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In November of 2005, only a couple of months after returning from Ghana, I was off again on a journey to Angouleme, France to attend and speak at a computer gaming conference, this time on “The Role of Computer Games in Bridging the Digital Divide.”
In preparation for the trip I purchased and studied French language phrase and vocabulary books with the focus on navigating the transportation system, finding the rest room, eating – the essentials. I had studied Spanish and German in high school and college, but found the French not difficult to pick up. The issue was that in southwest France, you cannot expect everyone to speak English. Even if you struggle a bit with expressing yourself, the locals appreciate your attempt.
To reach Angouleme the best route was to fly to Bourdeaux, and then ride the high speed train (TGV) to Angouleme. Since the airport was a distance from the train station, it meant a bus ride to the station, and then figuring out the right train and platform. In England there are lifts (elevators), to help navigate between the different train platforms, but in my travels in France it was all stairs. This can present a challenge if you have too much luggage – so travelers beware.
I had chosen a hotel, the Hotel D’Orleans, because it was across the road from the train station and also was reasonably priced. I soon discovered that it was also at the bottom of the plateau/hill that the city center of Angouleme rested upon. This provided a bit of morning exercise climbing the hill to where my friends were staying and the nearby International Museum of Cartoons and Animation at which the conference was held.
There was plenty of time to both attend the conference and see the sites around Angouleme. Essentially the day was spent primarily in the old town at the top of the hill, only returning to the hotel at night to sleep. The room at the hotel was clean, but modest, and the television provided only had French programming available. Fortunately I always carry reading material to relax before going to sleep.
The continental breakfast provided at the hotel was good – basically croissants and other pastries with coffee and juice. On several mornings I joined my friends at their hotel which had a full breakfast available. The Hotel D’Orleans was owned by a father and son, who were interesting people – especially the older gentleman.
The town was built to ward off attacks, and thus the original castle was at the pinnacle of the hill where the town hall now stands. The town hall was built in the 19th century, around the remains of the original castle, the Chateau d’Angouleme. Parts of the original keep remain along with the tower of Valois, from the 12th and 15th centuries. The polygonal keep was built 1282–1302, and the Valois Tower was built in the late 15th century. Francis I, who was king of France (1515-1547), had a sister Marguerite who was born in Angouleme and lived there for a time before becoming the Queen of Navarre and the progenitor of the Bourbon royal line.
The attendees of the conference were invited to the town hall for a evening dinner by the Mayor of Angouleme and were served in a room festooned with banners and coats of arms. Not only was the food great as is the norm in France, but we were served an aperitif of pineau des Charentes, which is a fortified wine made from a blend of lightly fermented grape must and Cognac eau-de-vie. I fell in love with pineau which is unfortunately hard to find in the United States. Following the meal we were served a glass of the region’s Cognac.
More to follow on Angouleme in part two.
October 17, 2023
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