france
new! Cathedrale Saint-Gatien at Tours ![Cathedrale Saint-Gatien at Tours](/france/culture/tours/tours-cath-news.jpg)
updated: Romanesque churches and cathedrals in south-west France
the perpendicular or English style of cathedral ![Manchester cathedral](/france/culture/perpendicular/manchester-cath-tiny.jpg)
the fire at the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris
![the fire at the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris](/france/culture/nd_paris/after-fire-visactu-sm.jpg)
cathedral giants - Amiens and Beauvais
Stone tracery in church and
cathedral construction ![illustrated](/images/photo_icon.png)
stone in church and cathedral construction stained glass and cathedrals in Normandy ![graph](/images/graph.png)
fortified churches, mostly in Les Landes
cathedral labyrinths and mazes in France
using metal in gothic cathedral construction
Germans in France
cathedral destruction during the French revolution, subsidiary page to Germans in France
![Click for an introduction to cathedrals and stained glass in France. Click for an introduction to cathedrals and stained glass in France.](/library/cathedrals.png)
on first arriving in France - driving
France is not England
paying at the péage (toll station)
![Click for motorways and motorway aires in France. Click for motorways and motorway aires in France.](/library/autoroutes.png)
Transbordeur bridges in France and the world 2: focus on Portugalete, Chicago,
Rochefort-Martrou
Gustave Eiffel’s first work: the Eiffel passerelle, Bordeaux
a fifth bridge coming to Bordeaux: pont Chaban-Delmas, a new vertical lift bridge
France’s western isles: Ile de Ré
France’s western iles: Ile d’Oleron
Ile de France, Paris: in the context of Abelard and of French cathedrals
short biography of Pierre (Peter) Abelard
Marianne - a French national symbol, with French definitive stamps
la Belle Epoque
Grand Palais, Paris
![Click to go to pages about Art Deco at abelard.org Click to go to pages about Art Deco at abelard.org](/library/art_deco.png)
![Click to go to 'the highest, longest: the viaduct de Millau' Click to go to 'the highest, longest: the viaduct de Millau'](/france/autoroute/millau.png)
Pic du Midi - observing stars clearly, A64
Carcassonne, A61: world heritage fortified city
Futuroscope
Vulcania
Space City, Toulouse
the French umbrella & Aurillac
50 years old:
Citroën DS
the Citroën 2CV:
a French motoring icon
the forest as seen by Francois Mauriac, and today
Les Landes, places and playtime
roundabout art of Les Landes
Hermès scarves
![Hèrmes logo](/france/hermes/hermsig.png)
bastide towns
mardi gras! carnival in Basque country
country life in France: the poultry fair
what a hair cut! m & french pop/rock
![Tour de France route 2023 Tour de France 2024](/france/tour2024/tdf2024-logo.png)
Le Tour de France: cycling tactics ![illustrated](/images/photo_icon.png)
![New translation, the Magna Carta](/magnacarta/mc-ad-sm.jpg)
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interactive map: hover with your
mouse,
clickable areas in pink change to a hand icon
Motorway aires are designed to provide a suitable environment for relaxing,
refreshing and recovering during the long, hard journeys. As well as facilities
of often dubious nature, picnic tables and seats, a telephone kiosk, there
are often optional extras such as a play area or a display related to
some local interest or event.
l’autoroute
des deux mers
(motorway of the two seas)
The two seas are, of course, the Atlantic Ocean in the west and the Mediteranean
Sea to the south and east. The A62, with a little help from the A61 beyond
Toulouse, is the ideal and convenient method to travel between the ‘two
seas’ by motor vehicle.
![Sun rays a brooding sky over the A62 autoroute. Sun rays a brooding sky over the A62 autoroute.](/france/autoroute/a62/a62_sunrays.jpg)
Away from the major commercial and industrial cities of Bordeaux and
Toulouse, the motorway is quiet and at times empty, a pleasant drive through
typical French agricultural landscapes. For part of its route, close to
Agen, the motorway runs almost parallel
to the Canal Lateral, which is part of the Canal
du Midi that makes an aquatic connection between the Atlantic with
the Mediterranean.
![marker at abelard.org. Image source:www.toquesdefrance.com](/france/autoroute/a62/pruneau04.jpg)
mas
d’agenais
Mas d’Agenais aire is a huge aire providing welcome
space, dappled shade and picknicking areas amongst a forest of mature
trees.
