I'm back

Well, I'm back from holiday, reasonably well-tanned, well-rested and well-fed. I went to Normandy and Brittany and had a great time drinking cider, visiting sites and just chilling. I also snapped a few pictures of the rather picturesque French town halls - hotel de ville. Here's the one in Calais (not a great pic), showing the town hall and the famous Rodin sculpture The Burghers of Calais (another casting of this statue can also be seen near the Palace of Westminster). If you're not up on your medieval history, King Edward III besieged the French port of Calais - and the town leaders - the Burghers of Calais - came out and offered themselves and the key to the city to save the remaining citizens. That's some example of public service.



You can actually go into the town hall and we did. It was just as splendid inside - including the council chamber which had another image of the surrender of Calais -



And the stained glass window in the great stairway pictured the English leaving Calais with writing in French saying something like "the English leave, hoping to return"


(Click thru to see notes on the photo)

And, of course, the English did return, but in peace these days...in search of bargain wine.



And being such a history buff, I didn't just see the burghers of Calais...I ate the burgers of Calais.



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