Within Easy Reach from Fontainebleau

Our French friends introduced us to Provins, and it is surely a great day out from Paris. Provins, set in the middle of the Rriard Plateau, is a perfect town to view medieval architecture, having almost 60 protected historical buildings. It seems that Provins has had providence as a settlement since modern history started, and it was certainly an important Roman town. However, good records outlining Provins’ importance were not started until the early 800s, so this place exudes history!

The ramparts were constructed between the 11th and 13th centuries, and efforts had been made to make them stylish (there’s bossed masonry) to confirm the importance of this ancient town. Saint John’s and Jouy Gate were built in the 14th century, and as "royal gates" they are impressive pieces of architecture (the latter was restored in 1994).

Caesar’s Tower is named after the alleged builder of this fortification, but as this one was constructed in the 12th century, we can be 100% sure that it has nothing to do with him. There was a previous tower on the site, so perhaps that one’s down to him! For less than 4€ you can enter the tower, and I can assure you that this will offer you the best view of the surrounding countryside. We were interested to study the outer wall known as Pâté aux Anglais (the English crust).

The tithe barn is well worth the 3.50€. During the medieval Fairs of Champagne, the building was used as a covered market, and it is known that Toulouse merchants rented it in 1223. The ground floor was used as a storeroom, whilst the upper floors were living space. The cross-ribbed vaulting of the entrance hall is impressive, and at the bases of the vaults you can still see deep grooves that used to support wooden room dividers. Throughout this building, there are scenes set out depicting medieval traders, such as potters, wool traders, and moneychangers.

Saint Quiriace church was commissioned by Count Henri the Liberal in the 12th century at the bidding of Count Henri the Liberal, but severe financial difficulties meant that the construction was never completed. The impressive dome, which can be spotted from miles away, was added in the 17th century. The church is illuminated at night, a terrific spectacle.

There’s a network of caves under the town, but it is unclear why they were originally hewn out. It is assumed that they were early quarries for "fuller’s earth" (used in cloth manufacturing), and then they had a variety of uses: early centres of worship, hiding places during times of strife, and secret centres for the town’s Freemasons. For around 3€ it's worth investigating them.

If you check out before you go, they have a range of "medieval shows," including hunting birds and a variety of battle enactments. However, it’s a great place just to wander round and take in the atmosphere!

What a cracking place to visit! This magnificent chateau is about 50km to the south of Paris and is set in the superb royal hunting forest, and as we travelled from Milly-le-Foret, it was not too difficult to imagine the king and his courtiers riding the well-beaten forest tracks in pursuit of wild boar or deer. As we neared to Fontainebleau, we couldn’t resist stopping off to take in the fabulous view of the distant chateau framed by the mature forest trees.

The town of Fontainebleau is worthy of a potter round, with some interesting architecture and, of course, a plethora of souvenir shops. We found the shops attractive and adding to the atmosphere of this intimate town. But of course, the main attraction of Fontainebleau is the stately chateau that dominates the town. The chateau started its life as a royal hunting lodge in the early 1100s, and over the ensuing years, Fontaine-Belle-Eau (Beautiful Water Fountain) assumed real importance as a royal retreat.

The formal gardens are massive, and if you don’t fancy a stroll, there’s a horse-drawn carriage that’s standing by ready to give you a tour of the estate. We’ll never forget the carp pool—this started off life as a swamp pool, which François I had converted to a "decorative lake." The lake was populated with fish for the royal table, but nowadays these huge hungry blighters demand to be fed by visiting tourists and clamber over each other as they veraciously grab the food thrown into the lake. In the middle of the lake is the royal pavilion first built under Henri IV, rebuilt by Louis XIV, and then restored by Napoleon 1st. Consider the royal party taking afternoon tea there after a walk round the fine gardens, gardens that have been superbly kept as Louis intended, and it’s not too hard to imagine ruling monarchs taking in the sun dressed in all their finery.

The Palace is built around five main courtyards reflecting the period in which that were constructed. The most famous is the Court of the White Horse—the main entrance with buildings dating back to the mid-16th century. The renowned double horseshoe staircase, built in 1634, is where Napoleon made his formal farewell to his entourage before leaving for the Island of Elba.

Inside the building are the royal apartments, where you can see the beautiful ornate gallery commissioned by Francois I as his "souvenir" of a trip to Rome; the ballroom, completed in Henri II’s reign, with its fine marquetry floor and stunning ceiling decorated in silver and gold; the small chapels; council chambers; and the throne room with the original furnishings.

We’ve made several visits to Fontainebleu, and I reckon it’s not a place to do justice to in a single trip. There’s loads to see, and on fine summer days, we’ve found it an extremely relaxing and intriguing place to visit. We love it—perhaps you will, too!

Just 34 miles from Fontainbleau is the pretty town of Sens. We parked just outside the city walls alongside the riverbank of the Yonne and watched a steady flow of small boats chug up and down the peaceful waters. Many seemed to be leisure craft, and momentarily I fantasised about a riverboat holiday on France’s rivers and canals.

We wandered through narrow streets, crossed by Sens broad promenades, and ended up in the middle of a bustling market. It’s always great to stumble into a French town on Market day, the whole place was alive with locals examining the fine products from the surrounding area. The mood of the town was electric and although we could barely understand the banter, it was interesting to be part of the cheerful exchanges and have our olfactory organs bombarded by the smells of the huge variety of French cheeses. Down the narrow streets are some fine old houses with the original seasoned-oak timbers, weathered by the passage of time and housing some of Sens’ more exclusive fashion shops.

If you want to check out Sens’ history, the museum right next to the Cathedral has a great archaeological collection, including a Gallo-Roman villa that was unearthed in the basement. It’s now been preserved for posterity, with no need to move it for visitors! Originally, the town had thermal baths, and the facade has been recreated out of the surviving architectural pieces. Additionally you’ll see loads of mosaics, ceramics and old glassware.

