Courage

This morning I got lost a few times wandering around Angers. I wasn't quite sure what I was looking for, but I knew that the businesses I was passing were not it. Besides who wants to look at a map like a tourist? Seriously, every time I thought about whipping out the old plan du ville someone would come around the corner and I would nonchalantly slip it back into my purse. Finally I found a sandwich (I knew I would find it eventually) and found out where I was while I ate it. That led me to the tourist spotlight in Angers, the Castle, the Chateau d'Angers. Huge and imposing, I was a little imtimidated to walk across the castle's drawbridge extending 25 feet over a 50 foot dry moat. But I finally got up the courage (everyone here is constantly telling me "bon courage!", I must look like I need help) and walked into the ticket office. Once inside the castle, I climbed a few stairs and found a marvelous view of the city and the River Maine. It was a little foggy up there but I didn't have sunglasses so I convinced myself this only made things more medieval, especially if I ignored the neon lights and looked past the miles of buildings to the fields and river beyond. It's actually probably the best view there is of the city which means, of course, that this morning I looked at my camera once and then left it locked in my suitcase at the hostel. I wandered around up top there for awhile before I realized, this very castle is where the great tapestries of Angers are housed! So I scooted my butt right down from there and found a sign, in the North corner of the courtyard, for l'Apocalypse: the tapestries depicting John's story of the apocalypse found in Revelation. Over a football field in length and about 15 feet wide, the tapestries have been cut into 6 sections over the years. But the amazing thing is, not one picture is sketched or painted on! There isn't a single knot to be found in the back of the giant, weaved picturama either. The detail is so minute that a drowned man looks like he is beneath the water because thin, opaque thread was weaved over his face and John (who is present in every scene of the 74) has every facial expression from boredom to fear to surprise to humility. After all of this I wandered (and when I say wandered what I mean is, I walked the wrong way a lot) back to Lydie (my helper from the school) and we tried to find me somewhere to live. If only I can conquer my fear of calling French people on the phone (bon courage!) I might be able to look at a couple of studios tomorrow!