BOURGES , the surprisingly agreeable chief town of the rather bland region of Berry, south of the Sologne, is some way from the Loire valley proper but historically linked to it. The miserable Dauphin Charles VII, mockingly dubbed "King of Bourges" by the English, retreated to the city after Henry V's victory at Agincourt had put all of northern France under English control. Today's unpretentious and handsome city hums along with the business of everyday life and offers a substantial calendar of festivals, some good restaurants, a glorious Gothic cathedral and an impressive mansion belonging to the Dauphin's financial advisor, Jacques C?ur.