Homage

Today was spent exploring what had been for us one of those  best kept secrets of France. We had never heard of the Region of the Perche before. It is a "natural park" containing a maze of little roads winding through agricultural and wooded rolling countryside and connecting numerous hamlets. Some of the villages are perhaps quieter now than they were (see the men's barbers in extras), but luckily for us it was Sunday and we stumbled across all sorts of weekend activity: open gardens, village bring and buy and barbecue etc. which gave us an opportunity to talk to some people who live in the area. 

It is impossible to miss the huge Abbey at La Chapelle Montligeon and I thought that my luck was in when a motorcade of bikers arrived, parked up their bikes and headed en masse towards the Abbey.  Unfortunately, from that moment on, they split up into various groups and ascended the steps to the Abbey in dribs and drabs. I didn't quite have the courage to call for a group picture.