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  • Day 18

    Les Andelys & Richard the Lionheart

    June 5, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Les Andelys is in the plural because there are two places - Petit (small) Andelys and Grand (large) Andelys. We were docked at Petit Andelys so we had a short walking tour of what is the old quarter. Like so many places, there are lovely old buildings.
    There is a small square with a monument to Jean-Pierre (Francoise) Blanchard. An inventor, he was born here. He was the first person to cross the English Channel in a balloon.
    We then boarded a bus for Grand Andelys which is a bit newer as well as bigger. The two were twin villages that gradually merged.
    The main industry here is glass manufacture - they make lenses for cars.
    We wandered around and, as we needed a pee pee break (as the French say), we found a cafe and had a coffee. Buying something allows you to use the loos.
    Back onto the coaches to go up the hill overlooking the town. There we found Chateau Gaillard, a castle built by King Richard I. It was begun in 1196 and finished in 1198, although some say it only took one year to build. It certainly has a commanding view of the town and the River Seine.
    Back on board in time for 12.15 lunch and we set sail at 1.15 for Paris. We are scheduled to dock in Paris at 3.30 am tomorrow and then it will all be over.
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