Beauvais Carousel Plus

Today we drove to Orly airport from our B&B* outside the town of Beauvais (roughly 100 km from Paris). We stopped there on the way, mainly to visit its marvelous cathedral from the 13th century. Its nave reaches a breathtaking 48 meters above the floor, and the top of the roof 68 meters--just a meter less than the towers of Notre Dame in Paris. It's currently under renovation--one reason I'm not blipping it.

This is a view of Place Jeanne Hachette, in the center of Beauvais--with a two-level merry-go-round (unique in my experience). Jeanne is the local heroine portrayed in the statue, swinging the axe for which she is named. She used it to dispose of an assailant during a siege of the town in 1472, a display of courage which inspired the citizens to organize their resistance until the siege was lifted.

From Orly we took a late flight to Venice, from where I will report tomorrow.

*A postscript to yesterday's comment on the B&B: Ten persons sat down to dinner, including our host and hostess, and friends and guests. Marvelous conversation till after 11:00 (including much on the DSK affair--If that doesn't ring a bell, Google it :-) Now to bed.