A castle and an unfinished church: Yèvre-le-Châtel

We’ve driven another few hours north today, stopping on the way to go to Aldi, and to fill up with diesel and gas. In between helping Sally sat nav by giving directions, I’ve managed to add the heel to both of the socks I’m knitting, without dropping any stitches. 😊

Despite driving through torrential rain and strong winds, the weather improved when we arrived at our destination. We’re staying at another quiet aire on the edge of another ‘beaux village’. Yèvre-Le-Châtel was definitely worth a visit. The old and pretty houses have many features typical of the area and it was very pleasant wandering through the streets.

We reached the gatehouse of the 13th century fortress and paid a few euros to go inside, then headed up the spiral staircase in one of the towers to see the panoramic views from the top.

Down below we could see the 12th century St Gault priory and the area that would have been inside the town walls. Inside the fortress, we explored several rooms and the courtyard.

Before returning to Bertie (who now looks a little cleaner after the heavy rain!), we went to St Lubin church. Started in the 13th century by people in the village who wanted to be independent from the monks at St Gault priory, it was never finished. That’s rather sad. Nevertheless, the ruins are beautiful, with some lovely carvings.

Tomorrow we’re hoping to fill up on water and empty the loo in an aire with services before heading to Giverny to meet Mike and Gail. This is where Monet’s Garden is, although I’m not sure if it’s worth visiting in October. We’ll investigate. 😊