Le Tour wouldn't arrive in Saint Amand-Montrond until about 15 o'clock so this meant it was time to do some exploring. I saw the Forteresse de Montrond was nearby so I went off to get some pictures. It has been there in some form since the Ninth Century but it wasn't until early in the Thirteenth Century that it was built up to near its final form. It has been largely destroyed now but you can still see how impressive it must have been. (Wiki: Chateau de Montrond)
No admittance! Access Interdit au Public
That was ok as the area is now a park and I'm not really sure it was ok taking Haximoto up there but no-one stopped me.
Even after centuries of abuse, still parts of it stand.
Louis XIV wanted it demolished but he didn't have enough gunpowder to do it and the following shot will show why it would have taken a very big bang to make any impression at all on it.
This is a cross-section of the wall of the fortress and it must be a least three or four meters thick. No wonder they couldn't bring them down. However, what time and gunpowder couldn't do the townspeople did themselves as they turned the fortress into a rock quarry and it came down that way.
My intention for this day is to show you what they don't show of Le Tour de France on television and this was part of it.
No admittance! Access Interdit au Public
That was ok as the area is now a park and I'm not really sure it was ok taking Haximoto up there but no-one stopped me.
Even after centuries of abuse, still parts of it stand.
Louis XIV wanted it demolished but he didn't have enough gunpowder to do it and the following shot will show why it would have taken a very big bang to make any impression at all on it.
This is a cross-section of the wall of the fortress and it must be a least three or four meters thick. No wonder they couldn't bring them down. However, what time and gunpowder couldn't do the townspeople did themselves as they turned the fortress into a rock quarry and it came down that way.
My intention for this day is to show you what they don't show of Le Tour de France on television and this was part of it.
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