Strolled into this just perfect rural village and was delighted to find 2 shops one of which was a boulangerie and open at that. My progress had been tracked by cows chickens cocks horses and dogs from every property. Each house was an island in a sea of immaculate vegetable plots. The boulangerie was an absolute gem and beat the bray artisan by a distance so far as the very best of the best. This fare will not be bettered the whole trip, I guarantee!
After a very quiet breakfast with the odd superlative exchanged, we mounted the wheeled steeds and set off the 3kms to Coucy Le Chateau. The road sliced through a dense forest to this fortress walled city sat high on a promontory with commanding views over the Aisne valley. The city had been largely destroyed by those cultural assassins the "Germans" but still our first sighting was greeted with awe for 2 reasons. First it was bloody spectacular, second we were faced with a 1 in 3 climb in 83 degrees with not a breath of breeze.
We staggered up the hill walking more than riding and headed for the first bar we could
find.it was lunchtime and busy. The cream dessert creeps being served to a beaming faced elderly couple in the corner looked Devine but it was a 1664 for me and orangina for her!
We hit the castle, 11€worth of stop yourself views and history. I very nearly became another castle victim when descending some centuries worn wet steps down into an artillery store. Classic French disdain for health and safety impairing your visit as the steps were in pitch black and no warning signs in evidence as I careered down a flight grabbing hold of a loose iron railing saving this old fart from a nasty fate.
Craftsmen were busy preparing for the season of medieval spectaculars staged here throughout June July and August and groups of chattering schoolchildren were seemingly being enthraled with tales of old by suitably dressed medieval ladies in waiting masquerading as tour guides.
The small and gratifyingly "entre libre" museum featured fascinating comparison pictures of the town Pre during and post wars. Bloody Germans!
We strolled around the old church perched and encircled within the ramparts such that you were walking at about 3/4 high around the knave, a unique feature as it is rare to look straight into the eye of the gargoyles normally peering down at you from such great heights. No surprise Then that this church also doubled up as a defensive position. The views certainly qualified it.
The ramparts had encircled the town with 28 towers at various points but the majority of these had been destroyed by you know who! We ended up at the local tabac next to the marie and my mind reflected on the pictures of German troops sat in this very spot. I got Collette to take a picture of me enjoying my 1664 wondering if the museum wanted to add a bit of 2012 history. In truth i doubt it.
We left the town down a wonderful steep hairpin road sat directly beneath the walled city. The road had been chalked with various competing cyclists names a la tour de France and I wondered if this was our second brush with the same race remembering the Albert thing.
We made our way across the valley to Pont St Mard and a stunning church which was closed!
And so we ended the day with the help of the much skipper maligned iPad by going off piste and cutting down tracks to return to Guny. Great fun and we were rewarded with yet more lovely views. The I.pad proved itself and we slipped into The rural peaceful retreat of Guny at about 6.30. It was still roasting so we had a cup of tea and then retired with beer and wine to the sun deck and basted for 2glorious hours before saturating ourselves in cold pork with dauphinois potatoes. Out of a tin they were yet another lidls triumph. Super day we slept soundly and very content with life.
Weather . A bloody scorcher.
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