Let's start with a small episode that I remember very well: we were sitting in a restaurant in the busiest part of the church to eat. Very authentic French food, very cheap, so that we who came from Paris actually shouted that it was cheap and must eat.
Ordered the full set meal, it was delicious and authentic. But steak people don't understand the Chinese stomach in any way to be fully cooked, so they are not used to eating, and they are embarrassed to quietly put aside the unfinished steak.
In fact, when I got used to it in France, I got used to hard baguettes and steaks. Have the opportunity to serialize a well-known French restaurant or an introduction to French cuisine.
The French city of Angoulême, capital of Charente, Nueva Aquitaine, former capital of Angomouix in southwestern France. It is located on a plateau above the confluence of the Charente and Anjian rivers southwest of Limoges.
Captured by Clovis from the Visigoths in 507, it was the seat of the Count of Angoulême since the 9th century. Contested by the French and English in the Hundred Years' War, it also suffered heavy losses in the Wars of Religion in the late 16th century. This land of Angoulême was discovered in 1524 by Giovanni da Verrazzano in the service of King Francis I, who was also Count of Angoulême. The 19th-century town hall of Angoulême is located on the site of the Count's Château (birthplace of Marguerite of Angoulême), where two of its towers, Valois (15th century) and Lusignan (13th century), still exist. This Basilica of Saint-Pierre (1105–28; Restored in the 19th century) is a domed Romanesque Byzantine building with an elaborate façade decorated with Romanesque sculptures that contrast with the desolate aisle-less interior. The old walls of Angoulême have been razed to make way for a boulevard with a wide view.
Angoulême is located 130 km northeast of Bordeaux, in the Charente province of Poitou-Charente. Standing on a rocky promontory overlooking the Charente River, Angoulême is surrounded by boulevards that stand on the original walls that protect the town.
Explore Angoulême
In the heart of the historic center of Angoulême, classified as a French art and historical town, more than two kilometers of the city walls are intact, while the boulevards along the walls are wide and open with views of the surrounding countryside.
Start your tour with the Angoulême Tourist Office, located east of the city center, close to the 19th-century market hall, a fine example of steel and glass architecture from that period.
From here you can go to the city center and the town hall, one of the most important monuments of Angoulême. The town hall was built on the site of an earlier castle and now only two towers remain and are incorporated into the town hall building. The tower was built in the 13th and 15th centuries, while the rest of the building was built in the 19th century.
On the other side of the square in front of the town hall, you can see the elegant façade of the Hotel San Simon, a 16th-century townhouse with a gorgeous façade.
Up close, you can see the neoclassical Palace of Justice and the Church of St. Andrew. The church was originally built in the 12th century, although it was heavily expanded in the later Gothic style, and the façade dates back to the reconstruction of the 19th century. See the curious "lanterns" near the church.
Located on the south side of New York Square, the theater has a decorative façade and was also built in the 19th century.
Walking along the walls on the south side of the center, you will reach the cathedral. The Romanesque Cathedral of Saint-Pierre dates back 900 years, but much has changed since then. The main attraction is the richly decorated façade, with 70 carvings depicting the story of Jesus' ascension and the Last Judgment.
After the Crusades, the magnificent domed churches of Constantinople and Eastern Europe had a significant influence on the architecture of some churches. St. Mark's Basilica in Venice is a particularly good example of this oriental influence, but in this part of France, St. Pierre's Basilica in Angoulême and St. Fran's Basilica in Perrigue, with their beautiful domed roofs, are good examples of Byzantine influence.
Continuing west, the Cordeliers Chapel was once part of an important monastic settlement here - you can also see traces of the monastery.
Elsewhere in town, you'll see many other interesting buildings, such as churches and chapels and several magnificent townhouses, as well as many shops and cafes in the open square and pedestrian street.
A great way to continue exploring downtown Angoulême is to continue through Place Beaulieu, from which you can see the entire town and the river, then stroll through the vast park under the city walls to the west, which also includes various sculptures, water features, and animal parks, before returning on your road, through the town, north along the city walls, through the streets around Place du Minage, where you can see several interesting townhouses.
Angoulême Museum
There are also several museums in the town, including the Museum of Fine Arts and the Archaeological Museum. These are classified as the Angoulême Museum in the centre of town. In the lower reaches of the river, you can visit the Paper Museum (Angoulême's wealth is based on the paper industry), as well as the Comics Museum.
Angoulême (also translated: Angoulan) comics
The climax of the Angouleme calendar is the International Comics Festival held in the town every January. This important event also explains why you sometimes see walls painted in cartoon or trompe l'oeil style when exploring the town. The focal point of this popular event is the complex near the Paper Museum.
Circuit des Remparts - Classic car racing in Angoulême
Every September, the roads of Angoulême turn into a race track, with vintage cars from far and wide coming to take part in this exciting race, which was first held in 1939. The race starts on Friday and all participants take part in the grand 'Concours d'Elegance' parade, giving you the chance to see these classic cars up close. On Saturdays, anyone with a pre-1975 car can take part in a touring rally through the local countryside, followed by a big race on Sunday. Citizens and visitors sit on top of the remparts and enjoy the race held below.
The food in Angoulême is authentic and much cheaper than in Paris.