After I went
to that fabulous boulangerie this morning to buy a baguette and 2 pastries, I
googled it and discovered that it won "Best Bakery in France", a TV programme
similar to Masterchef but specifically for professional bakeries. Well, no wonder there was always a queue out
the door, and I’m so pleased we got to sample their pastries.
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On the left an Eclair Paris Brest, on the right a Crusti Pommes - delicious and totally decadent |
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17 kms, 1 lock, 2.5 hours |
We set off
at 8.30. It was grey, overcast and the
weather forecast was for rain showers in the morning and thunderstorms in the
afternoon.
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Ummmm, a waterwheel but what does it do? |
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There is supposed to be dock at this hotel, but not one that we would want to stay at overnight. |
We had no
idea where we would stop, just relied on
finding a handy pontoon somewhere. We
thought there might be one at Saint-Leu-d’Esserent because PC Navigo showed a
bollard icon and the Fluviacart guide showed a black stripe (meaning a quay or
dock) but no bollard, and we couldn’t see anything on google earth. When we got here we found a quay with well-spaced
bollards just as started to rain so we tied up quickly and ducked inside.
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Approaching Saint Leu this huge Abbey dominates the skyline |
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Looking one way, a lovely tranquil mooring... |
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...but looking the other way - an industrial plant unloading sand and stone from barges |
When the
rain eased Ian went for walk and came back to tell me the huge Abbey was not so
far, so off I went. It was well worth the walk.
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There are lots of large logs afloat on this river |
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Walking past the massive walls on the way up to the Abbey |
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There are bad cracks in the buttresses supporting the massive walls and I was intrigued by these measures to track their movement |
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They never did get round to building the second tower |
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The "Mairie" (Town Hall) in an old chateau |
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The entrance to the Priory that was alongside the Abbey. During the French Revolution it was sold, most of the Priory was demolished but the gardens still remain - now private property so I could not get in to see them. |
By the time
I got back the sun was out, it was hot, and there is no sign of the
thunderstorms.
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