Reset search
Renault Roaming
Currently traveling
  • Roland Routier

Renault Roaming

Italy -- Croatia - ?
All in my little Red Renault Trafic Read more
+4
FollowInsightsCalendarShareShareBucket list
Oldest first
  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    A taste of blue

    September 27, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    On the inside one is struck by the mainly blue stained glass windows which have survived since the 12thC.
    Also by the clean-up of the soot coated limestone, which can be seen in the before shot of the clerestory and the after shot on the other side.
    There is a clear hole in one of the windows. Light is supposed to enter on June 21st and hit a nail buried in the floor - ie a solar calender that we have seen in several other churches. Only that they got it wrong. Not only does the facade receive little sunlight but also when it does it doesn't hit the spot on the right date!    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Twin towers still standing

    September 27, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    OK so there is one other reason to visit Chartres: Notre-Dame de Chartres. The cathedral is UNESCO World Heritage listed rightly because it is a well preserved example of High Gothic style building.
    It was built following a fire that destroyed most of the previous Merovingian church in 1194, the new choir being complete by 1221 and the whole building consecrated in 1260.
    Everyone takes the same photo of the West façade built around the middle of the 12th century and its 2 asymmetric towers, but I couldn't resist yet another copy.
    A taste of the rest is provided, but judging by the half a dozen photo-tourists following me around to take the same shots from exactly the spot where I took mine, I suspect that they are no more unique than the tower shot.
    Like the priests house - you would expect no les for a Bishop.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Chartres

    September 27, 2019 in France ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Named after a Celtic tribe, the Carnutes, who made it their principal Druidic centre, Chartres is 88km from Paris in the Eure-et-Loir region, and directly on the route back to England where I must go to get the van tested / taxed and insured.
    After a very wet day, the Chartrain and Chartraine, (for that is how the locals call themselves,) are not to be found on the streets; but the rain stopped for long enough for me to wander around another medievil city.
    The dolls hospital was the only unusual sight.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Chartres

    September 27, 2019 in France ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Named after a Celtic tribe, the Carnutes, who made it their principal Druidic centre, Chartres is 88km from Paris in the Eure-et-Loir region, and directly on the route back to England where I must go to get the van tested / taxed and insured.
    After a very wet day, the Chartrain and Chartraine, (for that is how the locals call themselves,) are not to be found on the streets; but the rain stopped for long enough for me to wander around another medievil city.
    The dolls hospital was the only unusual sight.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Montpellier patrimonie

    September 22, 2019 in France ⋅ 🌧 19 °C

    The fat Dominican priest, Herve Ponsot, (doctor of theologies and ex-director of the School of biblical studies and archaeology in Jerusalem,) led us in his sandles around the 1643 convent. Sacked during the revolution, their chapel has been renewed with paintings and Windows by Henri Dechanet / Henri Guerin. (No, I hadn't heard of them either.)

    From its foundation in 985, the Seigneurs des Guilhems allowed anybody to teach medicine: meaning especially that Jews and Arabs were permitted to work. In 1220 the popes legate Cardinal Conrad obtained from Honorious III the blessing of his statutes for a school of medicine, which became a university in 1289 under Nicola's IV. Many of the teachers came from Salerno, the oldest school, and when it closed in 1811, Montpellier proudly took over as the longest existing one. Today they opened the anatomical museum, (no photos, lots of wax casts of gross body deformities,) and the ancient classroom for dissecting corpses.
    The so called Arc de Triomphe (a finger raised to Parisians I suspect,) was built in 1692 as a gateway into the city. I would have climbed to the top lookout but it was pouring with rain so the guides closed it.
    The drawing room, recreated in the museum Fabre, contained these unusual lamps. Never seen a vase urging its keep in this way. (OK, that's very light humour.)
    The funny tower housing the old astronomy was similarly closed.
    The only unusual part of the Cathedrale Saint Pierre (1364) that I could find are the 2 enormous pillars holding a completely useless portico over the front door.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Gypsie Queens

    September 20, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Many years ago a party of Palestinian refugees landed on the south coast at a Celtic site sacred to he threefold water goddess, Oppidum Priscum Ra. Most moved on, to find jobs further north, but two of them, Marie-Salome and Marie-Jacobe, remained, to become in time, objects of veneration to the local people.
    Even more important locally is the third statue of Sara-la-Kali, whose origin and identity are quite mysterious. The gypsies that throng to worship her each May believe Sara to have been a powerful local queen who welcomed the tired travelers from the Holy Land, while other sources suggest she may have been an ancient pagan goddess or a black Egyptian woman who was the servant of Christ's mother Mary. Whatever the explanation, the three female statues are the subject of the fascinating Pelerinage des Gitans, or 'Pilgrimage of the Gypsies', held each year on May 24 and 25.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Free parking? Arle be alright.

    September 19, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Since there was no free parking by the sea, I drove a few km into Arles where there is a long section of a quay available to camper vans for free.
    This town also has imaginative re-uses for its old buildings, especially churches.Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Alès gut.

