Troyes

Sometimes it's past midnight before I make it up to my room, and most of the time that's after a long day and a few glasses of wine. So I can't blog. All I can do it flop into the bed.

Yesterday (Tuesday) we worked in the studio until lunchtime, then off to visit the city of Troyes (pronounced something like Trwah). I think this is the sort of place I've been longing to see here in France. Its history goes back to before the days of Rome. In the middle ages it was the place of an annual fair, where traders from throughout the western world would sell their silks, leathers, furs, spices, precious wood and silverware. It was a thriving town. The buildings we walked among were, if I understand correctly, built between the 12th and 16th centuries. There had been a fire in 1524; much of the city had to be reconstructed. We saw the Saint Urbain Basilica (1654), with it's incredible stained glass windows and gargoyle gutter spouts. We walked narrow cobblestone streets, almost gutters they were so narrow. It was difficult to comprehend the history and the lifes spent in the wonderful city.


Today: Paris in the rain. Skies have been gray almost the entire time I've been here. It's raining now. We've had a few sunny days, but for the most part, we don't leave the house withour our umbrellas.