france

but will not hold my breath waiting to find others I can afford.
However, I'm find it very difficult to find postally used from the 1960's - 1989. If anyone can help......, I have many doubles.....

RATIONALE FOR THIS PAGE

When I started out, I was fascinated to find a few of the Chateaux I had visited on a trip to the Loire Valley are on stamps. So I thought that this would become another project - to match some of my photos with the stamps.

AMBOISE
This is the verandah where the Catholic Inquisitors hung the "guilty", tossing them over with a rope fastened to the rails and attached to their necks. The car park below was used for public execution and as a "torture chamber". "Le clos" is designed by Leonardo da Vinci, who lived there for several years designing and building for his Patron. It is claimed that he is buried at Amboise, (NOT!) , and there even a plaque in the chapel to support this.

CHARTRES

Famous for its Cathedral, with one Gothic and one baroque steeple, it also has a magnificent organ.
The "Rose" stained glass windows were deemed so important that they were stored safely during WW2. Some of the green pieces were lost and all modern science couldn't match the original shade when they rebuilt them

CHENONCEAUX
The original site of a windmill, (centre), which is now a museum. Back then, the Miller's wife was exceedingly beautiful and the passing Lord of the Manor espied her, and, as was his wont made her an offer - which she refused!! But, knowing how her beauty was driving the Compte berserk, she counter offered., allowing her husband to be set up in the style to which she wanted to be accustomed. Being truly smitten, the Compte built his Mistress this glorious Chateau which became a favourite with Francis I and also served as a Military Hospital in WW1

CHAMBORG

Possibly the draughtiest Chateau in France. Built as a gift for the "Sun King, Louis XIV" to Summer in, with the main architectural feature of a circular staircase, leading to "La Lanterne", on the roof, (another delightful highlight). The stairway was so large as to cause a tremendous eddy of air up the stair-well, even on windless days. With the stairs partially blocked off, you can hear the wind whistling through the entrance doors. Louis spent one night here, never to return.

NOTRE DAME DE PARIS

Construction began in 1163, during the reign of Louis VII. Construction of the west front, with its distinctive two towers, began circa 1200, and the cathedral was completed around 1345.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is an 1831 French novel written by Victor Hugo. The book tells the story of a poor Gypsy girl (La Esmeralda) and a misshapen bell-ringer (Quasimodo).

PROGRESS REPORT

    I have downloaded my pages from                  and find them very satisfactory.
I have decided not to save BOB so I am going to use them as my "swaps".

    In my album, the earliest stamp is the Scott #6b and from then on I am very
pleased with the progress in general.   My "Ceres" and Type 1 "Peace and
Commerce" are quite satifactory for stamps culled from pages and small
collections. I even managed to find a couple of Bordeaux issues,