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."

Left Bank Gems

When writing the blog, "Paris Wanderings in late July/early August,"

I realized that I have spent most of my time

on the Right Bank. (For those of you who are not familiar with

Paris, the city is separated into two halves: the Right Bank of the Seine

River and the Left Bank of the Seine).

True, my work is situated in the 9e arrondissement and

many of the neighborhoods that I like to visit, such as the

Marais, Montmartre, and the Canal Saint Martin, are located on the Right Bank,

but those are not valid reasons to exclude visiting the Left Bank.

The Left Bank is home to equally wonderful sites such as

the Latin Quarter, the neighborhood in which many

of Paris' prestigious universities are located, the Luxembourg Gardens, 

the Musée d'Orsay, and of course, the Eiffel Tower. In addition, the Left Bank

also boasts populous neighborhoods, small parks, and a great deal

of cafés and small galleries.

Thus, I dedicated one weekend to exploring only the 

Left Bank and below is what I discovered!

Saturday (5e and 6e arrondissements)

Les Arènes de Lutèce (or the Lutèce Arena) is a site of a former
Gallo-Roman amphitheater. Given that it is tucked away in the
5e arrondissement, one is amazed to stumble across this large amphitheater
in the midst of Haussmann apartments and imagine that it was here that
gladiators fought one another!
(Fun fact: Lutèce was the Gallo-Roman name for Paris at the time)

Before visiting the Grand Mosque of Paris,
I stopped at the Mosque's adjunct café for
some mint tea and a sweet. The outdoor garden and café are delightful, and
I highly recommend this café for those looking for a cheap bite
and to taste delicious North African food.

From there, I walked along Rue Linné to visit the
Grand Mosque of Paris. 

Founded in 1926, this mosque was created to commemorate
the 100,000 Muslim soldiers who fought on France's behalf
against Germany during World War I. It is one of France's
largest mosques and arguably echoed the style found at Granada's Alhambra. 

Rue de Quatrefages, 5e 

Place Benjamin Fondane, 5e

Place de la Contrescarpe

A café along Rue Mouffetard

Rue Saint Etienne du Mont, 5e

An outdoor café in a tucked away corner in the 5e

From left to right:
Saint Etienne du Mont, Lycée Henry IV, and the Pantheon 

The Luxembourg Gardens 

At the time, I was suffering from a bad cold, and
as I was sitting here at the Gardens with this view, a man
in French asked me if I was okay. He had thought that I was crying
when in fact, I was sniffling. I laughed and replied that I was alright,
but he ended up giving me his Kleenex tissues, and we chatted
for a bit. 10 minutes into the conversation, he asked if I wanted to
grab a café (coffee) with him, but I smiled and said I had other plans
(which was true).
Oh how French men are so kind, yet so forward!

From the Luxembourg Gardens, I went to the Cluny
Museum to learn more about Paris' medieval history.
Pictured above is the museum's most prized piece:
the Lady and the Unicorns tapestries. 

The museum's exterior

(Later that day, I went to hang out with the marines

and other interns at a BBQ that lasted all evening long.)

Sunday (15e arrondissement)

If Paris during the weekday is calm in August, Paris on Sunday is silent. Since the remaining few stores close on Sundays and Parisians flee to the sea on the weekends, Paris is like a ghost town. Thus, I visit the parks of Paris (as they are open every day), but decided to concentrate on the parks located in the 15e arrondissement as it is not far from my house and an area with which I

am not familiar. The 15e is one of Paris' largest and most populous neighborhoods, so if I wanted to come in contact with Parisians at the park, I knew that this would be the neighborhood to visit. 

Place du Commerce 

Square Violet

Another view of the park 

Square Saint-Lambert

Beautiful, isn't it?

Rue Lecourbe with the Square Saint-Lambert
on the left and the Eiffel Tower in the distance 

The 15e arrondissement's monuments
to the French men and women who died during World Wars I and II

Parisians lazily sipping rosé
at a café across the street from the 15e Town Hall