Sightseeing in Troyes

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Not quite as sunny a day but perfect for a day of city sightseeing. We decided to take the bus into the city rather than walking and managed to negotiate the ticketing system, not something we do often as we so rarely use public transport.
Found Troyes to be a delightful city. Just the right size for a day’s visit and so much to see. Fantastically decorated and colourful half-timbered buildings everywhere we looked as well as some large, very ornate stone mansions as this was a very wealthy and thriving city of trade in the 1500s. We visited the cathedral and several churches all of which were superb with features of delicately carved stonework and vibrant coloured stained glass windows (I note that the pictures in the many of the windows were painted rather than leaded).
We lunched in a creperie and had our favourite, galettes. Can’t be long in France without savouring one of those. Then we wandered the streets and admired the amazing timber buildings. Major restoration must have been carried out of course to get some of them to near perfect appearance but everything seems to have been done very sympathetically. One entire street was under repair with all the businesses on either side closed. That one will be fantastic when complete. We headed for the main street (Emilie Zola) but actually preferred all the other streets to this as it proved to be a wide very commercial shopping street. The back alleyways and nooks and crannies were far more interesting to us particularly as we were not shopping !
After a drink in the main square by the beautifully decorated children’s carousel we caught the bus back to the campsite. Dinner sitting outside again – such a treat to enjoy weather warm enough for that. Everything then packed away as heading further south again tomorrow, first stop Lyon.

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