La Vallée Part Deux

This morning we went with the Poulain family to mass in the neighbouring town of Moret-sur-Loing. Some of the buildings still in use here date back to the 1500s.

 

Afterwards, we were invited to the home of some family friends of the Poulain's for an apéritif, but we were certainly not expecting a house of this size. 

Their home, known as the Chateau de la Brosse, was passed down through generations from a cheesemaker. One of the family members gave us a bit of a tour and provided us with some interesting history of the site. We even had a chance to go up into the rookery, where pigeons came to and from to deliver messages. Crazy!

When we got home, we had a lunch of grilled sausages and chicken, salad from the garden, pâté, bread, cheese (surprise!) and strawberries. All of it was delicious as usual. 

After some ping pong with Paul, we went on a bike ride with Nathalie around La Vallée and stopped to check out an old fort built in the 1200s. Ash's bike got a flat about half way through our loop, and we had to walk the bikes home, which actually wasn't so bad, as Nathalie was able to tell us a bit more about the history of La Vallée. 

Before we packed up for Paris, Nathalie and Ashleigh collected veggies to take back with us, as the family usually does, to enjoy garden fresh food throughout the week. 

On our way back to Paris, we made a quick stop at a chateau that Nathalie and Thierry have mused about buying, as it's currently on the market. It was originally built by a nobleman in the 1400s, then converted into a monastery, and then into a private hotel of sorts for a French bank. Just to give you an idea of what we're dealing with, there are over 40 bedrooms alone. It's a massive property that would need a ton of work both inside and out. 

When we returned to the apartment in Paris, we had a dinner of charcuterie, salad, bread, more cheese, peaches and yogurt. We certainly won't starve while we're here. 

Tomorrow, we're back to being tourists, as we've got a bus tour, river cruise, and Eiffel Tower trip planned in the afternoon. Hopefully the weather cooperates.

À bientôt!