    September 19, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Not much to visit in Ales and those were closed. I was impressed by the way the inhabitants had adapted their old buildings to make a very liveable town. For example, the Eglise des Cordoliers has been transformed into the Maison de Tourisme, with photovoltaic panels covering the side.
    And introduced some modern vernacular in the built environment. Colours and mirrors.
    The cathedral bell seems to have been a bit of an afterthought.
    Many old buildings are now homes, with classic cars setting the rural French ambience.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Le Puy en Velay

    September 18, 2019 in France ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    When a bishop, Godescalc, took a stroll to Santiago Di Compostella in 951, he put his town on the map as it became a focal point for fellow pilgrims. The fortified area around the cathedral is still in good condition and used for different civic endeavours.
    In the treasury, apart from this intricately carved oliphant, can be found a metal bit for Emperor Constantine's horse; made from nails taken from the True Cross.
    The locals hung out the bunting on the day I visited.
    This chapel is all that remains of a hospice for pilgrims.
    The 8th of Sept is feted normally as the birthday of the Madonna who has been venerated here since the 4th century in the form of a black Madonna. In 1855 this date coincided with an important French victory at Sebastapol. The Lord Bishop of Puy, by then a wealthy and influential man, linking the two events, had the cannons returned, melted down and cast as the statue of the Madonna overlooking the town from its vantage point at 748m on top of Mount Anis.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Picnic with chocolate

    September 8, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    My host administers the site "Friends of Burgundy", consisting of American and English expats. One of the first events they organised was a wine tasting / picnic to which I was invited. The winery by Alise Sainte Reine is relatively new. It was started by a wealthy surgeon from Lyon who died after spending his money establishing the vines but before he could sample any of his vintages. His wife took over, although since she lives ion an island off Madagascar, she doesn't have much to do with the day to day operation.
    The day itself was cold and overcast, the only such day this month, but we could use one of their halls so all went well. The wines were forgettable.
    The nearby town is Flavigny-sur-Ozerain where the film "Chocolat"was filmed, so here are some shots to remind you of it.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    A little whine

    September 7, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Pommard, built around 1760 on the outskirts of Baune, ( Cote de Beaune one might say,) is a typical example of the Burgundy landscape, where every village manor is a chateau and every grape has its own fiercely protected DOC. Burgundians are known for their tight grasp on their wallets and their wines, making potential customers pay dearly for sampling the produce and even more dearly for the social cachet of owning a bottle, whose price rises in increments of 30 Euros from 30 Euros up to the current world record of about 2500 Euros for a 3/4 litres of Romanee Conti, (vinyard shown.)
    I came as close to trying the wine by eating one of their grapes, a 2019 Pinot Noir, and frankly, it wasn't much to sing and dance about.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Totally sick art

    September 6, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    The painting of "The last Judgement" by Rogier van der Weyden is the most famous piece held in the Hospice, but I like the stained glass scene of the working hospital more.
    Nicolas Rolin and Guigone de Salins are pictured flanking St Sebastian, (who helped get rid of the plague,) and the hospital patron, St. Anthony who dealt with leprosy as well as the plague.
    The man howling is one of a series of heads decorating the beams in the roof of the main hall. You would howl too if you had to watch 15thC medicine practiced 24/7 below you.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler
    1
    111

    Rolin stones

    September 6, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Nicolas Rolin made himself very rich as Chancellor of the Exchequer to Duke Philip the Good.
    His manor wasn't in too good a shape after the Hundred Years War and the people of Beaune were starving and destitute; plus the Plague had broken out in the countryside.
    So, prompted by his wife Guigone de Salins, he founded the Hôtel-Dieu or Hospice de Beaune in 1443 together with a religious order of nuns, "Les sœurs hospitalières de Beaune". The hospital continued serving patients until the late 1970s. Since then it has been restored to nearly the original condition.
    One special exhibit in the pharmacy is the bow attached to the pestle. There is only one other known example of this device. Since the pestle weighs 6 kg, and was constantly in use preparing concoctions, one can understand why such a spring-loaded assistance was more than a luxury for the nuns.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler
    1

    Beaune of contention

    September 6, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Baune, a classic medievil market town, lies a dozen km away. There was a market in the streets which, as far as I could tell, had the same travelling stalls as Chagny on Sunday. The local artisanal produce was sold at the same price as in the shops, and more for tourists.
    One feature of the area are boldly coloured roof tiles, seen on the old hospital par excellence.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Rooting around

    September 5, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Once we went to the truffle farm where we learned about the 4 types cultivated locally befor Jack, the over excited truffle hound, dug up some previously hidden truffles to demonstrate the truffle hunt. If you want to experience it, just bury a bone in your backyard and watch your pooch dig it up.
    We had rather an expensive lunch there, every course with truffles but it did not impress us overmuch. The taste of truffles can easily be tried by diluting fresh forest mushrooms and it wont cost you the price on the blackboard; the cheapest they sell.
    The roots decorating the ceiling are supposed to show where the truffle can be found.
    BTW The Lagotto Romagnolo is a medium-sized, water retriever and truffle hunter with curly hair and a great disposition. It is depicted in books dating back to 1591 and 1630, and there are some references back to the 1400s.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Bottom of the world

    September 2, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Spotting a place on the map called "Le Bout du Monde" a dozen km or so from Chagny where the barge was moored, I could not resist visiting it. This is what Alexandre Dumas wrote about it:

    "We descend a small slope and after about 10 minutes we find ourselves in the middle of this Burgundy El Dorado where the encircling rocks high above isolate us from the rest of the world." [Impression de voyage.]

