Saturday, June 23, 1838

1838

June

Saturday 23

7 10/..

11 20/..

Fine morning; Fahrenheit 67 1/2° at 7 1/2 a.m.  Wrote till breakfast at 9 25/.. and out at 11 to 1 1/4 –

Took the servants with us to see the old Chateau, now a barrack – The 28th regiment there – The woman-concierge shewed us over the Chateau – The old spiral Louis 12 and Francis first staircases – The room where the States General met – The little spiral staircase where the Duke of Guise was assassinated – Could not shew us the Oubliettes – Some rubbish had lately fallen and choked up the entrance –

Shewed us Catherine de Medici’s observatory, from which a fine view – Renovées poutres in the time of Francis the 1st – Would square to 18 inches – And the joists would square to 6 or 8 inches, the interstices being = to the breadth of the joists – Enormous projecting chimney pieces – the chimney being set off from the chimney or mantel-piece –

We had not been able to learn anything at the hotel of the aqueduct, a work of the Romans – but the woman at the chateau said it was near the church of the Jesuits – Went there – The church door locked – Not worth while to wait to see the interior –

Inquired at a school near about the aqueduct – The gardener at the school said it was the goufre we meant – Mr. Pelletier, fondeur, kept the key – Near the Maille (the nice public walk) –

Found him in the street at the back of the hotel de ville, just at the back of it – or rather found his wife, a nice, civil woman who said the aqueduct was certainly in very good preservation and very ancient, but we should want torches and should have about 30 steps to descend and should be much dirtied – '

The water that supplies the town is brought by this aqueduct, of which Pelletier has the key and management – If we were inhabitants of the town, could not go without an order from the Maire.  As strangers, Pelletier would have gone with us (I suppose he would have got us a permission) – We should have to go down near the church of the Jesuits – The aqueduct passes under the garden of the school – but if we were curious about such things, should see the fontaine d’Orsay, 2 lieues from Blois – An intermitting spring from her account and (according to her), very well worth seeing –

In returning from the church of the Jesuits, peeped into good old church of la Madeleine, for a near street was called rue de la Madeleine – One of the doors opened into the cloister (arcades) of the court of the great hospital (hotel Dieu) – and near is the foundling hospital, and opened the little door and shewed Ann the sort of cradle into which the infants are put, and left to be taken into the establishment –

Passed through the wood-covered meat and vegetable marché, and home at 1 10/.. – All paid and off from the hotel d’Angleterre, Blois, at 1 20/.. –

The river broad but very shallow – Chousy, single house – Very fine day – Fine air or breeze and great deal of dust –

After leaving Blois, the great broad leaved cactuslike thistle (sign of going southwards) – growing all along La levée, the great embankment all along the river, an excellent road and dike against the river –

Chaumont, pass it, at 2 3/4 and its chateau (on the other side the river) long while inhabited by Catherine of Medici – White village at bottom, then belt of fine wood, then the chateau and its round towers with sharp pointed roofs rising from the wood, the top of which just hides the base of the Chateau –

The bank of the river on the Chaumont side highish, white, rugged, bare chalk rock or covered with wood or vine – Tis hereabouts the finest picture we have seen along the river jusqu’ici – Close along the river (except a little bit just on leaving Chousy) all the way from Blois to Veuves, apparently all one house (la poste) or merely one or 2 cottages adjoining – Very little craft anywhere on the river – hardly one little cock-boat – Passed a light steamer aground just before reaching Veuves –

At 3 55/.. at La poste at Amboise, and leave the carriage and walked to the Chateau – waited 1/4 hour enjoying the fine views from the gardens till the servant came – Then an hour with him, in the chateau etc.  The chateau newly and comfortably furnished – The kitchens in what used to be magasins, vaults in the rock – The chimneys peep out at the top, raised like pyramids 4 feet above the ground –

Saw Charles the 7th’s chapel dedicated to St. Hubert, then walked down the carriage road tower – The dowager duchess of Orleans went up it in her carriage 18 years ago – The roadway 10 feet broad, perpendicular height 81 feet, length of pente (ascent) 540 feet – Circumference of tower = 228 feet, outside wall 12 feet thick – Wall of noyau (newel) 5 feet thick – Diameter of the tower = 74 feet.  Sortie by this tower, and out at 5 10/.. – Not thinking much about the way, went round about and passed by the obelisk monument erected to the memory of the Savant Comte Chaptal in 1835, then along the mail, nice shaded walk –

In passing the little Hotel du Lion d’or, went in for a few minutes – Ann all the better for it – the ./50 not thrown away –

At the carriage again at 5/34 – Amboise and its chateau would make a fine picture – Part of the ville of Amboise on the island, the 2 parts connected by a handsome stone bridge of 11 arches. Then from the island to the right bank of the river, a wood bridge on stone piers, 160 to 180 yards long by about 7 yards wide – therefore, there is, at any rate, a breadth of about 260 or 270 yards of water –

Charming drive from Amboise to La Frillerie.  Off from Amboise at 5 48/.. – at 6 3/4, bank higher (left bank) and white houses and green wood (very pretty) between the yellow and white rock and the river – La Frillerie one house (La poste), or perhaps 1 or perhaps 2 cottages adjoining it – Then lose sight of the river for a little while – Very fine valley on both sides of the road –

About 1/2 way between Veuves and Amboise, enter what is called le jardin de France – Several wooded islands in the river below Amboise – Charming drive all the way from Blois, but particularly from Amboise – At 7 10/.., cross the little river Cisse which we have had on our left almost all the way from Blois, and then immediately Vouvray and from there to Tours, houses cut in the rock (more or fewer) all the way – Only the fronts and chimneys seen, the latter like little pyramids on the hill side –

And at 7 10/..1st view of Tours cathedral and its 2 towers – Luckily very little of the old pavé of La levée remains – almost all macadamized.  At the fine stone bridge of 15 elliptical arches at 7 50/.. and at 7 55/.. alight à l’hotel de-Faisan at Tours – A little salon and small bedroom adjoining for Ann and larger double bedded room for me on a lower floor and next to but not opening into Ann’s bedroom – These 3 rooms and the servants’ beds 12/. per day – Good dinner from 9 to 10 1/4 when came to my room –

Very fine day – Fahrenheit 69 1/2 at 10 3/4 p.m. –

WYAS Finding Numbers SH:7/ML/E/21/0127 and SH:7/ML/E/21/0128