Dinner is served
Chateau de Vincennes
I enjoyed London and Paris, but in retrospect, wish we could have seen more of England and France outside the big cities. On the Eurostar, we got a tease view of the French countryside vanishing behind us from our backwards facing seats. I just wanted to keep going across Europe on the beautiful train.
Passing through northern France, we thought of the marching armies and bloody battles fought on that ground over the centuries. Now it looks peaceful and prosperous, with towns surrounded by neat farms growing local food for picky French eaters. Not to mention, export all over the world. Nothing says expensive quality like a French food or wine label.
It would be interesting to travel around France on a pilgrimage of sorts, searching out all the castles and chateaus illustrated in the medieval Book of Hours. Some are ruins, or else completely changed or expanded. Historians study every detail of these tiny masterpieces, like architectural postcards from another time.
This is all that remains of the original nine towers of the Chateau de Vincennes, where the great lord Duc du Berry was born.
The December calendar page shows the Chateau in the background. The boar's death recalls both the death of the year and the dead of winter. Not to mention, the start of a string of feast days, although it doesn't look like there's going to be much left of that pig when the dogs get done.
A winter sojourn at the Chateau de Vincennes must have been THE invitation of the season. The woods were filled with game and the castle stuffed with treasures.
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