Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1919-08-08
ALETTER FROM FRANCE.
Camp J. w. Garrett, A. E F.
Frauca

man, from her brother, Taylor
| r. Van Horn.
| | had intended answ ring your
last letter before this but was
away from camp for several day
on trip to Tours.
Capt. Kershner had to go to
Tours, and as we need some sup
plies for the drafting roo M,
which we could not get here, he
took me along to get the m.
The Captain was anxious to
return as soon as possible SO we
went in a car instead of on the
train, for which | was thankful as
it made trip much more interest
ing. It gave me chance to see
SO much more of the country
through which we passed; it be-
ing very picturesque and abound
ing IN historical interest.
Tours is a very old city of
about 100, 900 inhabitants, situat-
ed on the wide sluggish Loire
with it's poplar lined banks.
The Loire, flowing westwa ard
", crosses the heart of ancient
France, region peculiarly rich
in historical memories, pictur-
esque beauties, and ma gnificent
architecture. 1t passes from town
to town, from castle to castle,
and from one historical site to
another, rejecting those old
buildings, towers, cathedrals,
hateauX, ard keeps, whose very
names bring forth tragic memo
ries and speak of the great figures
O1 lllC instant past
Around Tours, concentrated in
one small region. is a country of
lovely hills encircling aIluriug
towns filled with buildings Of all
ages. PrinceIy castles, once the
royal residences Of the Valois,
and the political centre Of the
Kingdom, add to the interest and
bring to mind the glory Of
past centuries. There are old
Roman keeps, feudal towers and
Renaissance castles full Of ar
tistic treasures.
Lea wing here about $50 and
passing through ChateaurouN,
we followed the course Of the
river Indre to Loches, charm
ingly picturesque town rejecting
in the Indre its slender lowered
houses with old messy roofs and
! its high buildings decorated with
wonderful carvings. Like
crown surrounding shield
Loches bears on its hill tops,
among foliage Of tall trees, a
gra ceful Renaissance castle, inn
posing and sober, dominated by
formidable X1 century keep.
In fact, the whole OF Loches Hill
is an immense collection Of build
ings, including two castles with
battered ramparts, fortified gate
ways, and small courts planted
with high trees which shadow
groups of towers. In the midst
of this rise two high slender
stone spires of the chapel which
enclose two curious hollow pyra-
mids covering the nave of still
older church.
At the end of the plateau a
gigantic square Roman keep rises
above the old pointed towers Of
the enclosure, and here one sees
the severe construction of Louis
XI, such as prison. built by him
! for his prisoners of Importance.
In the depths of the keep, besides
the torture rooms, are cells, dark
dungeons, and iron cages. Here
is All iron cage which Louis sus-
! pended from the ceiling, aud in
which he kept a Cardinal scr
fourteen Years. There is one
dungeon III which Moor was
confed until his death, having
/ decorated the walls of his cell
with dra wings, paintings and in.
/ scriptions in French verse, be.
wailing his sad fate, which the
guide will translate for one
franc. In one cell, lighted only
by a small opening few inches
! SQUARE, letting ia small shaft
of light, some prisoner, long ago,
made a sun-dial by which we
/ can note the time of day at the
! present time.
!, We did not get an opportunity
4 to see all of this interesting
place.
A Bilious Attack.