Every evening throughout the Christmas holiday, the cathedral and fountain in the fortified Plantagenet town of Le Mans are being transformed into a giant projection screen, a partial reprise of the summer evening spectacular staged this year.
Cathedral St Julien, Nuit des Chimères 2010
Each Tuesday to Saturday evening from 18h00 to 20h30 throughout the Christmas holiday period (1 December 2010 to 1 January 2011) the cathedral and fountains in the fortified Plantagenet town of Le Mans are being transformed into a giant projection screen, recreating part of the annual summer “son et lumière” show.
mysterious fantasy figures rise from the stairs and fountain in the Place des Jacobins
Angels and Demons give a celestial concert on the cathedral walls
Arrive early and park in the Parking des Jacobins at the foot of the cathedral, then after your visit dine in one of the many good restaurants of the old city.
The sound and light show begins at sunset, around 18h00. Stop for as long as you wish in front of each scene and maybe eat in one of the excellent restaurants or bistros of the old town.
In addition, the annual Christmas Fair takes place in the Place de la Republique until 31st December from 11h to 19h (20h on Friday and Saturday).
The old town of Le Mans takes its name from the Henry II, founder of the English Plantagenet dynasty, who was born in Le Mans in 1133.
Henry II ruled as King of England from 1154–1189. He was also Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and at various times controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and much of Western France.
Cathedral St Julien, Nuit des Chimères 2010
Many traces of this early medieval period can still be found in the wonderful old town of Le Mans, dating from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Nine hectares of cobbled streets and half-timbered houses are protected by a Roman wall with the Cathedral St Julien towering above it. The Plantagenet City, due to the magnificent backdrop it provides, is regulary used as a film set. Part of “Cyrano de Bergerac” (Jean-Paul Rapeneau), “Le Bossu” (Philippe de Broca) “Les blessures assassins” (Jean-Pierre Denis) “Jean de la Fontaine” (Daniel Vigne) and “Molière, le comédien malgré lui” (Laurent Tirard) were shot here in Le Mans.
Le Mans – La Nuit des Chimères
La Nuit des Chimères or “Night of Fantasies” is a “son et lumière”, a free laser light show which takes place all over the old Plantagenet quarter each summer evening from nightfall, Tuesday to Saturday.
Throughout the summer holiday period (29 June to 28 August 2010) the buildings and monuments in the fortified Plantagenet town of Le Mans are transformed into a giant projection screen. The Nuit des Chimères changes every year; for 2010 the visitor sees a laser projection and music show at a number of showpiece sites, linked by smaller displays along the route.
the stairs and fountain in the Place des Jacobins form a spawning ground for the fantasy figures (15 mn)
the city wall is at various turns a mask and dragon spectacular,a bestiary, and a Greco-Roman Sports arena (30 mn)
Angels and Demons give a celestial concert on the cathedral walls (15 mn)
Queen Bérengère, wife of Richard the Lionheart, haunts the courtyard of her museum (5 mn)
The Plantagenets serve a banquet outside the conservatory (10 mn)
and between each site, gargoyles and fantasy figures guide spectators around the old town.
Arrive early and park in the Parking des Jacobins at the foot of the cathedral, then dine in one of the many good restaurants of the old city.
The sound and light show begins at sunset, around 21h30. You walk at your own pace, stopping for ten minutes or so in front of each scene. The whole magical tour, if you’re up for it, takes about 2 hours to see.
The “Alpes Mancelles” span the Normandy and Pays de Loire border, with picturesque villages, hills and little river valleys clad in woodland, heather and broom – and we are fortunate to have it on our own doorstep.
The Alpes Mancelles region begins just south of Alençon at Condé-sur-Sarthe and broadly follows the twists and turns of the Sarthe River Valley as far as Fresnay-sur-Sarthe. The two principal towns in between are St Céneri-le-Gérei and St Léonard des Bois.
The Alpes Mancelles by Car – #1
From La Basse Cour it is a short drive to either Alençon or Fresnay, from where you can follow the Sarthe valley the length of the Alpes Mancelles; if you choose to explore it this way make sure you take time to wander from the principal road that follows the valley to visit some of the quiet but charming little hamlets and villages along the way.
The Alpes Mancelles by Car – #2
Alternatively, we have devised a less direct driving tour which takes in our favourite sights in the Alpes Mancelles, and takes around a day to complete.
Our Circuit of the Alpes Mancelles includes visits to the panoramic viewing point atop Mont de Avaloirs – one of the highest points in western France – the Corniche du Pail hillcrest road, a visit to the Jardins de Mansonière gardens, a walk through the Vallée de Misère, the villages of Gesvres, St Pierre des Nids, St Céneri-le-Gérei, St Léonard des Bois, Sougé le Ganelon and Fresnay-sur-Sarthe.
The Alpes Mancelles by Canoe and Kayak on the Sarthe
Those who like messing about in boats can travel the river Sarthe through the Alpes Mancelles by canoe or kayak. See “Practical Information” or click the map for details.
