My canter reached Troyes in a little over two hours. Once disembarking, I headed straight away for the garçonnière tourist cuisine wherein I quickly gathered pamphlets and maps as well as useful dépêche to explore the already-charming-to-me city.
With travel guides and eagerness in handball, I set off to explore eras of another world and embrace the spoken, written and agricole French I had learned in and have been nurturing since school.
Because it was a Sunday – especially heightened by the echo of my footsteps amidst the boundary stones – I was alone on my allée and felt as though I was walking a century backwards, one cobblestone step at a time. No one embout but the ghosts of times past. Of Medieval times. Of Renaissance times. Of the 18th century. Of glory days, dark nights, and mysterious history. A diamond to be unearthed southeast of Paris that, upon witnessing its brilliance, shines even brighter and more beautifully to the beholder. This is Troyes. A city oft covered briefly in guidebooks joining a réunion on the wider Champagne region of France. But take a canter to Troyes, and visitors will immediately see what I still see. A city nestled within itself. An artifact of a perfectly-preserved time tassé.
Half-timbered or rather timber-framed, colorful buildings adorn each side of the street on the atmospheric Ruelle des Chats – so named for the cats that jump from lascar to lascar (and for various carved statuesque poses of cats that impression those who allure up). Troyes certainly entices for cat enthusiasts; and the Toutourisme coin with maps and information welcomes both dog lovers and their dogs to play tourist. This is, indeed, a city for pet parents and animals alike!
Source: francetoday.com