MAY GOOD FORTUNE BE WITH NEW JONES' INVESTMENTS

Paqui Jones at Hotel Des Bains in Aix-Les-Bains

Today, The Jones have revised some aspects of English grammar and they have talked about new ones like May / May Not and Countable & Uncountable. 

More information: May

The family has created a little post taking information thanks to the question words and they have decided where they want to travel after leaving Paris, next May 2, and about which new houses they want to buy around the world to use them as their residences. 

More information: A Few / A Little 

After some deliberations, the family has decided to travel to Japan first, and to Galapagos Island later. They have decided to buy some new residences in France: a hotel to refurbish in Aix-Les-Bains in Savoie named Hotel Des Bains; a Templar Castle in Chinon in The Loire Valley; and a classic house in Paris. 

Joaquín Jones at Villa Las Tronas, Sardinia

They have also bought a new summer residence in Sardinia named Villa Las Tronas, which has been a hotel until The Grandma has decided to buy it.

Finally, The Jones have bought a Renaissance palace named Corte Sconta detta Arcana in Venice to live between canals in this dreamed city which has special memories for The Grandma and her great lost lover, Corto Maltese, who share their lives to Venice to search for an emerald known as the Clavicle of Solomon.

More information: Favola di Venecia by Hugo Pratt

Ana Bean Jones in Corte Sconta detta Arcana, Venice

Ana Bean-Jones loves Venice, its canals, its palaces, its people, its food, its art and especially its carnivale and its masks. She also has a great friend who lives in this wonderful city, Maria Callas, and both of them are always happy to share as moments as they can.

A few investments to move the funds, a little money to spend now thinking in the future. May The Grandma be able to enjoy these new homes with her family. May she remain forever young.

More information: How to create compositions (Catalan Version)

Château de Chinon is a castle located on the bank of the Vienne river in Chinon. It was founded by Theobald I, Count of Blois. In the 11th century the castle became the property of the counts of Anjou. In 1156 Henry II of England, a member of the House of Anjou, took the castle from his brother Geoffrey after Geoffrey had rebelled for a second time. Henry favoured the Château de Chinon as a residence. Most of the standing structure can be attributed to his reign and he died there in 1189.

Some Jones have decided to live in Paris

Early in the 13th century, King Philip II of France harassed the English lands in France and in 1205 he captured Chinon after a siege that lasted several months. When King Philip IV accused the Knights Templar of heresy during the first decade of the 14th century, several leading members of the order were imprisoned there.

The settlement of Chinon is on the bank of the Vienne river about 10 kilometres from where it joins the Loire. From prehistoric times, when the settlement of Chinon originated, rivers formed the major trade routes, and the Vienne joins the fertile southern plains of the Poitou and the city of Limoges to the thoroughfare of the Loire. The site was fortified early on, and by the 5th century a Gallo-Roman castrum had been established.

More information: Experience Loire

Claudia Jones in Chinon Castle, The Loire Valley

Theobald I, Count of Blois built the earliest known castle on the mount of Chinon in the 10th century. He fortified it for use as a stronghold. After Odo II, Count of Blois died in battle in 1037, Fulk III, Count of Anjou marched into Touraine to capture Château de Langeais and then Chinon, some 22 km  away. When Fulk arrived at Chinon the castle's garrison immediately sought terms and surrendered. 

In 1044, Geoffrey, the count of Anjou, captured Theobald of Blois-Chartres. In exchange for his release, Theobald agreed to recognise Geoffrey's ownership of Chinon, Langeais, and Tours. From then until the early 13th century, Château de Chinon descended through his heirs.

More information: Travel France Online

The Hundred Years' War in the 14th and 15th centuries was fought between the kings of England and France over the succession to the French throne. The war ended in 1453 when the English were finally ejected from France, but in the early 15th century the English under King Henry V made significant territorial gains. 

Víctor Jones in Chinon Castle, The Loire Valley

The Treaty of Troyes in 1420 made Henry V the heir apparent to the French throne but when the French king, Charles VI, and Henry V died in the space of two months in 1422 the issue of succession was again uncertain. 

The English supported Henry V's son, Henry VI who was still a child, while the French supported recognised Charles VII, the Dauphin of France. Between 1427 and 1450 Château de Chinon was the residence of Charles, when Touraine was virtually the only territory left to him in France, the rest being occupied by the Burgundians or the English.

On 6 March 1429 Joan of Arc arrived at Château de Chinon. She claimed to hear heavenly voices that said Charles would grant her an army to relieve the siege of Orléans. While staying at the castle she resided in the Tour du Coudray. Charles met with her two days after her arrival and then sent her to Poitiers so that she could be cross-examined to ensure she was telling the truth. Joan returned to Chinon in April where Charles granted her supplies and sent her to join the army at Orléans.

More information: Loire Valley France

In 1562 the château came briefly into the possession of the Huguenots and was turned into a state prison by Henry IV of France. Cardinal Richelieu was given the castle to prevent it from coming under the control of unfriendly forces, though he allowed it to fall into ruin. Château de Chinon was abandoned until 1793 when, during the Reign of Terror, the castle was temporarily occupied by royalist Vendeans. Soon after, the castle lapsed back into decay.

May the good Lord be with you down every road you roam.

May sunshine and happiness surround you when you're far from home.
May you grow to be proud, dignified and true.
May good fortune be with you.

May your guiding light be strong.
May you never love in vain.

 Rod Stewart