Cabin fever had finally gotten the best of us last weekend. Trying our utmost to stay at home, isolate as much as possible, wear our masks, and do our part to keep ourselves, our neighbors and the country safe from Covid-19, we had not really traveled anywhere to sight-see since the pandemic began. But working on the house non-stop had been getting monotonous. Our retirement plan had always been to intersperse home projects with travel. So, finally, we forced ourselves to put down the tools and hit the road.

We only had an afternoon and we didn’t want to go far. Somewhat at random, we spotted a town named Mayenne on the map. It’s a medium-sized town to the east, about 44 kilometers from Fougères. Google told us that there is a château in the center of the ville which was all either of us needed to know. Mayenne it was!

The day was lovely. Sunny. Blue skies. Winding country roads. Very french-y and just what the doctor ordered. We knew that we would be visiting a museum at the château so we left Saxon at home to guard our little tower. Besides, he doesn’t do well in warm weather so it was better for him to remain inside the cool of the stone walls.

Mayenne, the town, is situated alongside Mayenne, the river, which runs through Mayenne, the departement. They really like the way Mayenne sounds.

We maneuvered our way into the old town and found a shady spot to park the car. After getting our bearings, we made directly for the château. The château sits on a bluff running alongside the waterway which bisects the town as it makes its way south to eventually flow into the Maine and then Loire rivers. There has been a castle in this spot in Mayenne since at least the beginning of the 10th century. And before that there had been a Roman fort controlling the area. Remarkably, one can see elements from all of these periods in the remnants of the edifice which still stands today. The building houses a very good museum with a small but well-curated collection of artifacts on display representing the history of the local area. The architecture is varied and in good repair following recent restoration/preservation work. And we had the place virtually all to ourselves. Which is a shame, really. These museums rely heavily on the income they receive from tourist admissions in order to maintain the sites and carry out research. Like all museums and historical attractions, they will undoubtedly suffer a dramatic deficit in their funding due to the effects of the pandemic.

After the museum, we wandered around the streets of the old town. Then our stomachs reminded us that we hadn’t eaten lunch and demanded attention. We never argue with our appetites. So, we found a nice boulangerie, grabbed some quiches, drinks and dessert (duh!), and spend some quality french time in the square just watching the world go by. I highly recommend it.

Our stomachs satiated, we strolled around a bit more, happening upon a church. The Basilica of Notre-Dame yields an impressive appearance on the exterior, boasting flying buttresses enfolding a large apsidal eastern end and an impressive stairway. However, we found the interior to be somewhat wanting. Only elements of the nave piers and some scant carving remain of the original 12th century building. The majority of the church appears to be a 19th century reconstruction. Still nice, but a little disappointing. Are we getting too picky now that we’ve been in Europe for almost two years? Perhaps. But I would say that it is rather a case of becoming more discriminating.

Although we only allowed ourselves three or four hours in Mayenne, our visit was rewarding and relaxing. Just the thing we needed. It’s a pretty town with lots of shops and some lovely-looking restaurants that we will have to sample the next time we find ourselves in the area. It felt good to stretch our legs a bit and indulge in our craving for the history and beauty of France. This country never disappoints.