Another lovely day riding along the Canal d'Ourcq. We left mid morning with partly cloudy skies that kept us cool. Riding along the canal was quiet with just a few bikers and joggers.The path had deteriorated to gravel for most of the way.The beauty and the quiet isolation was surreal at times. We rode til noon arriving in Meaux just after noon. 

The occasional fisherman sitting alongside the canal reminded us of the impressionist paintings of an earlier era. All that was missing was a beard, a floppy hat and a Gauloises hanging out of his mouth.

It was sometimes necessary to walk the tandem with all its panniers on a tiny path close to the Canal.  We were frequently unsure of where we were - about 100 metres short of our destination!

Once we got to Meaux and found our hotel, we explored the town.  There is a beautiful but crumbling 12th century cathedral - see if you can guess what this is?

Hard to tell, but the cathedral of St. Etienne is famous for its gargoyles, many of which are sadly broken - perhaps in an attempt to clean the facade...

 Behind the cathedral and Bishop's palace were the lovely Jardins de Bossuet

                  where each flower had its own personal bee, no pollination problems here!

We walked along an extraordinary avenue inside the ancient ramparts of the walled city, to soothe us before a struggle with a complicated top-up difficulty with the phone sim card at the "Orange" Shop.  Fortunately young Greg sorted it all out with great charm, even acting as our translator in a phone call to an interesting stopover which will be described after we get there tomorrow.