Sanglier!

Isn't it funny when the one thing you'd looked up in advance and were really looking forward to turns out to be a bit of a damp squib...? Guédelon is, it must be admitted, an interesting place to visit, but...

Since 1996 a castle has been being built, and it's anticipated to be finished in 2021 - primarily because they are building it using 13th century techniques (save for the occasional nod to modern safety such as safety goggles for the stonemasons). Now while I know fellow blipper Fiachra would love this (it being an archaeological AND building project) there was something a little 'flat' about the whole thing. Perhaps it was down to the French desire to turn these sort of things into theme parks (which was much the reason for finding Versailles a little odd last year); but in the main it seemed a chance not capitalised on. There wasn't enough information about the building techniques, nor troubles they'd had or issues resolved. Instead there was a site lacking a little 'heart'. Put it this way, would you pay money to watch someone repaint the Mona Lisa? It's lacking in the history; the stories within the walls. There's no soul to pass on to those visiting.

Even so it was a beautiful morning (as the colour in the first linked photo will testify), and the trip from Guédelon to Chablis along arrow-straight Roman roads culminated in more wine purchases; and thereafter a meander back 'home' via an 'Enclos des Sangliers'. The woods around here are home to truly wild wild boar, but near our house there's a fenced off area, producing a half hour round trip walk, in which some boar are protected from the annual hunt. And tonight they were on view.

As were we. Pulling up in the car, a group of French motorcyclists were already at the enclos and had a good old stare. Proper turn around and ignore the boars and gawp at the foreigners staring, But we're getting used to that. Very odd. Or maybe we are.