It has turned pretty warm again and so we are mixing pool time with a few excursions out, enjoying this last burst of Indian Summer. The trees are beginning to turn here, so autumn can’t be far behind but at the moment it is in the mid to upper 20s and next Monday is set to get back up above 30C. We’ll be home by then though… Anyway, enjoying swimming and sunbathing every day.

Today we went back to Meaux to visit the Cathedral. If you remember from an earlier post, we’d failed to see it when we went to Meaux market because it does not open till 2pm and we were away by then.

We parked up really close to the old city ramparts (some parts of which date back to Gallo-Roman times) and walked a few hundred yards into the old town, the Cathedral district. It was pretty quiet as usual, but very warm in the sunshine. We walked to the little delicatessen shop where we’d bought the fabulous Pommery Fireman’s mustard but it was closed. We would have to find another place to buy it. Bought a couple of loaves of bread in the boulangerie and by that time the cathedral was open.

What a beautiful place! So full of light and great soaring silver grey pillars supporting the roof. Really light and airy. Unusual in a church this old – it was started in 1175 and not finished till the 1500s, although most of it dates from the 1300s. We walked all around, visiting the side chapels. From one of them there is a bridge back to the Chapter House – a sort of Vasari corridor. It wasn’t open but we could see it. There were also some memorials including an interesting one to the British Empire dead from WW1. Over 1 million citizens died and were buried on French soil.

Well worth a visit if you come to Meaux. When we came out we walked into the little “Close” and visited the Tourist office. They sell all the Meaux delicacies so we got our special mustard there.

Meaux is a very pleasant small city. We really like it. We drove out to the Saint Faron cheese factory on the outskirts. They run cheesemaking tours several days a week but it was not on today and the factory shop was shut. They have lunch from 1230 to 330! 3 hours every day. Just imagine that… We can buy brie from the village fromagerie where we are staying so we didn’t hang about but came back to enjoy the sun. It must be an interesting visit though – best to book ahead.