In which Sid, Doris and Hermann visit Picardy: cathedrals, castles, a stone mine cum WW1 redoubt, a country show and a funicular.
But not in the same day.
Sid has put together a busy few days, packed with incident. The itinerary can be followed below on the beautiful Michelin mapping, on which Sid has un-beautifully, electronically scrawled.
Start in Newhaven with a morning sailing to arrive at Dieppe in the early afternoon. Drive to Beauvais cathedral for its fable of over-reach and falling down, but be there for the 16.30 demonstration of THE clock. Go on to Senlis and stay at La Boheme.
In the morning of day two, see Senlis cathedral and then set out to visit Chateau de Pierrefonds before driving to the Hotel des Francs in Soissons and staying for two nights.
On day three, go to the Caverne des Dragons WW1 Redoubt on the Chemin des Dames, then to Laon Cathedral. Return to Soissons for the cathedral and priory, dinner and all good things Soissonais.
From Soissons the determined seekers after knowledge can go to the seaside, via Noyon or Amiens. Stone-sated Sid and Doris went to a France-profonde country fair on the way to pretty Somme-side St Valery and the Relais Guillaume de Normandy.
Fifth and last day visit the funicular at Le Tréport on the way back to Dieppe, Newhaven and the run home.
No doubt that could be done better, but it was Sid’s first go. Maybe next time different colours for different days? Some people are perfectionists…
We are soon out of Dieppe because Doris blagged a lower deck slot and priority unloading for Old Hermann. Good news for a swift 100 kms to Beauvais cathedral and the afternoon demonstration of their clock, though it took a while to find a safe place to overtake the kennel.
Beauvais does have a really old clock with parts dating back to the 1300s and perhaps the oldest carillon clock in operation anywhere. It has 12 bells playing tunes, driven by a pin and drum music box mechanism. Jolly good, see below.
But the reason to hurry for a demonstration is the 90,000-part astronomical clock, built by local genius (perfectionist) Auguste Lucien Vérité in 1868 (oh, golden age). It tells the time (in many places), shows phases of the moon (and so also tides). There are 52 faces, moving figures from the scriptures, and depending on a barometer, model boats on calm or tempestuous seas. It is a marvel of the world, and you can walk round the back and see the works. Doris swoons.
The clock displays the age of the moon on 1st January and so the date of Easter. It is a joy to see.
The cathedral St Pierre more generally has a troubled history. Building started in 1225, with the intention of replacing the dowdy Romanesque church on the site. In the 1500s they added a transept, tower and spire to the 13th century choir. From 1569 to 1573 Beauvais cathedral was the tallest man made structure in the world at 500’ or 153 metres. Taller than Amiens and Notre Dame de Paris.
But it fell down. The planned nave was never built. The Wiki page on Beauvais is great. (Give money to Wiki.) Last time S and D came this way the church was shut.
In the pictures below are recent works to hold it all together. Just see how high it is, 48 metres inside.
There is Sid, reading a panel. God bless Charlwood primary school, Janet and John.
And this printed model shows what they had built. No nave…
From Beauvais Old Hermann heads on to La Bohemia Hotel in Senlis where it is not St Patrick’s Day.
The green Mont Blanc is very tasty.