But outside, hovering well above the museum is Sens’ Gothic St. Etienne Cathedral. It has a high-pitched roof, ornately decorated in the classic red and yellow tiles. Work began on this cathedral in 1140, but it took almost 400 years to complete. There are some really impressive sculptures, particularly on the west front, and gruesome gargoyles are in abundance. The view from the main square shows a strangely shaped edifice with the bell tower soaring to the highest point. A climb to the top of the tower gives great views over the rooftops to the surrounding countryside. On route you’ll see the original roof timbers and be able to marvel at the expertise of this early carpentry.

Inside you need to imagine the cathedral in its original state—that is, without the church furniture. The classic, simple Gothic lines offer a no-nonsense approach to early architecture, but the stained glass windows are what people generally say give an internal beauty to this place of worship.

Make sure that you pay a visit to the Archbishop’s palace (at the back of the Cathedral), and whilst there investigate the old dungeons. We speculated that very few people ever exited alive from the lowest cell; a dingy, unventilated hole in the ground.

I would not describe Sens as a sensational town, but it is well worthy of a potter around, and if you hit it on market day, that's a great bonus!

I don’t reckon that this compares with the Florida Disney, but if you’re in Europe and fancy a bit of razza-matazz, then you’re guaranteed that in Euro Disney World. It’s a fairly straightforward drive up the road from Fontainebleau to the Disney Park, and the route is as you’d expect, extremely well signposted.

Admission is around the £30 mark, and it’s setup with classic Disney expertise. Upon entry, you’ll find yourself in the middle of the hustle and bustle of an early 20th Century US street, and if the queues aren’t too great I’d suggest you climb onto one of the horse drawn trams that run its length. There are about half-a-dozen parades held in the park each day, and I’d recommend that you checkout the timing of these so you can make sure you’re there in time. Indeed a bit of pre-planning won’t go amiss, as that what will ensure that you see the shows and parades that are high on your agenda. I reckon a couple of days are required to do the park justice, and that way you’ll manage to see and enjoy most of the attractions.

The only problem is that the weather isn’t guaranteed, and I can imagine it will be pretty miserable if the rain is falling. We had a hot summer’s day with clear blue skies, our memories are of a great fun-packed day. Of course, Euro-Disney is packed with opportunities to buy souvenirs, and if you have young children you’ll need plenty of euros. The products are of good quality, but they aren’t particularly cheap—but where else can you savour the memory. The place is also littered with restaurants—we were a bit surprised at the range, and the fact that prices were generally quite reasonable. As your not allowed to take your own food into the park, that was quite reassuring. Other than rides, there are some "educational attractions" including the history of the statue of Liberty (remember there is a link with Paris) and "inventions arcade."

Thirty kilometres to the north of Paris, on the A1, is a different kind of theme park. Both our two boys were well and truly into Asterix, and what better place to live the dream than Asterix Parc. This park opened in 1989 and has been cautiously developing its attractions over the years. We found this to be a truly French experience, and there were plenty of seemingly ad hoc occurrences as we picked our way around the site. The Gaulish Village had magicians, while acrobats and characters appeared as if from no-where to create a great ambiance. There are plenty of rides for both children and adults alike. The obligatory dolphin show is at hand, and although I’ll never tire of their wonderful antics I’m quite sure that they added nothing significant to this theme park. At around €35 (€25 for children), I don’t reckon that it’s bad value for money.

No one can possibly deny the superb-ness of the Palace of Versailles. It’s an extremely popular place for tourists, so I’d advise that you get there early and avoid the massive queues that form on busy summer’s days. I’d strongly recommend that you invest in a one day pass (around €20), as then you can get around the grounds, and the chateau, without having to queue for tickets. You can buy them at Versailles, but we got ours from the train station.

The parkland at Versailles is perhaps the most impressive we’ve ever seen, and was conceived by Louis XIV. Classically, the grounds were laid out in a complex, but geometrical, basis and incorporate water features, well-managed trees, boxwood hedges, splendidly verdant lawns, statues, and formal flowerbeds. Indeed the Sun King was so pleased with his creation that he wrote an itinerary (an insider’s guide) to the best route to enjoy these magnificent gardens, and the best places to pause to enjoy the views. I wonder if he ever believed that these gardens would continue to exist so far into the future?

The chateau itself is a magnificent sight and, as we were only there for a day, we were not able to do it justice. I’m afraid we ended up rushing around trying to take in as much as we could. Everything is just staggering, and the palace management has made a conscious decision not to display anything that was not originally here. So no fake furniture, or foreign period pieces here. It takes a bit of getting used to but I think I am in sympathy with the intentions.

The rooms are awe-inspiring and we were transfixed by most of them. The Royal Chapel with the clear lines of arches and columns, mosaic floor, gold lustre, and painstakingly painted ceiling is a treat. The Clock Room has... guess what (!) and some terrific chandeliers. The Hall of Mirrors (no surprises here!) is just flabbergastingly beautiful. I’m surprised that the King was ever able to get to sleep in his ornate bedroom—the heavy tapestry curtain is just amazing.

Of course Louis was a lover of the arts, and as King what better place to see them than in your own theatre. The view from the stage of the opera is incredible, with its wealth of gold leaf , rich colours, and fine chandeliers.

There's an abundance of fine ceiling paintings throughout the Palace and the architecture, both internal and external is just wonderful.

It's real easy to run out of superlatives to describe this enduring edifice, and I am sure that we'll return. We didn't have time to investigate the town, nor to pause too long on our tour of the Palace. Suffice it to say, there's loads to see and I'm sure that you could never be disappointed with the wonders of Versailles. Well done to the Sun King!