On Sunday, after morning coffee and tea, we picked up Pia and Nathan and had brunch down the street at Le Menec Nogent, then walked two miles into the eastern Paris suburb of Vincennes. We strolled through the 2,500-acre Bois de Vincennes, established in the mid-1800s by Emperor Napoleon III; it is the largest public green space in Paris and three times larger than New York’s Central Park. On a brisk winter afternoon, we toured the Château de Vincennes, a 12th-century hunting lodge that was expanded into a fortress, military headquarters, prison and royal residence for French kings, beginning with Louis VII. The expansive grounds, 172-foot high central tower (the tallest in Europe) and beautiful Gothic chapel are restored and open to the public, with iPad audio tours available. Fun fact: In 1917 during the First World War, the Dutch-born German spy Mata Hari was executed by firing squad in the chateau’s moat. Map link: Vincennes, France
Later that evening, we said goodbye to Danielle and Jay, who left for India and their next leg of travel to visit family. The rest of us made dinner at the house and watched The Man in the Iron Mask, the 1998 star-studded adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ novel set in 1662 France.
Bonus Question: What is chiromancy? (Answer at end of post)
Bonus Question Answer: Also known as palmistry, chiromancy is the practice of fortune- telling by reading palms and fingers.
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