Wednesday - Castle Day, and we know from last week that the one with lots to see and do (La Barben) will not be open until this weekend (weather permitting). A book we have in the villa about the castles of Provence shows that the town of Salon de Provence has a Chateau named L'Emperi, which is open for visitation, and was the last home of Nostradamus, and if you happened to be Catherine de Medici, this is where you would come for his counsel.
The day we came the weather was finally warming up, and there was beaucoup de vent.
Nice typical medieval style architecture and spots to shoot arrows from the battlements.
In the summer there is a music festival held in the outer courtyard.
Here is a statue of our prescient friend, Nostradamus, with the red awnings of the restaurant where we had terrific wood oven pizza.
Really girls? That windy is it?
As part of the chateau, there is a museum of French arms and uniforms, part of which is on loan from Les Invalides in Paris.
Sarah makes a friend, nice Italian guy, bit old for her, and too short me thinks.
In one of the vaulted chambers of the chateau is a very impressive display of rifles, mostly flint-lock but some later catridge based models.
No flash photography allowed, so pardon the grainy / shaky photos. the stuff behind Sarah and Christine are guns, the original hand cannons, which shot 4" rounds, and a rifle that is at least 6 feet long!
Of course I took pictures of the swords!
More swords, epee to be exact.
Fireplace in one of the main rooms, a salon perhaps?
Officer swords of the imperial guards.
click on this picture, it is a flint-lock rifle. The stock is embedded with silver and a red jewel (ruby?) near the trigger. Very cool.
A fragment of original wall paint, from when the Chateau was decorated for a visit from Louis XIV in 1660 something or another.
A fireplace in the bedroom of one of the Arch-Bishops of Arles, who used the Chateau as their residence.
Pointy german helmets
A parting view of the Tower and battlements.
All in all a very nice visit to the living room of Provence.
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