Pen-Slinger: 2021

Thursday, September 16, 2021

Bec Abbey and the village Le Bec-Hellouin

Day 2 of our trip to the Bay of Sommes. Just before hitting the coast of Normady, there was a beau village on the route. The abbey village of Le Bec-Hellouin, built around the 11the century Bec Abbey. This Abbey was destroyed and rebuilt many times, notably during the French revolution and WW2.

Thursday, September 09, 2021

Rouge Perriers - Pretty village on the way

Second day of our trip to the Bay Somme. Starting from Chartres, we made a spidery line for the Normandy coast, going by the prettiest and longest side roads possible instead of the big ugly autoroute we had used for the first leg. On the way, we were stopped dead by this incredibly pretty village in the middle of nowhere. The signboard at the entrance said Rouge Perriers. Nope, this isn't on the official list of "The most beautiful villages of France". But for my money, it ought to be. I stepped out of the car for a couple of quick photos...

(next post: we stop at another nearby village that is on that official list).

Some lovely old cottages with thatched roofs, using a special technique that I believe is unique to Normandy. The thatching is done using a reed that is grown in this region for this specific purpose, unlike straw used elsewhere. This is what gives the Normandy thatched roofs their unique look. The best part is the plants growing at the top!

Wednesday, September 01, 2021

Chartres, Cathedral Town

On the first leg of our trip to the bay of Somme, we stayed the night at the cathedral town of Chartres. Before the sun set, we checked out the old city, with the 12th century Cathedral of Chartres, said to be one of the best preserved Gothic cathedrals in France, and the other historical monuments such as the Église Saint-Pierre de Chartres, the old marketplace, the alleys and byways of the old town, and my personal favorite, the breathtaking interiors of the church of Saint-Aignan (13th century).

Thursday, August 26, 2021

Montargis - Venice of the Gâtinais

Summer vacation time. We haven't been to Italy in ages, because of this covid disaster. The border with Italy is open again. So we head to Italy? Natch. Other than the Latin charm of the towns and countryside, Italian food just doesn't taste the same outside of that kicking foot jutting into the Mediterranean. Even a simple tagliatelle in a pesto sauce in a modest Tuscany wayside tavern beats a Michelin-starred pasta joint anywhere else.

But where in Italy? Blandine and I have one of our marital dust-ups. Blandine wants to revisit Venice. Yet again. I want to drive around the little villages in Tuscany. Yet again. We arrive at one of our usual compromises. We decide to head to the North of France instead. Equal distribution of discontentment.

So here we are, heading to the Bay of Somme. Site of WW-I battles and the Hundred Years War battles and all sorts of other battles down history. Appropriate. When halfway across the face of France from Lyon to the coast of Normandy we hit this signboard:

Montargis la Venise du Gâtinais

Gatinais, by the way is a former region of France, somewhere below Paris. So a Venice in the middle of France. Will this make up for our Italian disappointment? We check it out.

Montargis is a bit like Venice. Sort of. It has canals flowing through the old city. And not-unpretty houses on both sides. And big red barges in those canals instead of gondolas. Oh well. It sort of makes up for not making it to Italy due to our mutual pig-headedness. In the evening, we have a pair of industrial pizzas from one of those buy-1-get-2 places.

Next post: Chartres.