Sweltering in Troyes

Sunday 29th June

Troyes.

We are here in Troyes for 2 days until we head towards our hotel near the airport. We found we were only a very short walk away from the medieval centre of town. What an amazing city! 

The locals refer to it as the Champagne Cork (bouchon de champagne) because the layout of the centre of the city has the shape of the cork. In the 12th century it was a fortified city and the remparts, towers and gates formed the cork chape. Not far west of Troyes are the vineyards where champagne is produced. 

Sunday morning and the city started out very quiet. We wandered in and out of streets and laneways and around every corner we would find another amazing building. Lots of timber - and no spirit levels. So many photos. 

One of the first groups we saw.

We sat for a while in the main square, under the trees and with a gentle breeze,
drinking coffee and people watching.
Our peace was interrupted with the ambulance going by, siren blaring
and the dog at the next table joining in with a howl. Very amusing.

Lots of different wood carvings as part of uprights.

Pizza anyone?

In some areas a lot of colour.

Alley of the 3 cats.
At the top of the buildings some of them are leaning
very close together across the alley.
Apparently cats often jump across the gap.

Shingle at a boulangerie
(should have taken the photo from the other side).

Pointing the way on the discovery walk.

Just one of several churches in the city.

Downpipe.

Rob spied a leaflet advertising an organ recital at the cathedral for tonight - free. So off we went. Not really my thing - I was expecting stirring organ music but instead we got mostly the church choir. The cathedral was packed - standing room only if you didnt get there early. Forty minutes was enough for me before I pulled out.

Heading away from the cathedral we found an Indian restaurant for dinner. Very nice.

Monday 30th June

Nothing happening today  it was too hot to venture out. We are feeling a bit flat as we start reorganising and packing ready to head home. Dinner out tonight is all that is planned.

Ole ole, ole ole, Feeling Hot, hot, hot.

Friday 27th June

Sadly it's time to leave this house and this village. We've spent almost 2 weeks in the area in a couple of different accommodations and have really enjoyed it. We didn't have to travel far today so I decided to first see if I could get a haircut. Not at the first hairdresser, but a 5 minute wait at the second one, and job's done. It was a bit hard to give them exact requirements with my limited french, but I'm happy enough to have it shorter and cooler. 

Time to visit the chocolate factory in Bracieux where they had plenty for tasting. A few chocolates for the suitcase - just hope we can keep them cool for the next few days. 

Back to the Cafe du Commerce in Bracieux for their all you can eat buffet lunch. Today they were cooking lots of different meats on the BBQ. They also had moules so Rob was able to get a feed. Again, the restaurant was full with lots of tradies there for lunch. The outside of a place often does not give away what is lurking inside. We had passed this place quite a few times and thought it was just the tables we could see outside, but when you went in, it was quite big and full of people and noise.

We took the girls out for lunch.

The BBQ smelt delicious - reminds us of home.

Nice timing now to head on to our next accommodation. Good roads, not too busy so a quiet drive. Along the road there were quite a number of smaller chateaux hiding away behind their big fancy gates, long driveways and tall trees. Then in the village of Sully sur Loire we came across a large chateau, Chateau du Sully 14th century, residence of the Dukes of Sully until the 20th century. (When I hear Sully I think Monsters Inc, and the Hudson River plane crash with Captain Sully.)  No time for a tour, just a photo shoot. 

Chateau du Sully - comes complete with a moat.

I was fairly sure there would not be a supermarket or restaurant close by to our next house, so we bought dinner along the way. 

Saturday 28th June

Moving further east today to Troyes which leaves us with a shortish drive on Tuesday to a hotel near the airport. Again our drive took us along country roads with very light traffic. The drive was mostly through cropping country with wheat being harvested, large tractors and farm machinery, and then large crops of sunflowers. It was a bit of a boring drive so I pulled out the maps again and found us a beautiful village to visit with a short detour.

Joigny - we had been here before on a previous visit but neither of us had much recollection of the village. I did remember that we had parked outside the village and entered through one of its original gates, but that was about it. We found our way into the guts of the village and found car parking then set out for a wander.  When I say the guts of the village it is hard to picture - you take this little narrow street, then come to a no entry street, so turn down the street you can go, then repeat the same procedure at the next intersection (50 metres away), then rinse and repeat. Getting out of the village is the same process - you just take it slow and go where you can.

An ancient church, St Thibault, a Chateau, lovely timbered houses and beautiful streets. This village is on the Yonne River, another of France's big rivers, where there were lots of boats moored. A lot of activity along the river front including their Saturday market. Bought apricots and cherries - our last until apricot and cherry season at home.

Beautiful cathedral in Joigny
- there was a christening happening so we couldn't go all the way inside.

The Chateau at Joigny

A cute little laneway.

Looking back up umbrella street.

This street leads from the top of the town down to the river - a street for tourists.
Talking to the lady in the jewellery store, this street has only been done for 7 years which explains why neither of us remembered it. 

A little bit hot.

The Yonne River.

Buildings on the four corners at the top of the street of umbrellas.
The old.....

...and the new.

Rob got sidetracked by a shop with lovely handmade jewellery so I had to go and have a look. Let's just say I won't be bringing much money home. 

We are now in our apartment in Troyes. No air-conditioning unfortunately, and it is hot. We are almost right next door to the station and I think just a short walk to the old medieval centre of town. Maybe a wander tomorrow if it is not too hot. Dinner at a Chinese buffet place - probably our last for this trip.