A Day Trip to Medieval Provins

Unlike the United States, the French observe the Catholic holiday, 

the Assumption of Mary. On August 15th, it is believed that Mary's body and spirit 

ascended to heaven, and religious processions in many French towns

mark this occasion. Given that this holiday fell on a Monday, all French

employees enjoyed a 3 day weekend (on top of their existing 3-week August vacation).

For Daisy and I, however, we were thrilled to have a three day weekend

and a Monday off from work,

 but knowing that it was a holiday, we wanted to visit

another small city in France that would be charming, yet still 

keep its attractions open for tourists. 

Provins filled this description.

Located an hour and a half southeast of France, Provins is a small, 

landlocked medieval town. Enclosed by well-intact, stone walls, 

Provins offers a glimpse into what life was like back in the Middle Ages,

and the town often hosts daily reenactments of medieval life

in addition to large, summer festivals.   

Below are some photos from our wonderful afternoon

spent in Provins and maybe, they will too

transport you back to the Middle Ages.

How we got there:

Trains from the Gare de l'Est station run on the hour to Provins. Since Provins is located in Zone 5, Daisy and I were able to get there for free using our Pass Navigo cards. For those interested in going to Provins, but do not have these cards, 2 tickets (for there and back) costs around 3,80 euros. The train ride is a total of 90 minutes. 

After grabbing some lunch at a nearby café,
Daisy and I walked along the walls.

One of the several stone entrances

Contrasting the ancient wall with a section of the wall
that was recently restored

It was in the high 80s that day, but since it
had been a rather cloudy summer in Paris, the sun
and heat were welcomed! 

Daisy in front of the many charming
houses along Provins' main road 

The Caesar Tower from afar

We ascended the city's tower for the view of city and
countryside below
(Pictured across is Provins' Catholic Church)

In front of the Catholic Church

After spending a few hours walking around the city and touring its tower and church, Daisy and I
decided to visit one of Provins' other attractions: its rose garden. The rose has come to symbolize the city as Thibaud IV, Count of Champagne, is believed to have brought back a rose bush from his expedition to Jerusalem during the Crusades. While in the rose garden, Daisy and I admired the many rose-based products and roses themselves in addition to sipping delightful rose-infused drinks.

I had a rose-siroped seltzer
and during lunch, we had rose sirop and
champagne! 

The rose garden with the Caesar Tower in the distance 

Following our return to Paris, Daisy and I decided to stay in the East of Paris and walk along the Canal Saint Martin, as it is just a stone's throw away from the Gare de l'Est. From there, we found a cute, little café (a true dime in a dozen in Paris) and like true Parisians, ordered wine and uncooked meat dishes.

Steak tarare and a green salad

The Canal Saint Martin at sunset

From there, we boarded the metro at République back to Boulogne as we had had a "jour complet."