Vendome is only a 90 minute drive from Dreux, so we had a
very relaxed start and arrived in Vendome just before 12:00. Our ‘All the Aires
of France’ book showed that there was an aire very close to the centre of the
town, outside a campsite. However, the car park had no designated motorhome
parking areas and, although I am sure that we could have parked there, we
decided to use the campsite, ‘Au Coeur de Vendome’. The site is listed in the
ACSI book and, with the ASCI card, only costs €16 per night (plus local tax).
It is an incredibly convenient location, just a five minute walk from the
historic town centre. We chose a pitch right on the bank of the river Loir (not
the Loire – pronounced the same but not connected) next to three ducks and two
moorhens.
The campsite provided a leaflet with two town trails and we set off clutching an
English language copy. It was lunchtime and we had an excellent meal in La
Comedie restaurant close to the huge church of the Holy Trinity and then set
off on the walks. We started at the Castle, set high above the town with
excellent views over the town and beyond. Then walked around the compact old
town that is set between two sections of the Loir river and crisscrossed with
waterways. A most enjoyable walk with interesting architecture, parks and river
views. We ended our tour at the massive church of the Holy Trinity. The
highlight of the church for me was the misericords in the choir. Carved in the
late 15th century, they are in excellent condition and show everyday
scenes as well as green men and mythical beasts – fascinating!
Photos: Our pitch at Au Coeur de Vendome campsite; The Holy Trinity Church; One of the misericords
showing a bagpipe player; A Vendome park where the flowers
illustrate puppet shows; The
Islette Tower by the Loir in Vendome.
No comments:
Post a Comment