2007 in Pontoise
Ascension Day marks the start, each year, of our get-together with our French colleagues,
Les Amis de Sevenoaks. It is so often, too, a time of glorious Spring sunshine, blue sky and warm weather, when the trees come into bud and all the flowers come out. Unfortunately, in 2007 this had all happened a month early, in April and by May we were paying for it with a return to wind, rain, cold and generally depressing conditions. What a time to go visiting our Pontoisien friends! Yet the weather was never a problem. With the welcome they gave us and so much to do together in such a short time the elements could only take a back seat.
What follows is a pictorial record of our visit, a selection of photos received from members of our group.
We tend to use the Shuttle now, to cross the Channel. The time saved is enough to permit a stop, once in France, for a leisurely restaurant lunch instead of the rather hurried picnic we used to have. This time we found ourselves at an estaminet restaurant called Le Roadster, in the hamlet of Maninghen-Henne, to the east of the A16 close to the exit for Boulogne. A happy choice, it seems, good food, well served in friendly surroundings.
Rain for our arrival in Pontoise! Everyone anxious to get the luggage out, into the waiting cars and home to our hosts as soon as possible.
Welcome sunshine for the start of Friday, the day set aside for two excursions, one to Beauvais, the other to villages nearby. What follow are pictures from the latter visit, starting in St-Germer de Fly, with its enormous Abbey church.
As if the Abbey church isn't big enough, the building includes a duplicate of the Sainte Chappele to be found in Paris, built only a few years later and with its magnificent rose window.
Lunch in St-Germer de Fly. One of the great pleasures of France is finding village restaurants with such excellent food. Our hosts always choose well.
Still at lunch.....the food was good and it was raining again outside!
But it cleared up again for the afternoon.
We visited Gerberoy, one of the prettiest villages in France, known especially for the weekend rose festival they have each year. We arrive the day before and had something of a preview as we strolled around the village. Then on to the Château de Troissereux, in the process of being restored by the elderly couple who own it and showed us around.
Warm smiles all round testify to the depth of hospitality always shown to us when we visit our friends in Pontoise!
Gathering on the Saturday evening for the Gala Dinner with the Mayor who, in Pontoise, is also the MP.
The dinner was held in the newly refurbished salle des fêtes next to the Town Hall, known as "Le Dôme". A few speeches, of course, and another excellent meal. But mainly the celebration of the good friendship that exists between our two communities.