![In the cool shade at Mas d'Agenais aire In the cool shade at Mas d'Agenais aire](/france/autoroute/a62/masdagenais_sm.jpg)
In the cool shade at Mas d'Agenais aire
Click on the yellow link above to see the full
page for the Mas d’Agenais aire.
buzet-sur-baïse
![Pigeonnier at Buzet-sur-Baise aire, with the chateau beyond Pigeonnier at Buzet-sur-Baise aire, with the chateau beyond](/france/autoroute/a62/buzet2.jpg)
pigeonnier at Buzet-sur-Baise aire, with
the chateau beyond
Going south, shortly after the Aigullon sortie [sortie 6] is a small
but grand aire, Buzet-sur-Baïse. The aire is overlooked by the picturesque,
privately-owned chateau, whose twin towers were added in the 15th century;
while the aire itself features a half-timbered pigeon
house [pigeonnier]. The aire also has a small children’s
play area.![return to the index](/library/index.png)
![marker at abelard.org. Image source:www.toquesdefrance.com](/france/autoroute/a62/pruneau04.jpg)
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moirax
![View from the top of the hill at Moirax aire,
looking towards the motorway and the town of Agen View from the top of the hill at Moirax aire, looking towards
the motorway and the town of Agen](/france/autoroute/a62/moirax1.jpg)
view from the top of the hill at Moirax aire,
looking way down towards the motorway and the town of Agen
For
children of all ages, this aire is a great adventure park, with
shrubs and copse-covered rises climbing up the almost terraced
hillside, ready for extended games of cowboys and Indians or other
tracking and hide-and-search games. For the more grown-up, there
are walks to the top, either straight up the grassy terraces,
or more sedately by following the road. This internal road
zigzags up the hill, where at the top, there is a wide, panoramic
view of the valley shared by the river Garonne and the Canal
Lateral, with views of Agen and its suburbs beyond. Also here
is the children’s play area - tidy, fenced for security,
with an unusual climbing frame. ![Children's play area at Moirax, with the Agen valley beyond Children's play area at Moirax, with the Agen valley beyond](/france/autoroute/a62/moirax2.jpg)
above: play area at the Aire de Moirax, looking
down on the aire and the panoramic view below: the Moirax
aire climbing frame
A
verdant, forgotten aire that is a true escape from the gunmetal
tarmac and grey safety barriers of the neighbouring autoroute.
A place in which to “Tread softly...” !['Downs' and woods at Dunes aire, A62 'Downs' and woods at Dunes aire, A62](/france/autoroute/a62/dunes1.jpg)
'Downs' and woods at Dunes aire, A62
Click
on the yellow link above to see the full page for the Dunes aire. ![return to the index](/library/index.png)
aire
de garonne .
The
Aire de Garonne is franchised to the LeClerc supermarket chain.
Probably as a result, the aire, its facilities - shops, cafés
and so on, are immaculately clean. The prices are a little below
those to be found at other aires with shopping and fuel. ![Picnic area near the large parking at the Aire de Garonne. Picnic area near the large parking at the Aire de Garonne.](/france/autoroute/a62/garonne3.jpg)
Click
on the yellow link above to see the full page for the Aire de
Garonne.![return to the index](/library/index.png)
pruneaux d’agen Agen
is the capital for the principal French region for growing Agen
plums, which are mainly dried and turned in to prunes [les
pruneaux d’Agen]. There are huge orchards of plums
either side of the A62 Autoroute. Supermarkets sell bagged-up
prunes and, when the new season’s dried crop is available,
they often feature these large, plump, sweet and flavoured semi-dried
fruit. [The French prefer their pruneaux to be mi-cuit
- semi-dried, they are more moist and easier to eat that way.]
![marker at abelard.org. Image source:www.toquesdefrance.com](/france/autoroute/a62/pruneau04.jpg)
end
notes - aire:
in this context, an area —
aire de loisirs:
recreation area; aire de pique-nique: picnic area;
aire de repos: rest area; aire de services:
services , motorway (GB) or freeway (US) service station.
- This
region is noted for its architectural pigeon houses, often built
so the house is raised off the ground, away from foxes, polecats
and pine martens. Newsagents and gift shops often sell postcards
showing a selection of local pigeonniers, or even illustrated
books (usually in French). At
this link are a series of seven pages showing pigeonniers
in the department of Lot and Garonne (click on arrow to the right
to move to the next page of photos).
![return to the index](/library/index.png) |