Roses Roses

France is such a vast country that it seems to offer infinite variety, in its countryside, towns, villages and regions. I suppose therefore that I should not be surprised by another little gem that we had not previously discovered, but Provins, just 80 km from Paris, certainly was a surprise.

The lower village with its array of small shops is certainly worth strolling around, allowing one to absorb the atmosphere of old France whilst indulging in cake and coffee. Provins is rightly famous for its medieval ramparts, and the upper town. It prospered in the 12th century as one of the trading towns set up by the Counts of Champagne. We are lucky that many of the medieval fortifications still remain, as well as an intact centre, mostly dating from the 17th century.

The real surprise for us was to discover that Provins is famous for its products made from roses, such as rose jam and candy, though it was the rose mustard that we enjoyed with our steak frites that really did it for us. Quite unexpectedly delicious!