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| The very grand chateau at Long. |
Have had a particularly good day,
it rained so much overnight but by this morning it cleared and have had sun and
clouds with very pleasant temperatures. It was such a pleasant ride as we
headed west along the bike trail, the surface was so smooth and the river just
meandered along, the banks full of wild flowers. The Somme is a fast-flowing
river and is surprisingly clear. Lots of cyclists on the track.
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| A very peaceful ride along the Somme River. |
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Thought this may have been war damage but evidently there had
been a fire 6 years ago, although I suspect it was fairly derelict by then. |
After we passed the town of St Remy, the track
became rough and very stoney, okay for mountain bikers but not so good for us,
so turned off at the next town. Had seen a place to eat on the other side of the
town, but didn’t realise that it was straight up a hill! Thank goodness for
electric assist, we managed it without any problems, and it was well worth the
effort as the panoramic view out over the Somme Valley was just amazing.
Thoroughly enjoyed our lunch, I had duck breast with a fresh apricot sauce and
vegetables including little purple potatoes. I have had them in NZ but they
always seem to lose their colour when they are cooked.
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| The view from the cafe. |
When we got back to Long, I
stopped off at the Chateau as wanted to have a look around, Ian was quite happy
to leave me to it! The beautiful 18th century building is surrounded
by huge park like grounds and gardens. When I arrived, they asked if I would
like to see the inside of the chateau as well, so paid the extra €3, then
realised that it was a guided tour – all in French, but it was the only way to
see inside, and then found they didn’t allow photos! The inside was really
impressive with amazing painted ceilings, artwork and furniture. I understood
very little but still enjoyed myself.
The gardens were very formal and not quite as elaborate as I expected,
but well worth a visit, and a fine end to a good day.
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| The wind was blowing the flowers aroud. |
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| Gorgeous canna lily in the Orangerie. |
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| Loved the shape of the glass houses. |
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| Double exposures! |
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