When people talk about France, they often imagine the beautiful Paris, with its precious buildings and the famous Eiffel Tower, a lot of tourists and very high prices... but France is not only this.
I happened to visit two very characteristic cities thanks to a business trip.
INTRO
Some time ago I was commissioned to carry out phonometric tests for a large French multinational company, the factory where the machinery to be tested was installed was in Chateaubriant, a very small town located in the North West of France.
I was therefore able to visit this town of which until recently I did not even know the name ... A special experience because, knowing Paris and having a certain idea of France, I had to retract many of my beliefs.
The following day I was able to visit another beautiful little town: Beuvaris, where one of the two main airports of Paris is located.
Now i want to show you some images of these two cities and i want to tell you something about my experience like a tourist.
VISITING CHATEAUBRIANT
To reach Chateaubriant from Italy, you need to take a flight to Paris and then a flight to Nantes, a city that is located at a couple of hours from Chateaubriant.
Although airports are more or less non-places, very standard environments, when you land in Paris the atmosphere is always a bit magical, lighter... There are so many people from all over the world who are here, for whatever reason, each with their own purpose and goal.
The first thing you have to know about the little cities of France, in this case Chateaubriant, is that people don't answer your questions in English... Well, they understand english perfectly but.. they don't answer you in English.
I was in the only opened hotel in Chateaubriant and the guy that was in the reception continued to speak in French to me, i didn't understand nothing cos i know only two words in french:
• bonjour
• escargots
These two words didn't help me in this situation... maybe i have to study this language... for sure i will do it 🤣
However, after a really long trip that lasted more than 11 hours ( i took my car, two planes and anoter car) i was very very hungry and i I started to look for a restaurant, it was 15:30 so I would have settled for a sandwich or an ice cream, just to be able to get to dinner without tearing my colleague who was accompanying me 😜 ... So we went out into the city, looking for something to eat...
The Chateaubriant city center is really very beautiful, full of historical structures, buildings of great value.
Here we see the skyline of the city, stands the beautiful church of Saint-Nicolas, one of the most characteristic buildings of the city, a wonder.
The first trace of the construction dates back to 1263, from historical evidences it is known that this building was built by Baron de Chateaubriant and it was used until 1763 as a place where the cattle market was held.
The construction was subject to many projects until it was raised and completed in 1551.
Walking around the city you notice some beautiful details, like this little house completely covered with red ivy, a beautiful plant that grows on the walls of buildings and never loses its leaves.
A not insignificant architectural detail that makes the covering of this building unique and goes very well with its context.
The most beautiful point of Chateaubriant is definitely the park with the castle of Chateaubriant, a historical heritage since 1921.
The castle is dipped in a very beautiful natural park where it's possible to sa the two persons in my photo.
Actually this place was the only point of the city where was possible to see someone, the city was empty even if it was Sunday.
..I was still looking for food...
The castle is a medieval fortress restored during the Renaissance, located in the town of Châteaubriant, near the tourist office and Glass Theatre.
Around 1050, Lord Brient erected a first castle. Since 1490, Françoise de Dinan and John of Laval want to redesign the gardens in order to organize a renaissance party. A medieval fortress and a Renaissance building to discover, Castle Châteaubriant ten centuries of history must!
Guided tours, exhibitions, outdoor shows and entertainment are organized throughout the year.
The castle has been restored recently and in fact today is perfectly preserved and presented to the public, a real jewel in the heart of the Loire.
The architectural form of the building is very reminiscent of the French style and some particular buildings in Paris.
I was lucky enough to arrive on a beautiful late summer day, which allowed me to enjoy the fresh air and the visit to the castle.
On the walls of the castle you can climb and from here there is a breathtaking view of the park and, at the highest levels even of the entire city.
From the top you can see perfectly the roof of the church of Saint-Nicolas, a very characteristic view thanks also to the light of the sunset that was coming closer.
We say goodbye to this beautiful castle and start looking for something to eat again.... The hunger had reached extreme levels 🤣
Another thing you need to know is that in Chateaubriant it is very difficult to find something to eat, we looked all over the city but all the open bars only gave things to drink.
Not even a sandwich...
I had to take the extreme solution: Burger King located along the street, it had been many years since I had eaten in a fast food restaurant, but this time I did it with great pleasure.
Two more photos of the castle that i took in the night after the dinner.
VISITING BEUVARIS
Beuvaris is a city known mainly for its airport, in fact we found ourselves here to be able to take a plane the next day that would take us back to Italy.
Actually Beuvaris is a wonderful little town, a "little Paris" full of beautiful buildings of extreme architectural importance and finished in every detail.
The most spectacular building in the city is St. Peter's Cathedral (in French Saint-Pierre), a truly precious building in French Gothic style built to erect the highest Christian church in the world.
This church is in fact today the highest in the world, its highest point reaches 48.5 meters from the ground, one of the most important and characteristic buildings in full Gothic philosophy.
The church has been designated as a historical monument since 1862, along with other small buildings that rose around it in the following years.
Gothic philosophy imposed form over the meaning of things, in fact, the aesthetics of the Gothic style and especially the Gothic-French are lavish, full of complex geometries that capture the eye and mind of the visitor.
The interior impresses for the grandeur of the volumes and the upward aspiration caused by the architectural grandeur.
It consists of the transept, divided into three naves, the vertiginous choir surrounded by an ambulatory with radial chapels, and the first bay of the piedroces.
The vaults of the interior reach a record height in ecclesiastical architecture, and with their 48.5: the highest church in the world.
One of the most beautiful points inside the church are the beautiful stained glass windows of the right wing, characterized by a myriad of colored glass that form a beautiful mosaic of light.
Inside the church there are two very important clocks: the carillon clock and the astronomical clock.
The astronomical clock of Beauvais Cathedral is considered a masterpiece of its kind. It was built between 1865 and 1868.
It has about 90,000 mechanical parts in steel and bronze, 52 enameled dials and 68 automata collected in the large Roman-Byzantine style cabinet by Father Piérart.
It measures 12 m high, 5.12 m wide and 2.82 m deep. Its decoration is inspired by the Bible. The façades are decorated with dials, 52 of which are on the main side, showing the measurements of the Time of the Universe and the representation of the main astronomical phenomena such as the solar cycle.
The church is truly stunning, perhaps one of the most beautiful I've seen in my life, surrounded by greenery and perfectly preserved historic buildings.
Around the city, just behind the magnificent church there are some very special buildings, these are historical buildings made with a particular construction system with wood frame and stone.
The sloping roofs and very inclined give the idea of having faced heavy snowfall in their lives.
The views of the streets and towns are really beautiful and harmonious, the summer colors are bright and the vegetation blends perfectly with the buildings.
It almost feels like being in another era, in a fairy tale where every frame is perfect.
Here we see a whole village of traditional houses, very well preserved, with lots of colors, it would be nice to be able to enter and try to live in one of these houses, very far from the modern architectural ideal but really fascinating.
CONCLUSION
I didn't expect these small villages to be so beautiful and leave me with so many images imprinted in my mind, often we don't have to stop at just the main stream destinations but we have to see the smaller details of things as well, such as these two small villages that aren't so famous and hold some beautiful experiences.
Food aside, I really enjoyed this trip, I hope to return to France to see so many more things.
I love to travel for work, and i love when my work brings me so far, in different countries to meet other culture.
I'm travelling a lot even in my private life so in this case I combine a great passion of mine with work.
I believe that traveling and meeting new countries and cultures is an essential opportunity for growth.
I hope to take many more trips and see this magnificent world in all its magnificence.
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