Jan 9, 10 - Aix and Peyrolles

This day took us on a trip back to Aix-en-Provence to visit some more of the historical sights.  The first are some pictures of statuary in a garden dedicated, I think, to the French revolution.  Up first we have a guy that looks like Bacchus but seems to also have Noahs ark at his feet ...

 If you are a soldier (Roman?) don't go out partying with Bacchus and then pass out.  Otherwise it is Lobotomy time for you, that is a hammer she has over her head.

 The church that we went to see in Aix is Saint - Sauveur.  This church has been constructed over many years starting in the 5th century, and being completed in the 19th.  Sounds like a government job.  The picture below is from the Baptistery, dating from the 5th century.

 Picture of the columns, and their decorations, and the stained-glass windows near the main alter.

 The pipe-organ with the sun streaming through some of the upper windows.

 Detail of one of the main stained-glass windows.

 a dog-day afternoon.

 Wednesday - no school so we head off in search of interesting historic things that the girls will find interesting.  We are only partially successful. First stop is the small village of Meyrargues.  This town boasts having the largest set of remain from a Roman era aqueduct.  What they don't have is a sign or anything around it other than a fence.  If I recall this was declared a heritage site 1922, guess it takes a while to get the sign.  The other way to look at it is, there is so much history everywhere, that if you put signs on everything, you couldn't walk.  So history is just there, in field, where it has always been, deal with it. (if you can find it)

 Down the road in Peyrolles, we went looking for a castle that belonged to King Rene.  The first thing we found was the archway and clock-tower that provides the entrance to the old-city.  The clock tower is quite interesting.  The clock is a sundial somewhat hidden under the Christmas lights, but clearly a sundial.

 Rene's castle.  It is now used as  the town hall (Hotel de Ville) and tours are available of the castle like sections (I assume somewhat more up-scale than the window where you can pay your water bill).  Unfortunately access is by appointment only.  I think we'll go back to this one, as it is very close to home base.

 In the main enclosure of the castle walls you can almost see the workmen, the horses, the filth and peasants.  Ok the carriages are now the horseless kind, but the rest is the same.

 a castle-ly looking picture.

 Churchy picture.

 Sunrise from the kitchen window.