Day 16: Troyes to Alencon

We headed off to our next stop, Alencon, with a small detour to the town of Chatres to see Our Lady of Chartres Cathedral...a magnifent building dating back to 1194; we could see it rising from the surrounding fields from miles away. Matt did an awesome job navigating the medieval alleyways that they call streets - he deserves a medal. We left the Champagne vineyards behind yesterday and today we drove past mile after mile of potato crops as well as huge piles of spuds drying in the paddocks. Matt tested out his overtaking skills, passing many tractors and harvesters. Once again Google maps had us driving through tiny villages, cobbled alleyways and one way lanes before we arrived in Alencon. 50m from our room was an enormous Cathedral which was shut (sorry Matt) so we took a walk to the Château des Ducs d'Alençon. Built in the 9th century this castle was taken by William the Conquer, Henry I and Louis VI. More recently, it was used by the Gestapo between 1940 and 1945. It is now an open freespace with a playground - a very tasteful repurposing for the public. A quick pint and dinner at a brewpub - with a great view - and it was home to plan tomorrow's trip to Mont St Michel...a place we have both wanted to visit for a very long time.Read more