Auxerre

Auxerre, a place of well preserved, medieval, architecture. When we arrived we made our way down to the village centre for a quick bite of lunch. As soon as we entered the main precinct we were immediately impressed by the beautiful old buildings. It seemed that every other building was a testament to the past. Fascinating statues or sculptures dotted the squares between streets. I noted that a number of statues and indeed buildings reminded me of images from books or movies from my youth. I wondered what it would be like to be a time traveller. Perhaps if I had enough wine with lunch I could imagine myself walking the streets in period dress and making purchases in the shops of the day. We roamed the streets for some hours before the cold weather had our teeth chattering like our shoes on the cobbles. Reluctantly we returned to where we had parked the car where we checked into our hotel; the Hotel de Parc des Marchaux. Later that night we agreed that Auxerre was one of those villages in which we would spend a little more time. We wanted to explore the village further. Following one of the best breakfasts of our road trip we set out to discover more than we could see on foot the day before. Parking some distance from the hotel we found that Auxerre had an abundance of churches dating back hundreds and hundreds of years. What appealed to us was the fact that those now managing the churches had insisted on respectful visitations by tourists. Sadly, some tourists have to be given more direction than others as at times they behave as if they've left their manners in their luggage back in their swank hotel rooms. We were reminded that in Notre Dame in Paris, it was particularly disappointing for us to see that many tourists showed so little respect for those attending mass while they roamed and collected happy snaps; oblivious to the solemn reverence of those engaged in worship. In Auxerre the church rightfully regulated and clearly stated its expectations of those who wished to visit. One medieval church was made more remarkable by the requirement of absolute silence by those who entered. Gentle steps accentuated our calm passageway from the front doors to the pulpit, having first past windows of colour and shadows from steel bars. As we exited this church we became aware of the masonry and the intricate detail of the sculptures adorning its facade. We had come to expect and understand that in France people go home for lunch and businesses of every type close for a period of time. However, I can not fully comprehend and regulate my penal colony mindset against going to work twice each day. Perhaps I need more time in France to adjust my thinking. Today was Monday and we had set out early so as to avoid the town's lunchtime lock down. Foot sore but happy little Vegemites were we as we ventured into shops where no one spoke any English. Truthfully the autumn weather had descended and this was one of those days when it was a welcome relief to pop inside a shop to browse for some respite from the fierce cold.