    It is a small limestone valley hollowed out of the Cote d'Or by a small stream, the Cosanne, (Cat 1 Trout fishing,) leaving a slice of geological time exposed. At the bottom of the cliff is a layer about 195 million years old, where clay soil was deposited on the prairie. Rising up the face can be seen layers including the squashed skeletons of molluscs that lived in a warm, shallow sea duric the Jurassic, 185 million years ago.
    Chateau. Every village has one. This one is Chateau La Rochepot and dates from 1180.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Little C

    September 1, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    The 1930s Dutch sailing barge"Goede Verwachting", [Great Expectations,Arnhem, 45t, 21m,]now alas without her wardrobe and sailing tackle and relying on a Daf 595 truck engine for mobility,has been the home for my host during the last 20 years. Sue is an English lady of a certain age, originally hailing from Brighton and a devoted bargee.
    I found her in a highly stressed state, nursing a bruised hip and a strained wrist coupled with lack of sleep, Crohn's disease and over protective of her little domain. She clearly made an effort to welcome me into her life, but it was touch and go for a while. The previous workawayer had lasted 4 days and I was determined to do better. Limited water supplies, an aged boiler which had given up the ghost, and no blackwater tank contributed to her tenseness as well as having a few tours to organise for clients. Thus I found myself living in my van for much of the time. Her cat too had picked up the vibe, nervously tensing at every sudden noise,overweight and a fussy eater.
    To compound the situation, VNF the French canal authority decided to close the Canal du Centre in order to conduct a catologue of biota and determine where it was leaking. They lowered the water level until the barges were nearly sitting on the mud and of course there could be no flow of water so a green algae bloomed profusely fed by the nutrient rich waters fertilised by the resident barges. In the 30+ degree heat there was quite a sultry atmosphere to the place.
    During the day I worked alone peacefully on varnishing, painting and a bit of cabinet making. A single plate of food for dinner and I scampered off for a glass of plonk in my van. Gradually, Sue calmed down and there was a noticeable warming when she returned one evening to find that the cat came to me for a rub-down before deigning to acknowledge her mistress!
    And I am happy to say, I lasted the 3 weeks without losing too much weight and with an invitation to stay longer.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler
    1

    I take a pass

    August 26, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Driving to my next workaway in Burgundy I crossed into France by the Little Saint Bernard Pass.
    Owing to the poor roads in Italy I took the Autostrada all the way to Aosta which set me back the price of a tank of fuel. The most irritating thing was to discover that paying cash instead of using Visa / Mastercard incurs a 10% surcharge!
    The hostel / monastery / cafe has been a refuge for travellers for hundreds of years.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Big C

    August 24, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Too short a visit to Vanessa at Marina di Pietrasanta, where the family were spending August.
    The day before this beach was jam-packed, but it is amazing what a cloud can do.
    Can you spot Vanesssa sitting enjoying her book?
    The water was nice and warm, with that velvety feel characteristic of the Med in these parts generated by salty waves and liberal amounts of Amber Solaire washed off the bathers. Who says oil and water don't mix?    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Out to lunch

    August 23, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    After leaving the straw house, I popped in to see Cividale. Some say that it was founded by Julius Caesar as "Forum Julii", but archaeologists have found Venetian and Celtic remains from 6 BCE. It became the Lombard capital, taken over by the Franks and renamed "Civitas Austriae" eventually morphing into "Cividale".
    Unfortunately, it was lunchtime when I strolled around so the few potentially interesting sights were closed.
    The bridge is famous though. Apparently the devil helped the townsfolk build the bridge, in exchange for the soul of the first living thing that crossed over it. The locals were canny though, ensuring that a cat or a dog was the first across. Old Nick wasn't too happy about it, but there does not appear to have been any ill consequence.
    Just down the road I found a 3 course lunch for 10 Euros: pasta sald, steak and coffee. Not surprised the town was closed for lunch with deals like that around.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Straw logs

    August 15, 2019 in Slovenia ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Back in Slovenia again for another workaway 20 minutes South of Gorizia. Here Manca and Sebastian and little Luca are making a straw bale house with the help of a regular succession of workawayers. In Slovenian even proper names are declined, (grammatically,) and long names declined, (habitually.) So since Sebastian is too long & difficult to translate into Slovenian, he is known here as Tchopko, which makes everyone laugh because it translates as "Tweetie Pie."
    Whilst I have been here we have placed and painted the eaves, installed rafters on the roof to take tiles, started filling the walls with straw, (notice the big mallet in the photo!) and applied a mud render to various parts.    Read more

  • 2025© FindPenguins
  • Home
  • About us
  • Group Tracking
  • Press
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy & Cookies
  • Help Center
  • Legal notice