Biking from Nemours to Sens

[frenchmystiquetour]

France is full of history but this trip report isn't going to teach you anything about it. Isn't that why they invented Wikipedia? We're not going to learn where the best restaurants are either. You better pack a lunch instead. And don't even get me started on hotel recommendations. The only place I'm staying is on top of my bike seat. Because it's an awesome place to be on a sunny summer day with shocking blue skies when you live in one of the most beautiful countries on the planet (IMO) and are about to embark on a biking adventure into the unknown countryside.

I like exploring new territory and there's plenty of it to choose from around Paris. Using the usual dartboard method that seems to work so well for me in deciding where to ride, I opened my 2007 edition Michelin Atlas Routier to one of the pages around Paris to see what might make an interesting trip. To get into the countryside around Paris (which is really much closer than most people realize) I need to find a destination on a rail line as a starting point and an end destination on a rail line to make the return trip to Paris. I don't like climbing steep hills so another thing I look for is gradient arrows on the map and if there are none then step two of trip planning is accomplished. The next thing to look for is a route that passes through little towns and hamlets, has some designated scenic stretches and maybe passes by some chtâteaux or ruins or some other marked historic/tourist attraction on the map. The last thing I look for is a couple of highlights to include on the journey, like some well known town or site or attraction that is generally considered ''tourist worthy''.

Just about 80km south and a little east of Paris I targeted an area that looked promising which started in the small city of Nemours and ended in the small city of Sens. The two places lie about 40-45km apart in a straight line but the route I planned to take was more like 60-70km. My bike and I hopped on the RER A and headed into Paris to catch my SNCF train to Nemours at Gare de Lyon.

That's pretty much it for the talking part of this report. The point of this report isn't to learn about history, but rather, to learn what there is to see on a bike ride into the unknown. Time to make with the pictures. First stop, Nemours.








Market day.

[frenchmystiquetour]

Exiting Nemours.






Into the woods.

[frenchmystiquetour]

And back into the country.




Haven't you always wanted to visit Treuzy-Levelay? Well here's your chance.











Leaving Treuzy-Levelay.

[frenchmystiquetour]

The map showed a château in the vicinity but I was separated from it by a stream and ditch and the view was mostly blocked by trees.
















Nice horsey.

[frenchmystiquetour]

No need to tell you where I am. It's equally as famous as Treuzy-Levelay.












The map says there's another château around here. Here it is.

[frenchmystiquetour]

And, one more château. Just for old times sake.






Arriving at the outskirts of Voulx it doesn't look like much is going to happen.








But then as you approach the center of town it starts to reveal a little more than you were expecting.

[frenchmystiquetour]

That last picture marked my arrival in the center of the village and I know what you're saying to yourselves. Where are the people? With the exception of crazy people and the village idiots, who always seem to find me, I'm convinced that most countryfolk fear the presence of me and my camera and upon my arrival scatter like cockroaches in a dark room when you turn on the light. Either that or there is some secret French government sponsored program to maintain the buildings in rural areas for tourists like me seeking quaint country villages. If the latter reason is correct, then the government had me pretty well fooled with Voulx. Some villages I just sort of pass through and at others I stop and cruise around for a while. Voulx was starting to look worthy of cruising around.








Here's the old wash house in front of the car. Just about every village I saw today had preserved their wash house.

[frenchmystiquetour]

It was after taking this picture that I pulled over to rest for a minute and thought to myself what a charming little town this was. Ironically enough, the name of the street I stopped next to was......




You can decide if it's as charming as its name implies.










Leaving Rue du Charme behind I continued on through town.

[frenchmystiquetour]

Once I had finished intruding on the lives of the people in Voulx I'm sure some villager blew a whistle, signaling to the citizens that it was safe to come back out of hiding and resume their normal everyday activities.













I seemed to have stumbled upon the house of the local village artist, who had elaborately decorated the exterior of the outbuildings on their property with mosaic tile artwork.

[frenchmystiquetour]

Here's their garden/yard, which looks like a nice place to relax with a glass of wine.

[frenchmystiquetour]

As you can tell by my ride through Blennes there are still no people.

[frenchmystiquetour]

The next town I entered was called Vallery but instead of showing you pictures how about just riding through it with me? I made a video if you feel like going for a ride.




After leaving Vallery I encountered my first real ascent of the day, which couldn't have come at a worse time as it was mid-afternoon and I had already been riding for several hours and the temps were starting to climb above 30 degrees celsius.

[frenchmystiquetour]

The next town I rode through was called Paroy. On my last bike trip riding to Provins I had also encountered a town named Paroy and as I recalled the only thing worth photographing there were the signs that told you when you entered and exited the village. Let's see if things will be different this time around.





The moral of the story is, if you are ever seeking photo worthy subject matter avoid any town called Paroy at all costs.

[frenchmystiquetour]

At last I had reached my destination of Sens.

[frenchmystiquetour]

The lack of people present in the villages I saw seemed to be more than compensated for by the relative abundance of humanity in Sens. You can look up the history on your own but it probably won't tell you about the present day existence of multiple upscale stores and boutiques and the equally upscale looking people I found here today. It was my first time visiting and now I see why it's often recommended as a worthy day trip from Paris. Seems like a very lively place.






Unfortunately the cathedral was partially covered in scaffolding as it is in the process of being cleaned or renovated. Beneficial for future visitors but somewhat of a blight for my photographic visit.




The decoratively tiled church roof is a signal that you are in Burgundy as this type of roofing is a characteristic of the region, most famously exhibited at the Hospices de Beaune.





















I didn't have enough time to see all of Sens since I had to catch the last train headed back to Paris for the evening but I have a feeling I saw most of what the typical tourist comes to see. That is all I have to say in this report. I hope you enjoyed the ride.

[slowpoke]

Thank you frenchmystiquetour for these wonderful photos of the joys of France that lie outside of Paris. Traveling along the D roads of France on a bike is a real treat, and everyone should be lucky enough to do it at least once.

I recognize many familiar places along your route, as we have often cruised in the same areas, and when you travel by barge, your bikes become your "cars". Whether we are going to the closest market, or just out for a day of exploring the region, we are always amazed by the beauty of rural France. Thank you for taking all of us along for your bike ride.

[Darcy]

I wanna go! I wanna go!!

[PariS]

As always, great photos! More places to add to that ever growing to-do list! Yes, that street was aptly named--very charming. One of your photos answers the often wondered question, "Since windows don't have screens, does that mean there are no flies in Paris?" Yes, yes...that horse wasn't IN Paris

[frenchmystiquetour]

slowpoke - I see you live in Paris. Perhaps we'll meet at the GTG this October. I like your idea of the barge/bike combo. I'll have to try that sometime. Thanks for the compliments and always nice to meet a fellow bike enthusiast, especially one who rides like I do.

Darcy - I can take you! I can take you!

AnnetteC - I'm not done yet so your list is going to continue to grow....and grow....and grow. It's so easy to take charming pictures in France. Just aim anywhere and shoot. Of course, a bright blue sky in the background doesn't hurt. Even in the country the flies don't bother people, just horses and cows.

[Shoesy]

FMT - As to be expected, I'd never heard of those little towns, and I've already forgotten their names.
Hmmm.....I hope you didn't feel overwhelmed by the great number of people you encountered on the way to Sens. ;D Seriously, the lack of civilization in those places must have given you such a unique feeling of serenity. Just you, your bike, your camera and the pristine scenery......how lovely!

Your photographs are fabulous, and your humorous commentary has been a very welcome form of entertainment for me this morning.

Merci (and an exalt) for the wonderful posting.