A good flight over, where Noel managed to get quite a bit of sleep and Caro adequate to get through another day! After the 2 flights we are caught up on any movies we needed to see, and some we probably didn't.
Arriving into Paris Charles de Gaulle airport about 7 am after a 13 hour flight, was a bit of a shock initially with huge queues waiting to clear immigration... although it transpired a perfect storm had occurred where multiple large flights had arrived at a similar time. The staff even appeared a little frazzled!
But there was no problems....they let us in! After a couple of mis-starts finding the meeting point we were collected by the 'Euro Lease' van. Off to pick up our new car!!
Yes, we are now the proud owners of a Peugeot 308 SW for the next 2 months. The euro-lease program had been recommended to us and seems a great option. Basically works on system where EU residents pay a high tax rate on a new vehicle, however if they buy a second hand car with a few km's, the tax rate is significantly lower.
So French car manufacturers sell the new car to non-EU residents (i.e. us!) and then guarantee buy back at the end of the 'lease'. Payment works out less than what an equivalent rental car would cost, and includes unlimited km's, full insurance and breakdown backup etc and the enjoyment of having a brand new car. And by new, they mean new, as the odometer proved when first started...
Although expecting just a base model, Noel thought it was a pleasant surprise to find it is a higher spec GT line model, with higher trim levels, sports gearbox option etc.
A lesson on the GPS and we were off. What appeared to be a bit of a "double back" way out of Paris outskirts and then a very pleasant drive through French villages and agricultural landscape to the village of Provins... and hour and a half south.
Nearing Provins we were driving through gently rolling cropping country; wheat, barley and peas at least. The farmhouses were huge, brick and stone buildings incorporated into huge sheds of same materials.
Arriving in Provins around midday, wandered around a bit until we could check in at 1 pm. Provins is one of the best preserved medieval towns in France (according to their brochures) and as such was added to the UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2001. It is a walled city, most of which is largely still in place.
In the 12th and 13th centuries it was the capital of the Counts of the Champagne region, these feudal lords offended and fought the kings of France. They were the first to introduce a passport system thereby provided safe passage across their territories, and so it became a huge trading hub.
The town began its decline in the early 14th century as other cities across Europe prospered, thus leaving it to a quiet life as a rural town. The majority of the old town is amazingly still intact with Tudor buildings, stone buildings and windy streets that are buzzing with Renault, Peugeot and Citroen cars tearing around! The old and new seem to coexist!
The town is simply stunning.After walking, and a baguette and croissant lunch (of course!!). we checked into our accommodation... also stunning (setting a very high standard for the rest of the trip!).
The view from our room of the hotel gardens
The town has medieval festivals a couple of times a year and daily demonstrations of jousting, knights, cavalcades etc. There was to be a bird show demonstrating how they were trained as weapons of war. Unfortunately there were not enough spectators for the show to go ahead so instead we wandered around the aviary which had a range of birds: Eagles including USA bald eagle, hawks, falcons, vultures and owls.
A climb of the Caesar tower, which was built in the 12th century, and a walk along bits of the defensive wall filled in our time.
With our afternoon done and the threat of sleep if one sits too long in one spot we went out for dinner and with the help of a sympathetic waitress we muddled our way through the menu to order a very nice meal. So hopefully we will catch up on some much needed sleep tonight and will head off in the morning.
Provins definitely outdid our expectations, so mind boggling to try and picture it in its peak, when Henry I actually was associated with the town!
Provins was chosen (after a little research) to give us an easy to aim for base not far from Paris. but in the general direction of our travel plans, after our long flight and not having to drive an unfamiliar vehicle too far. So pleased we did...
Caro so chuffed to find her knight in shining amour...
which leaves Noel in anguish as he thought she had done so 35 years ago....
