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| The ancient Roman Ampitheatre ruins at Saintes. |
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| The amazing Cathedale de Saintes, dating from the 12th century; restored in the 15th century! |
We went to the market town of Saintes, which is very old. There is a Roman amphitheater there, as well as the significant but less known Cathedrale de Saintes, an ancient and impressive structure! In the Cathedral I made the 'acquaintance' of my first saint! I guess I'll encounter more while I'm here. Seems there's a crypt under the Cathedrale floor where Saint Eutrope is buried. Saint Eutrope was Greek, sent by the Apostle Peter to evangelize the ancient Gauls in the new religion, about 250 A.D. He is also known as Saint Eutropius.
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| A beautiful variety of fishes at the Sunday market in Royan. |
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| The large selection of fowl--note the bird feet, still attached, lower R. of center, at the Sunday market in Royan. |
Another day I went to the Sunday market in Royan. Open air markets like these are very common in France, and often have been held in the same place for centuries. These markets are a good place to do your shopping, as they often have the freshest produce and better prices than most stores. I was surprised it was so big. Not surprising is they have lot of sea food here, plucked right from the Atlantic ocean. They also eat lot of different types of birds here in Aquitaine, not just chickens. Many enjoy guinea fowl, ducks, geese, and pigeons also.
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| Fruits de mer, seafood at the Sunday market in Royan. |
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| Buying clothing, bric a brac and house- hold items at the Sunday market in Royan. |
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| The very modern Cathedrale at Royan, built of cement, simple lines, very little ornamentation. |
On the Way home From the Market: The town of Royan was bombed during World War II, so many of the buildings are newer, including its cathedral.
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| Le phare now a mile or so from the coast. |
We went also to the Phare de la Coubre; after many storms the phare, or lighthouse is in the middle of sand dunes.
A Visit to Brouage: Brouage is a fortified town in existence since the mid 1500's when it was an important salt market; later in the 1800's it was fortified with two sets of walls; gun powder was stored there.
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| An overview, explains the Brouage site. |
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| The romantic story of Marie Mancini. |
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| Examining the old fortified walls. |