The Tourist Office of the Alpes Mancelles at Fresnay-sur-Sarthe has a great stock of free walking route maps for all of the Alpes Mancelles region – we have many of them available for guests to borrow during their stay at La Basse Cour.
Canoe hire
CanoeLocations rents canoes from several locations and you can book online. Their locations at Moulins-le-Carbonnel or Fresnay-sur-Sarthe are only 16km away.
Access to the Alpes Mancelles from the B&B
The Alpes Mancelles are 10 to 20 minutes from ourB&B in Lower Normandy, depending on where you like to begin your exploration.
During our “vacation” we made a day trip to Rouen last week, the capital of Normandy. The weather in late October was not at its kindest – trust us to chose the dampest day of the week – but we were still blown away by the beauty of the old town centre.
We parked in the car park of “le Vieux Tour” which is just a minute’s walk away from the Cathedral and the Rouen Tourist Office, which we caught before it closed for lunch. We hired a couple of audio-guide handsets and set off to explore the town – the video shows some of the sights we saw along the way. If this is your first visit to Rouen we recommend the audio tour as it is clear, concise and comes with one of the clearest route maps we’ve seen for visits of this type.
Video of Rouen Town Centre Walk
Route of the Audio Guide Visit to Rouen
Rouen’s Famous Sites
Rouen is justly famed for the magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral, which was the subject of over thirty paintings by Claude Monet – he secretly hid in lodgings above a ladies lingerie shop in the cathedral square in order to have the best view of the main façade of the Cathedral. The shop in question, formerly the House of the Exchequer, has an ornate facade and now houses the Rouen Tourist Office.
Rouen Cathedral
Outside, Rouen cathedral walls are smothered in fine stone sculptures, and the astonishing cathedral spire is the highest in France at over 150 metres tall. The interior of the cathedral is remarkably airy and light, the soaring spaces of the nave pierced by windows and arcades on four levels -the dimensions are truly stunning. The cathedral choir houses the tomb of Duke Rollon and another containing the heart of Richard the Lionheart, King of England and Duke of Normandy. The zig-zag stone staircase near the doorway to the library courtyard is wonderfully, ornately decorated.
Wandering medieval streets from the cathedral took us past tempting antique and art shops in the Rue Saint-Romain and into the Quartier Saint Maclou. Three-quarters of the population of the Saint Maclou quarter were wiped out by the Plague of 1348. Near the flamboyant Gothic church of Saint Maclou is the necropolis of the Aître Saint Maclou, a macabre courtyard, formerly an ossuary where the bones of plague victims were stacked. The black timberwork and gory carvings of skulls, bones and gravediggers tools are an unforgettable sight; a window at the entrance to the courtyard displays the mummified remains of a medieval cat that was found in the wall there – presumably as a charm against evil spirits.
Aître St Maclou Ossuary, Rouen
Passing more timber-framed medieval buildings, we came to the Abbey Church of Saint-Ouen. The exterior was undergoing some restoration work but inside, the stained glass windows were stunning, even in watery sunlight.
In the Rue des Juifs we saw the fabulous former Parliament of Normandy, now the Palais de Justice. Built mainly between 1300 and 1600, the buildings are adorned with superb stone carvings which have recently been restored to their former glory.
Normandy Parliament Building, Rouen - Detail
In the Place du Vieux Marché we saw the spot where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake following her trial and imprisonment in Rouen. Nearby a museum beneath the Church of Joan of Arc houses a museum with over 50 waxworks tracing the story of the Maid of Orléans. The Church is a large, modern structure which dominates the square, its unusual angular form representing the pyre on which Joan of Arc was burnt. Every year a weekend festival commemorates the trial and execution of Saint Joan at Rouen.
Joan of Arc - Burnt at the Stake in Place du Vieux Marché, Rouen
Not included in the audio-guide itinerary, but a short way off in the direction of the railway station, in the rue du Donjon, is the Tour Jeanne d’Arc, where Joan of Arc was brought in 1431 to be threatened with torture. Contrary to popular belief, she was imprisoned not in the tower but in a different part of the castle, of which this tower used to be a part.
The Museum of Fine Arts and Ceramics in the adjoining rue Morand contains a splendid collection of faïence and decorative porcelain, for which Rouen was renowned during the 16th to 18th centuries. There are many shops in the old town selling decorative Rouen faïence to this day.
In the same quarter is the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen, an art museum with pictures of famous artists including Claude Monet, Sisley, Velazquez and Géricault. It includes examples of the Monet cathedral series.
Another museum in the Tour Jeanne d’Arc sector of the town, which unfortunately we did not visit (we hope to do so soon) is Le Secq des Tournelles, or Wrought Ironwork Museum. We’ve got a thing about decorative ironwork (yes, weird) but only found out about this place when we got home and read some of the brochures from the Rouen Tourist Office.
Continuing our audio-guide walk from the Place du Vieux Marché we passed by the Hôtel de Bourgtheroulde; according to the guide this is a “magnificent town house” (now a luxury hotel) whose courtyard contains “two sculptures of inestimable artisitc and historic value, the Triumphs of Petrarch and the Field of the Cloth of Gold”. We could not see these as the building is shrouded in scaffolding and does not reopen until spring 2010.
