Day 5: In and around Saint-Marcel

After the excitement of yesterday, but mainly due to the fact that there are no trains or buses running today, I am staying close to “home”. A warm day, perfect for a gentle stroll to Chateau de Bizy, which is still lived in. I took the guided tour, en français bien sûr, as everyone (bar one Spanish lady) was French – it was not a long tour, only 4 rooms are open to the public, but the guide did her best to make it last.

It was interesting, but not the best I’ve seen. It is called the petit Versailles but you need to use a bit of imagination – the gardens are cared for by 2 gardeners, so it is nothing like the size but it has a formal layout. It does not have many flowering plants, it is mainly trees and grass and the fountains are dry – France is having a bit of a drought, so I guess the fountains are wasteful. One of them used to be used to wash the horses when they came back from the hunt, and there were some interesting old carriages on display in the stables which used to house around 60 horses – imagine the compost – no need to buy any.

After seeing the château I had a walk in the grounds then headed back to base for a seat in the garden with my Kindle. I very briefly met the other resident cat, but it didn’t stay to socialise. Lily, who I met earlier, hung around a bit. She is a sweet cat with a voice that is at odds with her petite figure – it is a very Siamese, strong miaow.

After discussion about trains etc for tomorrow’s visit to Amiens, I am now going to stay there as that will avoid opportunities for trains not to be running etc. Rucksack packed and it’s off for a final meal in Vernon in one of the few restaurants open on a Sunday – Buffalo Grill. I had a really nice meal there, nothing fancy, just grilled salmon and some more rosé, but it rounded off a nice, uneventful day.