|
Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2016 19:25:38 GMT
(thread created by kerouac2 ) I am not at all a spontaneous person, but every now and then I try to do something different without planning ahead. Today I had a tool, and that was a rental car which I picked up yesterday to take somebody to the airport. I do not at all understand the pricing of the rental car industry, and am regularly surprised by special offers. For the car yesterday, Europcar proposed a roomy and powerful Volkswagen for 39 euros for two days with 500 kilometres. The friend I was taking to the airport would have had to pay the flat rate of 55 euros for a taxi and would have been up shit creek if I had not been there, since one piece of baggage was refused, but I was able to take it home and store it until further notice. Otherwise, he would have been charged 200 euros for an excess of 5 kilos. Anyway, this has nothing to do with the matter at hand other than I had a car at my disposal today and really wanted to go somewhere, but I didn't know where. I decided to go to Compiègne which I visited extremely briefly in the past (see 40 minutes to see Compiègne!), but I knew it was worthy of a more thorough visit. However, being an extremely early riser in the spring and summer, I woke up just after 5 o'clock. The first thing that came to mind was how lovely I had found Pierrefonds at dawn. It is only 15 kilometres from Compiègne, so I thought I would stop off there briefly and then go and appreciate Compiègne. Did not need to see the château or anything since I have visited it 4 times already, and anyway it wouldn't be open while I was there.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2016 19:37:56 GMT
Having been to Pierrefonds at dawn twice now, I must say it is one of the noisiest places I have ever experienced. When you go to the lake as the town tries to sleep, there is chirping, quacking, cawing, croaking, crowing, hooting, cooing, squeaking and things that go splash in the dark. It is wonderful and a bit scary.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2016 20:04:12 GMT
Frankly, this was not a great plan, because I would have liked to have a machete to slash my way through the briars and the nettles. There were rotten stumps that had been rotting for at least 200 years. While I did not feel that I could possibly get lost in such a small area, I did consider the possible consequences of broken legs and such, especially when I finally saw the road and the steep slope required to get down to it. I felt it would be wise to put my camera away in its case and to take off my glasses. I worked my way down the slope by holding on to branches and bushes and finally reached the road. Once I was on the pavement, it looked like it was all really very simple. Probably the 30 year old version of myself would have thought so.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2016 20:17:33 GMT
|
|
|
Post by htmb on Aug 21, 2016 20:46:42 GMT
Oh, you lucky dog. And what a treat for us! Good thing you didn't fall down that hill, since Merlin is no longer there to save you.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2016 22:06:23 GMT
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Aug 21, 2016 22:25:16 GMT
Oh, this is great! Wonderfully evocative pictures of the chateau. I imagine the festival will be lots of fun, but this thread so far is rich enough to stand as is.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2016 22:37:52 GMT
It should be mentioned that the conditions of my visit were absolutely exceptional. I'm sure that the fact that the place opened at 9:30 was the main contributing factor, since in my mind and in that of just about everybody else, it opens at 10:00. So at opening time, the only people there besides me were a German father and his two young sons. The kids were much more interested in taking selfies than anything else, so I left the family in the courtyard and had every other area entirely to myself. This was particularly wonderful in my favourite place, the animated crypt. Perhaps the video will help people to understand its attraction to me. In any case, the château was all mine, and I never saw another person until I went back into the courtyard.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2016 6:15:20 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2016 7:05:02 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2016 7:56:20 GMT
|
|
|
Post by tod2 on Aug 22, 2016 11:59:17 GMT
Superb! You are indeed a lucky man to have arrived at the festivities without any planning ahead. Your photos tell us a lovely story of participants and the onlookers having a great time. Maybe a few more still to come?
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2016 12:53:25 GMT
|
|
|
Post by htmb on Aug 22, 2016 14:02:47 GMT
This is excellent! I had wondered about the creature with the wolf dogs. They didn't look real in your first photo. I doubt I would have gotten close enough to take more photos. The only thing wrong with your video was the fact it wasn't longer, though I do think you focused a little too much on the bird woman.
