Today is our last day. Tomorrow we head back to Calais and then home to Kent. We decided to go to Provins, a UNESCO World Heritage site, around one hours drive from our base. Bob and I have been before https://travelswithallie.blog/2020/07/25/provins-the-perfect-medieval-town/ and were very happy to revisit it. We were again lucky with the weather. A sunny day with a couple of showers whilst we were out.

Provins held the largest and most important fair in Europe during the 12th and 13th Centuries, with massive trade in wool, eastern spices and wine. It later fell from prosperity but remained a viable environment much loved by artists and writers. Today, whilst hosting many visiting tourists, it remains an active living environment with a school and many families.

We called at the tourist office and picked up a map which included a walking tour which we largely followed. The houses are very lovely and many are smothered in roses which are the emblem of the village and used in many products. We sampled rose honey (OMG), rose petal jam, rose creams and scents, soap…. We visited the museum which was very interesting with lots of ecumenical artifacts as well as very ancient finds. We saw Caesar’s Tower (nothing to do with him) but an interesting construction with an octagonal turret on a square base. We wandered around Saint-Quiriace Collegiate church, built in the 12th century, added to over the next 400 years but never finished. Nonetheless, it is quite lovely.

Finally we went for lunch. Sue and John chose crepes and gallettes in the central square and we ate in Le Dome, just next to it. I had a cheese plate and Bob had moules Marinere. Yum.

Tonight we ate dinner in Crecy-la-chapelle, at the restaurant https://www.facebook.com/restaurant.kotacote# where we have eaten before. Absolutely delicious. Delighted to go there again and we had a lovely evening and a great round off to our week. It was good to see the town fully open again.