Provins--the Medieval City of Roses

Bon jour, mes amies,
It rained over night here.  I woke up once to hear the pattering of the rain against my window, and I got up to look out.  Apparently it rained at home as well.  Rain in July!  Lovely here and there.
Although Provins is technically in the Ile de France and reachable by the RER suburban railway, it was a long way there and back, but a very nice day out.  No big sites exist in Provins.  It's just a very pretty and well preserved town--very proud of its heritage.
My only adventure on the way was getting caught in the ticket passage gate thingy.  My ticket was valid just not the right size for that gate.  I managed to get free, but a very nice young man was about to come to my rescue.  The train ride was not especially exciting, and I regretted not packing my kindle also because as late as I got back housekeeping was still doing my room so I had to hang out. The outskirts of Paris--and this is true of many European cities--are frankly ugly, but after a lot of industrial works and Corbusiervilles (By this I mean tall, stark depressing tower flats) one gets to the countryside. It was overcast although it didn't rain but the golden wheat fields really popped against the slate colored sky.  I saw fields of barley and maize, but other crops I couldn't identify.  Some of the towns we stopped in seemed to have sugar refineries--beet sugar as they mostly use in Europe.
I also appreciated the sight of Old Farms--with stone buildings clustered around a courtyard.  They looked like they were more agribusiness at this point rather than family farms, but I liked the idea of the tradition perhaps being carried on.
When we got to Provins, I followed the tourists who seemed to know what they were doing. The lower town is crossed by several pretty little rivers--we'd call them creeks--and also boasts some handsome half timbered buildings along the narrow streets. But the heart of the Medieval city is up hill--of course it is--with stairs and steep streets leading up and up.
As I said there's not a lot there.  A large collegiate church in the Gothic style is worth a quick visit. There's also a small fortress once commanded by the Counts of Champagne but called Caesar's Tower.  I strolled about happily and went into a touristy shop.
Provins is famous for its roses and its honey. Walking into the shop was a mighty heady experience I can tell you what with those combined fragrances.  Anything you can think of that could possibly be made from roses, honey, or both is on offer.  It all looked good, but I didn't want to be hauling a lot back, so besides postcards, I got a small jar of rose honey.  We'll do a tasting soon!
But except for the tourists, Sunday afternoon in Provins was quiet.  Sometimes there are Medieval demonstrations, so if you are interested time your visit.
On the way home about halfway through the trip I had to share my seat row with a guy reeking of cigarette smoke.  Smoking is not allowed on public transportation, thank God, but the addicts puff away on the platforms to the very instant they board.  Ugh!
Crazy guy seems to have taken the weekend off.  Good for him
A demain.