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Aug 22, 2016 15:02:46 GMT
Yes indeedy-do! Cannot wait to see more of this. What a thrill to get even more of your truly fabulous pictures of the château. I also enjoyed the coverage of the Lanternes Magiques exhibition. It's funny to think that although animation has come so far in the digital age, even adults are still delighted by simple animated gifs. And p.s. ~ those last three photos of the château as you exited after the exhibition are just gorgeous. What luck to happen on to the festival! I've been to Renaissance Faires before, but never to one so elaborate -- this one looked like so much fun. I'm amazed by the unprotected jousters and how well-trained their (equally unprotected ) horses must be. Love the mystery creature with his wolf familiars and all the performers. There's even a rope walker in the video.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2016 15:03:33 GMT
And that was the last picture that I took. My battery was almost but not quite dead (naturally I had not brought an extra), so I cancelled my plans to go to Compiègne even though I had plenty of time. I asked some gendarmes near the parking lot how I could get my car out of the lot and how to get out of town. The exit to the lot was blocked off and had been turned into the waiting point for horse wagon rides to the outer parking lots. They told me to drive out through the entrance and that I could turn left to get out of town, which is what I did. It was only 12:30 and it was as I was driving out that I realised what a huge event it was. Scores of people on foot and mostly in costume were converging on the centre of town, wielding swords, shields, magic wands, breasts bulging out of tight bodices, some in velvet and others in burlap, pointy elfin ears in place, draped cloaks and capes flowing behind, puffy lace sleeves, simple bonnets and extravagant hats -- the medieval tribes of Europe were marching to town since there was no way for the horse wagon to serve most of them (besides costing 2 euros). There were manned barriers everywhere to prevent people from driving into town and many meadows had been requisitioned for the warriors and peasants to leaves their Renaults, Toyotas, BMWs, Peugeots, Smarts... The improvised lots were steadily filling although it would be a 3 kilometre walk to reach the centre from the outer locations. So I really saw almost nothing at all compared to how it would have been by mid-afternoon. I don't really mind because I don't need the crowds and I was happy to have had an entire huge château all to myself. Thanks to those of you who have read this.
|
|
|
Post by htmb on Aug 22, 2016 15:15:57 GMT
The spices look fantastic. Were they covered at all? It appears a good stiff wind could wreak havoc on all the samples.
You had lots of photos to post, even though your battery died, but, oh, to have had a back-up!
It appears you made out quite well by getting there early!
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2016 15:21:35 GMT
If anybody wants to stroll down memory lane and read my very first report about Pierrefonds on a cold morning out of season five years ago, here it is: Pierrefonds without Merlin
|
|
|
Post by tod2 on Aug 22, 2016 16:41:16 GMT
The video with it's joyful music brought everything to life! At the beginning I was wondering if the horsemen and medieval gals could have been from the same show we saw at The Eagles of The Ramparts in Provins? Maybe?
|
|
|
Post by mich64 on Aug 22, 2016 19:49:32 GMT
Thoroughly enjoyed this Kerouac! How lucky for you to arrive on the weekend of this festival, but also fortunate to arrive so early you got the Chateau almost entirely on your own, then a quick glimpse of the events before the crowds overtook the town, my kind of day!
I have to return someday to see the crypt for myself, instead of just in the photos my husband took and by looking at your reports. You both make me regret for not attempting the stairs that day.
As I was going through both reports, someone outside had a camp fire going that just added to the ambiance of your report. It is amazing how smells can enforce memories.
|
|
|
Post by bixaorellana on Aug 22, 2016 20:18:06 GMT
I so enjoyed both your and Kerouac's reports on Pierrefonds, Mich, not to mention what a interesting coincidence you all wound up there on the same day. So true about smells enforcing memories.
Absolutely fantastic report, Kerouac, although I would be happy if your battery had held out and you'd taken pictures until you had to fall asleep exhausted in yon flowery vale. I especially love the photo of the pikesmen and also the burly men holding the may pole and the one of the leafy garlanded woman in green velvet -- well, everything really!
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2016 21:35:31 GMT
Ha! The ears! LOTR has a lot to answer for, as I'm sure most people in the middle ages did not look like that.
|
|
|
Post by htmb on Aug 22, 2016 21:48:13 GMT
While I'm happy for you, Kerouac, since it appears you hit Pierrefonds just right, and I'm very glad you were able to take so many nice photos for us to enjoy, I must also admit I am insanely jealous!
|
|
|
Post by kerouac2 on Mar 14, 2020 22:07:44 GMT
Even though I also visited the more elaborate medieval festival of Provins (also a report here somewhere), this is the festival that I preferred, and I really hope that I get a chance to return next August.
|
|
|
Post by htmb on Mar 15, 2020 14:47:56 GMT
Yep, I’m still jealous of your trip to Pierrefonds. I’m so glad you brought up this marvelous thread. Your timing seemed to have been perfect and how nice to have captured photos of the quiet town in early morning, a bit of the deep forest, an empty chateau, and then the festival. All wonderful little segments to a still-fabulous report! I’d love to return to Pierrefonds again. Maybe in the fall when there is good autumn color. If plans don’t change due to the world health situation, I should still be in the UK during the time of this years Pierrefonds fair.
|
|