Rouen Gros Horloge
Heading back towards the Tourist Office we passed beneath the Gros Horloge, an astronomical clock whose present day features date back to the16th century but whose movement is even older (1389). We plan to return to see the interior, a guided tour of which takes 40 minutes and is said to take in superb views over the old town from the top of the adjoining bell tower.
The wonderful little town of Sainte-Suzanne was brought to our attention over a year ago by some French guests who came across it whilst staying at our bed & breakfast – we were ashamed to confess that we had never heard of it, despite the fact it is only about 50km from us in the Mayenne (adjoining department in the Pays de la Loire).
It has taken us another year to actually visit it, which we did in mid-October – and now we wish we had done so earlier. This fortified “cité médiévale” in the region known as “les Coëvrons” really is deserving of that old cliché “hidden treasure”. Sainte Suzanne is wonderfully picturesque without being twee, well cared for, characterful and perched atop a rocky promontory dominating the valley of the river Erve, 250 feet below.
Slideshow of Visit to Sainte Suzanne
History of Sainte-Suzanne
It is not difficult to see why this spot was chosen to build a major fortress, as its position gives it both natural defences and wide views over the surrounding countryside. Accordingly, the town of Sainte Suzanne has a rich military history.
Sainte-Suzanne Château
The castle keep (donjon) was built in the 11th century and Sainte Suzanne boasts it was the only town that successfully resisted an attack by William the Conqueror, who laid siege to it from 1083 to 1087. During the prolonged siege, William built a huge military camp on the outskirts of the town, possibly taking advantage of an earlier Gallo-Roman earthworks; a reconstruction is on view in the town museum and the amazingly well-preserved remains can be seen at the site known as Camp de Beugy, 800m north of the town on the road to Assé-le-Bérenger. It is also known as the “Camp des Anglais” - King William and his army were regarded by this time as English, not Norman.
The town of Sainte-Suzanne remained impervious to attackers for another three centuries, until during the 100 Years War the castle fell into English hands for 14 years before being re-taken by the French Lord of Bueil. From the 17th century onwards the town’s prosperity grew and in the eighteenth century it became an administrative centre for the region. The city underwent another economic surge thanks to numerous paper, flour, wool and tanning mills powered by the river Erve and by the mid-19th century it had over 1 800 inhabitants; it returned to a primarily agricultural economy in the 20th century.
Visit Sainte-Suzanne
An audio-guide of Sainte Suzanne can be hired from the museum inside the château – the cost is a very reasonable 2€ per headset.
The castle ramparts and 11th century keep are open to the public free of charge; entry to the logis (residence of the early 17th century) is 4€ for adults. We found it very interesting, with some super models, religious artefacts, “son et lumière” and interactive displays in both French and English, themed on the history and development of the Mayenne. Opening hours:
October to end of April : 09h30 to 12h30 and 13h30 to 17h30 daily except Monday
May to September : 09h00 to 18h00 daily
Inside the town itself you can get a town map from the Tourist Office. Oddly, the Tourist office does not rent out the audio-guide. Opening hours:
October to Easter Mon – Sat 14h00 to 17h30
Easter to September Mon – Sat 9h00 to 12h30 and 14h00 to 18h00, Sunday 14h00 to 18h00
Public Holidays 10h00 to 12h30 and 14h00 to 18h00
Tel. : 02.43.01.43.60
Museum of the Auditoire
This was closed at the time of our visit in mid-October. Opening hours:
April, May June and September: Saturday and Sunday 14h00 to 18h00
July and August : daily 14h00 to 18h00
Other Sights near Sainte-Suzanne
There are signposted walks and cycle routes to explore the valleys round about the town. The walk up to the Tertre Ganne takes you to a superb vantage point on the hill opposite the town, and a great place for a picnic.
Sainte Suzanne from the Tertre Ganne
There are also guided walks, including one that sounds interesting – it explores the various watermills along the Erve. Starts at the museum in the town at 2.45pm each Sunday from March to November. We took a walk along part of the river unguided.
Mills along the River Erve
The “Camp des Anglais” is is 1 km away on the road to Assé le Béranger and is the site where William the Conqueror constructed a fortress during the siege of Sainte-Suzanne. Also marked as “Camp de Beugy”, the earthworks and defensive ditches are well preserved, and you can explore them on foot.
Camp de Beugy (Camp des Anglais)
Camp de Beugy
The “Dolmen des Erves” is 3 km away on the same road to Assé le Béranger. This is the earliest proof of people living in this region and dates to 4500 BC.
Dolmen des Erves
“La Ferte-Clairbois” near Sainte-Suzanne is a reconstruction of a wooden medieval fort with towers, keep, drawbridge, and so on; Sundays from Easter to October it stages a storming of the “castle”, jousting and sword fighting. A “medieval banquet” can be taken by reservation in a nearby auberge (ask at the Tourist Office in Sainte Suzanne).
La Ferte-Clairbois
How to get there, where to stay near Sainte-Suzanne
