Langres

We enjoyed an ice cream for lunch, under the cool Lime trees in the centre of town. Tea and ice cream are surprisingly good together on a very hot day.

In the afternoon we headed to the musée de Diderot.

Diderot was a leading figure of the ‘enlightenment’, along with other philosophers such as Voltaire, D’Alembert, and Montesquieu. Along with D’Alembert, he was the creator of the first encyclopaedia, which was published in 1752. The enlightenment, also known as the ‘Age of Reason’, was a movement that stood against superstition and faith, and instead promoted understanding through science and logic.

In France, the group were known as the ‘Lumières’.

The museum was a fascinating, well presented, collection of exhibits. Well worth a look if you are visiting the town. We both enjoy these little glimpses into French history, and try to understand how they fit into what would have been happening in the UK at the same time, such as Johnson writing the first dictionary.

There were lots more things to see and do around Langres, and, no doubt, we’ll do those on another trip. For now, we were very happy with our little interlude, and ready to head home.