Auxerre - the river, canals, trains and an otter

Lillian :  Auxerre is on the river Yonne.         

Audrey :  The Cathedral and le pont Paul Bert (that's the bridge).

Lillian :  The Yonne is very peaceful with parks along the sides and lots of boats & barges.  

Audrey : We thought that perhaps we could stow-away on one of the boats - but we were discovered!

Lillian : In the shallows, there were so many little fish that in this photo they look like leaves.

Audrey : There were also lots of ducks and some big swans that you could ride on ...

Swan boat in need of repairs!

Lillian :  We went walking over the other side of the river - found a floor mill, the Moulin du Batardeau.

Audrey :  And I think we found where the pointillist artist Paul Signac was standing when he painted this in 1902.

   

Lillian :  Then while we were admiring that lovely view our Tour Manager spotted an otter!

 Audrey :  We didn't believe it at first but yes - it was an otter here is a close up

 

 Lillian :  A Common or River Otter (Lutra lutra) - swimming very fast across the river to a little island.

  

Lock almost full - the level of the canal

Audrey : All quite near where the Canal du Nivernais joins the Yonne.  There is a lock and they were busy.

Lock emptied - the river level

  

Lillian :  The Lock-Keeper's dog was over-seeing all the operations.

Audrey : The Lock-Keeper obviously has dollies and they live in a lovely doll-sized moulin of their own. 

Lillian :  Now this little building looks a bit like a windmill but it was probably a guardhouse.

Audrey : We had a little rest on the steps - our feet were tired and we'd been carrying a big cake box!

Lillian : Yes, our lovely day in Auxerre was nearly at an end - time to make our way back to the train station.

Audrey : That wasn't our train -

This was our train.

It was very fast - 

  
Audrey :  We were back in Avallon in a flash and those cakes were worth the carrying about.

Lillian :  A Flan Natur and a religieuse au chocolat.

Audrey :  That is a funny name - religieuse is French for a nun & a nun in a brown habit would probably be a Carmelite.

Lillian :  These yummy cakes are 2 choux pastries filled, put together & iced.  It doesn't really look like a nun - I think it looks more like a monk. 

Versailles - and Food

Audrey : Shall we tell the people about the town of Versailles - as well as the Very Big Palace?

Lillian : Yes, why not.  We did explore Versailles a little on that first afternoon, after our people had their lunch.

Audrey : Oh! our Tour Manager kept talking about that veal pie for days!!

Lillian : We went for a lovely walk

 

Audrey : Those double tulips were very big & bwight - 

Lillian : Les tulipes making a nice contrast with the forget-me-nots or as the French call them, les myosotis des marais.

Audrey : This young man was wearing a pigeon and very tight twousers!

Lillian : Poor chap, he never got to be an old man.  His pedestal read (I've translated for you) :

HOCHE

Born at Versailles, 24 June 1768

Soldier at 16yrs

General and Chief at 25

Died at 29yrs

Audrey : That's sad Lillian, did he die being a bwave soldier?

Lillian : No, it seems that he died of TB but Louis Lazare Hoche was quite amazing & packed a lot into his short life.  Right behind his statue you can see a little of the roof of the Eglise Notre Dame de Versailles - a very pretty church.  All white stone inside - this is looking up inside the dome ...

Audrey : The stained glass was quite lovely in this eglise.

Lillian : The Annunciation was behind the altar and the colours were very pretty - especially the purples.

Audrey : Who are these people?

Lillian : They are saints, you can tell who they are by the things they have - their 'attributes' - also their initials are underneath.

Audrey : Well that's helpful - who is the saint with the fish?

Lillian : And the nice purple robe?  That is Archangel Raphael.  The lady with the crown, collecting roses in her robe is St Elizabeth of Hungary, she was a Princess.

Audrey : That's why she has a crown, and lives in a pwetty palace.

Lillian : Some of the windows had magnificent patterning rather than saints - like this.

 Audrey : That would make lovely fabric - a nice silk to make blouses.  I think Coco Chanel said "a Lady can never have too many silk blouses".

Lillian : Outside there were streets of apartments with those classic French Windows and balconies ...

Audrey : Weally Fwench!  And then we went to the markets because our people wanted more food!

Lillian : We had a lovely little self-catered supper back in our room.  With raspberries

 and cheese ...

Audrey : That wocky-foot cheese was smelly ...

Lillian : I think you mean Roquefort.

Audrey : That's what I said.  And we had very small bananas - just the right size for ...

a Carmen Miranda moment

  

Lillian : But what was in this parcel ?

Together : Flan Natur

Audrey : You ate so much Lillian, that you went all funny and hot -

 and had to have a lie down !!

You Should Never Eat Anything Larger Than Your Head !