Category: History

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The Man Who Would Be King

Antoine_de_Tounens_vestido_de_Mapuche
Orélie Antoine de Tounens – King of Araucania. Photo (unknown). PD-100+; PD-US-No Notice. Wikimedia Commons.

Did you ever see the movie The Man Who Would Be King? Based on Rudyard Kipling’s novel of the same name, the movie starred Michael Caine and Sean Connery—two guys who became kings of Kafiristan in a remote area of Afghanistan. I won’t spoil the ending for you but it didn’t turn out well for Peachy and Danny (their characters). Delusions of grandeur set in for Danny, natives got restless, and the consequences weren’t pretty.

Researching my medieval book was really 90% about the kings and queens. So when I see an article about French kings and princes, I stop and read it. The one that just caught my eye appeared in the Wall Street Journal on July 8, 2015 (In France, Princes Feud Over a Kingdom You’ve Never Heard Of by Matt Moffett). Read More The Man Who Would Be King

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Day Trips Outside Paris

Chateau Gillard
Château-Gaillard (photo – 2006) Philippe Alès. Wikimedia Commons.

If you are adventurous while staying in Paris, go rent a car and take a couple of day trips outside Paris. If you decide to do this, I suggest you purchase and take a GPS system with you. Sandy and I use the Garmin® nüvi 1370T. I’m not sure whether this model still exists but whatever you settle on, make sure it includes France and any other country you decide to visit.

There are 3 destinations pretty much in a straight line from Paris: Giverny, Château Gaillard, and Rouen. The town of Giverny is where you will find the home and studio of one of the greatest French impressionists, Claude Monet. Yes, the gardens are fantastic and the bridge, lilies, and flowers he painted are still there. The city of Rouen, approximately 59 miles from Paris, still maintains much of its medieval flavor. It was here that Joan of Arc was imprisoned (the tower she was tortured in still exists), tried, and burned at the stake.

It is the Château Gaillard that most people miss. It is located midway between Rouen and Giverny. Situated on a hill outside the small town of Les Andelys and overlooking the bend in the river Seine, the fortress was built in 1197 by King Richard the Lionhearted (yes, the king of the Robin Hood fable). Read More Day Trips Outside Paris