Today, Sunday, sees the last stage of the Tour, from
Chantilly in the Département of Oise. Chantilly is famous for its lace, primarily because of the song, originally recorded by "Big Bopper" Richardson and later by Jerry Lee Lewis, than for the material.
Chantilly lace and a pretty face
And a pony tail hangin' down
A wiggle in the walk and a giggle in the talk
Make the world go 'round.
The inhabitants would probably prefer Chantilly to be associated with horses and equestrianism, inextricably linked with the Princes of Condé, whose stables are now the Living Museum of the Horse.
Chantilly's arms are:
Blazon: English: Azure a Hunting-horn bell upwards Or a Chief Gules semy of Trees Argent. Francais: D'azur au cor de chasse d'or, au chef cousu de gueules semé d'arbres d'argent.
The arms of the Princes of Condé were:
For the complexities of the Condé line and its relationship with the Kings of France you will have to rely on Wiki (or a thick tome in French):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princes_of_Cond%C3%A9Nearing Paris, the cyclists pass through
Argenteuil which has curious arms:
I have no intention of essaying the English blazon but the French, if Wiki is to be believed, is:
Parti : de gueules à la couronne dentée d’or remplis d’une fontaine et engrenant quatre pignons d’or posés en son chef, à sa pointe et à ses flancs, ces deux derniers rayonnant chacun de quatre éclairs d’argent et celui du chef accosté de deux demi-vols aussi d’argent, au chef d’azur chargé de la Sainte-Tunique d’argent accostés de deux fleurs de lys d’or.
Why the city fathers of Argenteuil should have brought together the holy tunic (Leviticus 16:4) and an unholy arrangement of cogwheels is a mystery. Mechanical engineers must scratch their heads as to why cogwheels should be emitting sparks. One of the important things about cogs is that they should operate as smoothly as possible, often in an oil-bath.
Lovers of French art will know Argenteuil for its association with such giants as Monet, Renoir and Sisley.