Yesterday I traveled from Utrecht (NL) to Tours (FR) and I stopped to visit the city of Amiens in Picardy.
As soon as I stepped out of my car, an elderly Frenchman on a bicycle asked me if I knew the neighborhood and the street he was looking for. I suggested the local man who was hanging out of his window and smoking might be able to help him better, and he did.
Of course Amiens is famous for the largest cathedral in France. What I like about it is that an ordinary regional capital built this landmark, thanks to the hard-working weavers who lived there, I assume.
There are also other historical buildings, like this beffroi (belfry, clock tower). A type of building you see in Northern France and Flanders, with a great variety in design. This one is very sturdy.
The wide-angle lens of my camera gives a weird view of the cathedral.
And I accidentally made an Instagram model gesture, without the smile. I didn't do any research in advance and forgot to buy a local specialty like almond macarons.
Anyway, Amiens is still a working-class city. The center is not the medieval old town you'd expect. I could have parked my car near the center for free, or even a few hundred meters from the cathedral for a small fee.
The medieval monuments look like they've been dropped into a modern city by aliens - thanks to the German tourists who visited three times.
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