Whenever I visit a new place, I always wonder how do the local people live, how do they spend their time, what do they eat, so I look for charming homes and gardens, which are often filled with history of the past.
This is how I discovered this little paradise, hidden in the north-eastern France, in Thonnance-Lès-Joinville, called Les Jardins de Mon Moulin (The Gardens of My Mill).
Since we left Troyes, we stayed overnight in a house with a French lady and her son, where we rented two rooms. There were two cats, chickens, eggs, tomatoes, Buddha statues, bicycle and flowers. She greeted us warmly, introduced us to her house and garden, including the garden tomatoes and eggs.
The next day was Saturday, and that meant - market day! Off we went led by a map. It was about 10 minutes walk from the apartment we rented in ChΓ’lons-en-Champagne.
On the way we admired the style of homes, with typical of the region burgundy shutters. Many homes have the medieval look, which is nothing unusual, when just 1 hour away lies the ancient city Troyes.
We left Laon behind, and drove towards ChΓ’lons-en-Champagne, were we booked a one night's stay.
It was very hot, but still, the weather was changing from cloudy, rainy, to sunny and finally very sunny with almost clear sky. We passed some sunflower fields as we drove, but sadly this year they have all dried up due to the heat. I was looking forward to rows and rows of grapes. Suddenly, as soon as we crossed into the Champagne-Ardenne region (which comprised regions of Marne, Haute-Marne, Ardennes and Aube since 1956) they were all around us. The grape fields were absolutely gorgeous and all I could think of were markets full of them in early Autumn.
It was already late when we arrived, but we could see this amazing medieval town, with its cathedral and five towers in the distance. Laon, with its rich history, was the medieval capital of the Carolingian kings, before it was moved to Paris by Hugh Capet, who became king in 987.
