Road trip part II... Pont-canal in Briare

As it was close to where we were staying and some of our party hadn't seen it, we decided to make a visit to the Pont-canal in Briare which,until 2003,* was the longest canal bridge in Europe at 662 metres.

 

Pauline and I, along with friends Mike and Liz, had visited it back in November 2013 (how time flies when you are having fun) and were lucky enough to have a fine day weatherwise. The only thing missing was the sight of a boat making the actual crossing.

I love the detail of the bridge...

Shades of Parisian bridge art.

There is a handy cafe/chocolatier at the entrance to the canal bridge which includes the 'Chimera and Chocolates' shop offering macaroons, tea, coffee, hot chocolate and other refreshments. It is open every day in July and August but closed Mondays the rest of the season, We would be poppimg in after our walk along the bridge.

We were passed by this boat as we made our way across.

The bridge takes boats over the river Loire on the 'Canal Lateral a La Loire' 

The Midway point offers great views of the Loire river.

Once on the other side you have to make your way down an embankment and under the canal and back up the other side

More barges on the other side of the canal bridge. 

After a group photo and head count it was back along the other footpath.

Another boat passed us on the way back.

Once on the other side I decided to have a closer look at the metalwork of the bridge.

Gustave Eiffel was involved in the bridge's construction but not as you might think in the metalwork but in the stonework of the supporting abutments and piers.

The sun came out for us on reaching the other side so it was time for another group phto.

* It is now the Magdeburg Water Bridge in Germany.

Church on Sunday...Briare

When we were over visiting the canal aqueduct at Briare I made a point of visiting its Saint-Etienne Church. The church was built in a Romano-Byzantine style in the late 19th century due to the generosity of.Jean-Felix Bapterosses who ran the enamel plant in the town.The factory produced its 'Briare enamels' which became very popular - being used in architectural mosaics.They are obviously used extensively throughout both the interior and exterior of the church. 

Saint-Etienne himself is featured at the apex above the entrance to the church and St. Michael the Archangel above the rose window - you can see some better pics, here.

Internally the church seems so much bigger than it does from its front view - it is huge - 10 mtrs x 50 mtrs

There is a mid altar in front of the apse...

  

... and a main feature altar within the apse itself.

Looking down the cetral aisle towards the rose window.

The floors are decorated with a variety of designs that feature the four elements,the five senses...

 ...

and animals  within the baptismal chapel.

No 'Joan' featured here however. 

There is a monument to to the church's benefactor in the square in front of the church.

Sancerre road-trip part 6...waterway to go!

Before heading back to Southern Touraine we decided to make the 45 minute drive up to the Pont-canal in Briare -something we, Pauline and I, had only seen in photographs. Mike and Liz had been before but were happy to revisit.

The canal bridge crosses the Loire river connecting the Briare canal to the canal Latéral à la Loire..

There are walkways either side of the waterway which are 662mtrs long - it had actually been the longest steel canal aqueduct in the world up until 2003 when one at over 900mtrs was built over the river Elbe in Germany. 

It is interesting to stand and look over the waterway onto the mighty Loire river.

We walked the length of the bridge and were pleased to see the sun making an appearance as we reached the other side.

We were sure you must be able to cross to the other side somewhere but not by a bridge over it so we continued or walk to find you can actually go underneath it via a tunnel ...

...with what looked like sluice gates - couldn't quite understand what they would be used for.

         You can choose to take the steep steps or a more gentler footpath at either side of the tunnel..

Both ends are decorated with ornamental columns reminiscent of those you would find decorating the bridges of Paris. It is perhaps these and the steelwork that have many people associating its design with Gustave Eiffel  who in fact was only responsible for the stone abutments and piers supporting the steelwork.

The design itself was actually by engineers Léonce-Abel Mazoyer and Charles Sigault.

Looking back towards Briare.