn't cooked yet.
Oh and of course...
You didn't think I would forget did you? Of course I had a quick unguided tour of the church on the way out.
Prepare the Photo roll!!!!
Inside of course there's some highlights as you can see, some damn fine artwork.
Now for everyone's favourite part,
History!
(Play stock Yaaaay sound effect)
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Construction of the main square keep was begun sometime in the 12th century on top of the ruins of a Roman Tower.
Fastforward a Hundred years -
It became the The central seat of power for the Montespans who had the most influence during the end of the Middle Ages (primarily between the 13th and 15th centuries when it underwent numerous expansions)
This was when the reputation of the Lords of Montespan (Of Spain) Became well established thanks to several great and prominent figures, Decorated men of war, and some pretty impressive civil and ecclesiastical representatives.
Everything from Blood soaked knights to Fervent Bible Bashers. That my friends is the secret to success!
But, the most interesting scandal occurred in the reign of Louis XIV.
When in the 17th century the marquis de Montespan Louis Henri de Pardaillan de Gondrin,ckicked up a fuss because the King was bangin His missus at court.
Then one day at Saint-Germain-en-Laye He challenged the King, Not such a smart choice but hey why not. The guy decorated his carriage with antlers (which represented horns, A Classic symbol of the cuckolded husband).
He was quickly locked up for a bit of contemplation time, before he was exiled to his lands.
Dude even rode to court pretty much every year for 16 years and made his 2 legitimate kids hold a funeral every year for their mother at home.
The Absent Françoise-Athénaïs of Rochechouart. His Wife and Madame de Montespan who Had 7 kids with old Louis over the years.
Of course because she was getting off with the king there were all kinds of rumours about her too, Witchcraft, Child Sacrifice, Black Magic etc.
How's that for some Classic Day Time TV.
From that point onward it was downhill from there. leading to this ruined beast as she stands.
