Today we start a two week Country Roads of France tour with our favorite tour company. Our first stop was Troyes, capital of the Champagne region. We then continued into Burgundy and its capital Chablis where we enjoyed a wine tasting. Next we visited Vezelay from where Richard the Lionheart set off on the crusades. We finish the day in Dijon where we settled into our hotel and a lovely room with a private balcony for two nights. Unfortunately we lost about half the images on our card for this day, but at least this was the only time that we had that challenge!
Early morning departure from Paris, all is quiet at the corner cafe.
Extensive brilliant yellow fields of rapeseed, a large winter or spring annual oil crop in the Brassica family.
Miles and miles of fields of gold! On the way from Paris to Troyes and elsewhere we passed thousands of acres of rapeseed much of which is used for biodiesel.
Troyes Monument de la Résistance et de la Déportation (Monument of the Resistance and Deportation).
We arrived at the main square in front of the Troyes Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) just as a ceremony honoring the French Resistance was winding down.
Band members in front of Troyes City Hall at the end of the Resistance Memorial Celebration.
Entrance to the Troyes Hôtel de Ville (City Hall).
Looking SW from in front of Troyes City Hall toward the old part of town.
Sign on NW corner of Church of Saint-Jean-au-Marché. Current church dates to the 13th & 14th centuries. Sign roughly translates as an order of the police dated March 13, 1706 prohibiting littering.
I love old doors, so much history has passed through them in Troyes on Rue Champeaux.
The mansion Renaissance of the Jouvenel family, 26 rue Champeaux. In 1456, it was Jean Juvenal des Ursins who ran, as Archbishop of Reims, the rehabilitation trial of Joan of Arc.
Troyes Rue Maillard in the 15th century was soon called by its inhabitants the "Ruelle des Chats" (Cat Alley), which became its official name.
Timber frame construction and door off of Cat Alley.
Timber frame houses turned into shops surround a courtyard off of Cat Alley.
Colorful timber framed house in Troyes.
Entrance to the Church of Saint-Jean-au-Marché in Troyes. The current church at this site dates to the 13th and 14th centuries.
Memorial to Marguerite Bourgeoys, born in Troyes. She was the French foundress of the Congregation of Notre Dame of Montreal in the colony of New France, now part of Canada.
Church of Saint-Jean-au-Marché. Bell is from the steeple, which was originally located at the SW corner. It collapsed in 1911 with little damage to the bells and was re-installed on the south side.
Historic marker for the Church of Saint-Jean-au-Marché in Troyes.
View along the north wall (Rue Molé side) of Church of Saint-Jean-au-Marché in Troyes. The current church at this site dates to the 13th and 14th centuries.
Francie Stoutamire Photography
