T Stands For…..The Chateau at Chinon

I have been quite busy since we came back from our caravan - I finally sorted out my Christmas wrapping box - it was getting in the way and I could ignore it no longer - it's away in the cupboard now and the lid fits!!
I have been playing in my journals and making cards but the page I have to show you now was finished last week!

Wherever we travel I always need coffee, not always Cappuccinos as I am more likely to have an Americano this days (less sugar!)I cut the  coffee image from a set of cards I found in a sale. The background is a lot of random stamping on a page onto which I had stuck some old scraps and painted over! I dug into one of my scrap bags for the rest and then added the paper dolls who I think must be in Italy! The cake fork is there because I would love some cake but as you see I am being good today! 
I am linking to Erika's 'New Year - New Adventure' theme at Art Journal Journey. 

I am also joining Bleubeard and Elizabeth for T Stand For Tuesday

Of course we have been out and about again but I still have a 'few' photos left of our visit to France last Autumn!
While staying with our friends (although my SIL is the sister I never had!)we had a trip to a chateau - not just any chateau but to Chinon where my heroine Eleanor of Aquitaine spent some time both in happy years with her husband and in captivity for supporting her sons causes!

 We looked down on the Mediaeval town where we would walk later.

 Henry II was the husband of Eleanor.

This board tell of how King John finally had to relinquish his father's castle!(sorry it's a bit blurred!)

We went to the Bell tower where this clock was housed - I would show you the video but SIL and I talked about it all the way through - we were fascinated!! 

The chateau was refurbished a few years ago and many more buildings are now open to the public. We were pleased to see plenty of signs in English too, especially in an area where there are re-enactment films and displays!

This may have been the tower in which Eleanor was imprisoned so the view from here was of great interest to me!

Chinon is also famous for being the place that Joan Of Arc came after her dreams, to persuade Charles, the future King, to give her an army to defeat the British, which he did, after sending her to Poitiers to be interrogated.
Of course, her army was able to regain Orleans for the French but she was later tried for heresy by the English and their allies the Burgundians and burnt at the stake.

 These plates were part of the Joan of Arc exhibition and depict her story!

I was hoping to show you the town of Chinon but I think I will have to save it for another time! 

Thanks for looking, Chris