Saturday 31/7. Today we take a short drive of 15 or so Km to the town where Dominique grew up; la Ferte-Vidame. We were expecting another tiny hamlet however to our amazement we drove into a large rural village with all the signs of having been a significant place in this part of France. After stopping at the patisserie for some sweet supplies we toured the town. As we rounded the corner we were confronted by the ruins of one of King Louise Philippe’s country palaces and it became obvious as to why the town looked the way it did. Dominique later told me that the estate had been modeled after Versailles and even though time has not been kind to the estate it is still easy to see the similarities. We also took time to look at the ancient church in the town with its very interesting vaulted timber ceilings and beautiful stained glass windows. In the afternoon Judy and the boys had a rest while I went for a ride. One important note here, when you get lost 20km away from where you started on a bicycle in rural France it can be difficult to find directions and water, enough said!
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