I didn't expect to be writing my first ever blog in a McDonald's. In fact, I am a rare visitor to these shores and I feel a little uncomfortable and out of sorts. It goes beyond the ubiquitous stickiness of the coke-splattered floor, I am genuinely sorry to have come so far to find somewhere so familiar. And yet, here I am, really as a result of the fact that this is the only place I can find offering free Wifi access. How ironic this seems in the light of Geoffrey of Anjou's death bed wish that each state under Angevin control retain its own provincial customs. Thus Normandy was ruled according to Norman custom, Anjou by Angevin custom and so on. Indeed, this has been called a 'fundamental principle' of the Angevin Empire.


I decided to start my exploration of Angevin territories at Fontevrault Abbey. This is a remarkable site; the resting place of the Angevins. Here, in the abbey church, lie the tombs of Henry II, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, Richard I (see picture) and Isabella of Angouleme, wife of King John. John's heart was also buried here. Such a stark, in your face, direct connection to the past helps to catapult the viewer backwards, particularly in the timeless setting of this beautiful church. Fontevrault has strong links to the Plantagenet's; Henry and Eleanor gave a great deal of money to the foundation. Moreover, Eleanor spent a number of years here following Henry's death. John also spent a good deal of time living here as a boy. In more recent years, Napoleon used the abbey as a prison and it retained this function until 1963. Actually, this new function helped to preserve the abbey buildings, which have now been fully restored.

My second stop of the day was at Chinon, probably the finest of the Angevin castles, rising majestically above the waters of the River Vienne. It was here that Henry II died, after months of ill health; emotionally and physically shattered by his conflict with his son Richard and the Capetian king Philip Augustus. The castle itself has been carefully restored in places. This reflects the castle's importance in French history following its surrender to the French crown during John's reign. Thus much of the restoration favours the castle during the C15th and a particular focus is the visit of Joan of Arc. While this does detract from the importance of the Angevin stronghold, there are enough C12th remains standing up and refusing to be ignored to maintain a strong Angevin presence.