It’s Monday, May 11 and Day 21 of this marathon journey. A late afternoon arrival in Châlons made it feel more like a sprint for me. I tried, but was only partially successful in getting to locations in the city that were important to the Dauphine’s stay.

Marie Antoinette’s Accommodations

Enroute to her accommodations, Marie Antoinette passed through the Arc de Sainte Croix. The arch has been a part of the city since the 1100’s when it helped to protect the city from invaders. It was redone and dressed up for the arrival of Marie Antoinette.

The Dauphine spent her evening at the Hotel des Intendents de Champagne at 38 rue Carnot (below). I didn’t get my own photo of the hotel that now serves as the Prefecture of the Chalons en Champagne-Ardenne Region.

The future Marie Antoinette twenty years later would pass through this arch trying to escape France and again as a prisoner. The royal family on that infamous attempt to escape in 1791 were also housed in the Hôtel des Intendents de Champagne where Marie Antoinette stayed on her bridal journey in 1770.

My Accommodations

The Hotel du Pot D’étain (The Tin Pot) was a lovely small hotel (with an elevator, yeah!) on a square just off the main square. The only train for the day was scheduled to arrive just before 4:00, leaving me only a brief period of time to explore.

The lack of quality photos in this post belies the charm and energy of this town. I noticed the number of teens and young twenties out enjoying the several squares I walked through. Indeed, 20% of the city’s population is in that age group.

A Few More Sites

My walking route took me past the Châlons-en-Champagne Cathedral on rue de la Marne. By the way, many names in this town have changed over time, including the name of the town itself. At the time Marie Antoinette spent a night, the town was named Châlons sur Marne.

There is an interesting facade to the architecture in this city that I have not seen in others. It is a combination of chalk, limestone and brick.

The photo below is of a building with an address on the same block as the hotel where Marie Antoinette stayed. That style is also used in this mansion built in the late 1800’s by Eugene Napoleon-Cochery, a French politician, aa a gift to his daughter. The builder uses the same chalk and brick on the facade. It has since gone through a number of uses and most recently supplied reception and event services.

So, I’m off before having an opportunity to see and do as much as I would like in the waterways and streets of this wonderful city. After arriving around 4:00 on May 11, I’m off on May 12. After a 7 am breakfast, I get a break as I’ll have a two-night stay in Soissons. Stay tuned.