Thursday 30th May: Weather: 9°C to 19°C: Overcast with sunny spells
Paris: 20k: Walk around Chevreuse through villages south of Paris
Accommodation: Air BnB 20 Place de Nation
20k walk around Chevreuse
Promenade des Ponts on Yvette
Chateau de la Madeleine Chevreuse
Oh so pretty woodland walk
Chateau de Dampierre
Lunch in village of Senlisse
Woodland drive near Choisil
Roses galore
Chevreuse with Chateau Madeleine
Country roads around Chevreuse
Coubertin Foundation in Chevreuse
Popular walking track around Chevreuse
Feet up after 20k walk
Highlight today was discovering the picturesque villages of the Chevreuse Valley about 30k south west of Paris. The green landscape is so much closer to Paris on the eastern side than on the built up northern side. And it onl takes 45 minutes by train to discover the pretty little villages of Dampierre, Senlisse, La Ferte and Choisil, scattered amongst the woodland.
Ian is up early, I sleep in til 5.45am. A cup of tea, some emailing/blogging and breakfast with a cup of coffee. Ian has meusli and I have Baguette and butter. Then it’s time to plan out the walk for the day around Chevreuse, a google suggested starting point for a circuit of teh villages in the Valley of Chevreuse. The RER B line ends at Saint Remy les Chreveuse, just 3k east of Chevreues and it’s only 1 change at Chatelet les Halles.
It’s 9am when we leave our appartement and stop to buy 2 baguettes from a boulangerie on the way to Place de Nation RER station. It’s only 50 metres from our appartement to top of the steps to the underground trains, but another 500 metres of weaving, stepping and and escalating to the platform for the west bound RER A. It’s only a 5 minute wait for the train and another 5 minutes to Chatelet les Halles where we change to the RER B line, direction south.
After a very pleasant 45 minute train ride through the French countryside, we arrive at the pretty little village of Saint Remy les Chevreuse. A few steps off the station finds us walking along the cycle path to another pretty village of Chevreuse, with the Chateau Madeleine perched high above, imbedded in the woodland. 30 minutes and 3k later we’re in the very touristy village of Chevreus. There's lots of day trippers walking along the Promenade des Petite Ponts - a narrow path alongside the 3 metre wide River Yvette, the ponts (bridges) leading to old dwellings on the other side of the river.
We can’t resist stopping to buy two apple pastries at the local boulangerie and stopping in the local park to devour them with a cup of coffee. Off again following the velo signs to the village of Dampierre. The track takes us up high on the ridge through farm and woodland before descending agin into the small village of Dampierre with it’s large Chateau standing prominently in the village. Up the road again before turning left down a small country road to the village of Senlisse. It’s rather cool and the best place for lunch is perched on the steps of a local house. Fresh baguette, butter, cheese and tomato.
More woodland paths to the village of Choisil with it’s pretty sweet perfumed roses, then down a quiet country road back to Chevreuse. We walk quickly up the last 3k of cycle trach to La Gare de Saint Remy les Chevreuse to find the train waiting at the station, and no sooner do we find a seat, than the train departs.
Ian’s feet are bone weary and welcome the spare seat to relax for the journey back. One change at Chatelet les Halles to Nation, and we emerge at 5pm to quickly visit the Monoprix for more supplies - Pork Filet Mignon, mushrooms, onions, butter and more rose wine. It’s only a 5 minute walk to our appartement where we unload our goodies, pour a cold beer and cut up the veggies to fry with our pork fillet mignon.
Dinner of Pork, fried veggies, cold rose with a view over Place de Nation is superb. We’re off to the French Open tomorrow but after a 20k day, and only time for a bit of blogging, we’ll plan the train trip to Roland Garros in the morning. In bed at 9pm.