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ANGERS , capital
of the ancient county of
Anjou, stands
majestically on the
banks of the Maine,
which feeds the Loire
just south of the city
with the waters of the
Mayenne, Sarthe and Loir
rivers. Long known as "Black
Angers" from the gloomy-coloured
slate and stone quarried
here since the ninth
century, it is actually
a very pretty, friendly
town, with a lively
atmosphere. The
overriding reason for
coming here is to see
its two stunning prize
tapestry series,
the fourteenth-century
Apocalypse and
the twentieth-century
Chant du Monde .
The City
Your lasting impression
of Angers will be of the
château , an
impressive, sturdy
fortress by the river,
its moat now filled with
striking formal flower
arrangements and
softened by trees. From
here, it's just a
fifteen-minute stroll
east to the cathedral
and its entourage of
several smaller churches
and museums.
Across the pont
Verdun from the château
is the suburb of La
Doutre , where the
Hôpital St-Jean
houses the modern
response to the castle's
Apocalypse tapestry,
Le Chant du Monde .
Further out in the
suburbs are a rash of
interesting museums,
easily reached by bus,
exalting everything from
early aeroplanes to
Cointreau and
communication methods.
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