Meaux

I’m back!  What a stressful time sorting out the mess the last house sitters left behind them.  Lots of cleaning to do: oven filthy (even though there is a self-cleaning function), toilet and shower not cleaned, every single pot, pan, dish, plate, knife and fork were a disgrace, lawn mower choked with composting grass….. I could go on and on but I won’t.

The new house sitter arrived on Saturday afternoon – a gift from the gods.  What a nice chap he is and so understanding of the predicament we had been left in.  Since I returned to the boat he has been in constant contact which is very reassuring.

Back to Meaux, the town where we are right now.  On Thursday, before I went back home, I paid a visit to the Bossuet Museum which is in the Episcopal Palace, and the cathedral.  It was a rainy day, not conducive to wandering the streets with a camera, so I did that today.  It is a charming old town with narrow streets, lots of pavement cafés, intriguing old doorways and layers of history.

The south side of the cathedral

The nave

The north transept

Detail of the intricate stone work

Detail of a marble statue of Bishop Bossuet

The exterior is undergoing renovation - the tower has been cleaned and looks magnificent

The Episcopal Palace now houses the Bossuet Museum

The palace has a small formal garden, thought to have been designed by the same man who later designed the gardens at the Palace of Versailles

Inside the Episcopal Palace a ramp leads from the ground floor to the first floor.  Built in the 15th century so that the church worthies could ride up to the meeting hall on the first floor by mule.

The Vieux Chapitre...

....connected to the cathedral by this wooden gallery

15th century - the portal of an old church

A bookshop

Another old portal, some 600 or 700 years old

All alone in the marina

One of the many narrow streets

While I was a way Ian was hard at work.  He finished the galley floor (I thought I had taken a pic but apparently not - tomorrow, I promise!) and laid the new carpet in the saloon.  It was a huge job which included relocating the large inverter which used to be under the companion way and is now inside the engine room.

What a difference!  And we have a new rubbish bin.