Fontainebleau

16.05

Off to Fontainebleau today after a quick stop at McDonalds to check our internet and post a blog.  A two hour drive with a stop for groceries as it’s a public holiday tomorrow.

Found a cool camp site on the banks of the Seine River at Samoreau, 6km from Fontainbleau.

17.05

Woke to find our campsite a city of tents (it’s a long week end) and some brave souls sleeping on the ground just in sleeping bags.  It’s still very cold at night although the days are warm.

Off on a 55km cycle through the forests of Fountainebleau of which there are over 200 sq-km filled with oaks, beeches, birches and pines.  The ride, which was incredibly beautiful, was a mixture of forest tracks and D roads through small villages, it took us through the touristy village of Barbizon.  It was here in the mid 19^th century that  the Barbizon School of landscape artists was formed.  They were the first artists to leave their studios and work outside thus becoming the forerunners of Impressionism.  Theodore Rousseau and Francois Millet were the two most notable.  Toward the end of the ride two deer with their babies ran across the road in front of us.  The ride ended in Fontainebleau and we went into the amazing 1900 room Renaissance Chataeau, one of France’s largest royal residences, home to a list of tenants that reads like a who’s who of French royalty and aristocrats.  The Mona Lisa once hung here!  The Chateau and it’s grounds are just stunning, not unlike Versailles, it takes your breath away with the complete enormity of it all and the utter opulence. We walked around the huge grounds filled with lakes (some of the biggest carp we have ever seen),  statues and various gardens.  As time was getting on we decided to return tomorrow to explore inside.  Man you look forward to your food after a day like today.


Cooked a huge meal of pasta and spicy sausages.  Pam likes her sausages!  After dinner sat and watched all the goings on in the camp, interesting seeing the variety of different foods being prepared by the different nationalities.

18.05

Cycled into town this morning, the bikes were not our friends today!  Sore legs and bums!

Market day in town so spent an hour checking out the various stalls of produce.  The presentation and variety of the meats, fish and veges is amazing. 


Got our tickets to the Grands Appartements de Fountainebleau and Napoleon 1^st Museum (E20) with an audio guide and spent three hours meandering around the Chateau which was inhabited almost continuosly since the 12^th Century until the fall of Napoleon 3^rd in 1870.

Even saw the hat and coat Napoleon wore complete with his uniform, swords and boots.

The splendour of the various rooms is overwhelming and hard to take it all in.

19.05

A lazy day today spent around the camp with some French lessions in the afternoon and a walk to get groceries.

Had drinks with a Dutch couple, Will and Yans until midnight.  Most of the camp still up and about at that time.  Not getting dark until 10pm.  We head to the other side of Paris tomorrow to Vernon and a bike ride to Monets Gardens in Givernay.