Saintes an historic town in southwestern France, in the Charente-Maritime department. In Roman times, Saintes was known as Mediolanum Santonum, and during much of its history, the name of the city was spelled Xaintes.
Saintes
Royan and The Coast of Beauty
A little mish mash today – all taken on a cycle ride along the “cote de beaute” between St-Palais-sur-Mer and Royan.
Charrelets – Belle Epoque Architecture – and that Catherdral again.
Wow !
The most striking building in the French coastal city of Royan is undoubtedly the Cathedral (église Notre-Dame) – it stands on the site of a former neo-gothic church that was destroyed in 1945 (as was much of Royan). Designed by architects Guillaume Gillet and Marc Hébrard and built between 1955-58 entirely of concrete, it is considered one of the leaders of French contemporary architecture.
A Good Place to Stand 