France En Velo

Mike and I arrived in Paris on Friday after a comfortable and uneventful journey. Thanks Westjet. We met Helen at our rental apartment in Paris north, selected to be outside the main tourist arrondissements.
Day 1 we managed a long walk and spent time in the Parc de la Villette. As Paris expanded over the modern decades, there was a need for recreational, green spaces to the north so the city commissioned a famous French architect to transform 135 acres of industrial land in the 19 th arrondissement. The park is a beautiful [and very clean] area along a canal with interesting buildings, expansive areas for sports, eating and entertainment, and lots of play grounds. I am enclosing a picture of a huge dragon play structure that looked like something out of Disney that would keep our Eleanor amused for hours.

Fiona and Jiggs (sister/BIL) arrived Saturday full of interesting stories from their 10 days in Morocco. We met Mike’s brother Al and his partner Natalie for dinner in Montparnasse ( loads of tourists swarming the restaurants on a Saturday night). The bistro was very traditional with waiters whipping around from table to table: a pichet of rosé here, escargots there, baguette, rum baba, another pichet of wine for the Parrys! It was nice to RV with family, even for such a short visit.
Sunday was rainy but we braved the Bateaux Mouches - fun fact, it was named after the city where the boats were originally made ( Mouches). Got a glimpse of the beautifully renovated Notre Dame Cathedral. However, we didn’t have time to line up for an inside visit. What an incredible story of resurrection.
We met our friends from Versailles for lunch and they kindly drove us out to the Cathedral Basilic of Saint Denis , north of Paris, which is the necropolis for the French royalty. So, it is a beautiful church filled with 100s of recumbent figures. There are 43 kings, 32 queens buried there ( including Marie Antoinette) and numerous prince and princesses). It was more than a creepy church, there were actually some beautiful statues, paintings and stained glass.
And speaking of Kings of France, today we chose a day trip to Fontainebleau. Most people head to the Palace of Versailles, but the palace at Fontainebleau is as beautiful and waaaay less busy. Also, I am biased as we lived in Fontainebleau as children when our Dad served there with NATO.
The Chateau of Fontainebleau was built as a hunting castle and became a summer home for all the Kings and Queens of France through the centuries who wanted to get away from the summer heat, smells and the odd revolution. Originally built in the 11 th century it has been continuously transformed over the centuries so the buildings are a mix of Renaissance to Baroque and even newer 18th century. The Fontainebleau gardens are the largest formal gardens in Europe and the palace has the usual collection of opulent rooms, tapestries and statues. Famously, Napoleon said farewell to his troops in the front courtyard before he was, summarily, shipped off to Elba.
We enjoyed the afternoon checking out where we had lived as children (a beautiful home beside the palace which was reputedly build for the MIL of Napoleon’s wife, Josephine). We roamed around the huge gardens and the scent of boxwoods smelled like our childhood. We checked out the carp pond and found the maze where we played as children. Helen and I have many memories of Fontainebleau including our 60’s era nanny,Josephine, with her long blond hair and go-go boots; and her shenanigans with the US Air Force guys.
Today we leave Paris and Fi and Jiggs fly home. We head south to pick up our bikes and get on with our cycling holiday in the Loire Valley.
More to follow from there.
Love from Paris, the City of Lights!
Heather ( Mom/ Grandma)Read more