|
Post by frenchmystiquetour on Jan 6, 2011 21:55:36 GMT
Today's bike journey will take us to Chartres. I've ridden a few different ways to get to Chartres, once starting in Rambouillet and once starting in Epernon, so I'll combine both trips into one report. Starting at Gare Montparnasse the bike and I took the train to Rambouillet. Rambouillet is a wealthy bedroom suburb of Paris that was for most of its history a town inhabited by and under the control of nobles with royal connections. The first written mention of a château here dates to the early 12th century and like most châteaux it has been constantly expanded and modified throughout the centuries. Minor historical events dot its history, such as the death of Francis I at the château in 1547. The château became an official residence of royalty when Louis XVI purchased it and its associated domain in 1783. In 1785 Louis had a dairy farm constructed for Marie-Antoinette so she could continue to pretend to be a peasant, with merino sheep imported from Spain. With renovations being carried out at Versailles, making it temporarily uninhabitable, Louis moved the royal court to Rambouillet and undertook further works there as well. It was also chosen by Louis due to its noted hunting grounds, a sport for which Louis had a great affection. Abandoned and neglected during the revolution, even serving as a grain depot, Napoléon restores the château and makes it one of his residences. At the end of the restoration of the monarchy Charles X abdicates his throne from here. Being the main town in its canton (district) and due to its proximity to Paris, the arrival of the railroad helped to create a period of modernization in the town with improvements such as gas lighting, public water and many new municipal buildings. In 1896 the château becomes a summer residence for the Presidents of France. Heads of state are entertained here and continue to engage in hunting, a tradition for which the château had always been noted. In modern times the château has served as a place for international meetings with Nikita Krushchev being received here in 1960 and Leonid Brezhnev in 1973. It was the meeting place for a major economic summit in 1975 with 6 heads of state attending. Mitterand received Gorbachev here in 1990 for a Franco-Russian summit and Boris Yeltsin was received again in 1995. In 1999 during the crisis in The Balkans NATO met here and drafted the Rambouillet Agreement, which called for restoration of autonomy for Kosovo. The former Yugoslavia's refusal to sign the agreement resulted in NATO airstrikes shortly thereafter. There's a whole lot more nuance to this agreement and the parties involved than what I'm covering here but this report is supposed to be about a bike ride, not international politics. So there's some basic history for you. Time for a ride around this lovely little town. Here's a look around the château and its grounds.
|
|
|
Post by frenchmystiquetour on Jan 6, 2011 21:57:29 GMT
|
|
|
Post by frenchmystiquetour on Jan 6, 2011 21:59:55 GMT
I had planned my ride to go from Rambouillet to a designated scenic road which started in the town of Gallardon. Gallardon is a nice little town, one of the larger ones in the area, and probably the place where anyone within a 10-15km radius comes to find essential services, amenities and shopping. It had the look of ancient times with some half-timbered buildings, a few narrow windy streets, a gothic church, the ruined remains of a medieval tower and it was perched just above a nice little river with park space along it banks. There were a few cafés and restaurants too. Here we have a 16th century ''Maison de Bois'' (half-timbered house would be a good English translation) known as the ''Fief des Marmousets''. Classified as a historic monument, it is noted for the wide variety of ornamentation in its half-timbered framing which (according to the town website at least) makes it one of the most beautiful houses sculpted in wood in all of France. I haven't seen all the half-timbered houses in France but I've seen enough of them to qualify as an amateur critic. I must admit to being a bit skeptical of the town's claim in regards to this one but it's still a nice example of the style. Here's another one. Of course what medieval town worth its salt doesn't have a gothic church. Actually the church is a blend of Roman, Gothic and renaissance in style with a bit of modern renovation thrown in for good measure. Here we have The Tower of Gallardon, locally referred to as the ''Epaule de Gallardon'' (Shoulder of Gallardon). The tower was built in the 12th century and was a home for the guards of the local baron as well as a lookout to survey the surrounding countryside for threats. It was part of a larger fortified castle that was destroyed by the Dauphin, Charles VII, during a siege of Gallardon in 1421. I guess that means the English and/or their local allies must have been occupying the town around that time during The Hundred Years War.
|
|
|
Post by frenchmystiquetour on Jan 6, 2011 22:01:52 GMT
|
|
|
Post by frenchmystiquetour on Jan 6, 2011 22:03:41 GMT
|
|
|
Post by frenchmystiquetour on Jan 6, 2011 22:05:31 GMT
|
|
|
Post by frenchmystiquetour on Jan 6, 2011 22:06:37 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2011 22:06:49 GMT
Shame on you, FrenchMystique! I saw at least one or two people in the street. If you cannot properly evacuate these towns before taking photographs, extreme measures may be taken.
|
|
|
Post by frenchmystiquetour on Jan 6, 2011 22:09:38 GMT
If you've seen my other bike trip reports and the kinds of scenery I usually ride through then this last photo montage may not quite measure up to those standards. The reason being that the whole area encircling Chartres is more or less a huge, flat, wide open plain and the population tends to be scattered out in tiny little hamlets with only the nearby towns of Epernon, Rambouillet, Gallardon and Nogent-le-Roi having any substantial population. I really wanted to bike to Chartres but since I wanted to spend time there exploring I didn't want to spend too much of the day on the bike, like maybe 30km of riding as opposed to my usual 60+km. Well Chartres just happened to be encircled by about 30km of the plains I just mentioned. I try not to take my bike any more than an hour by train from Paris because including the return trip it's already two hours of a day spent on a train. Rambouillet and Epernon are about 30 and 40 minutes by train from Paris and are the two stops that put you within 30+-km from Chartres. So if you want to bike to Chartres but really don't want to bike more than 30km and also allow yourself enough time to visit Chartres then the route(s) I just took and will continue to follow is really your best option for the most scenic and enjoyable ride. Although the scenery wasn't overwhelmingly spectacular it was still pleasant, the roads are flat and easy to ride and there are few cars so it's an altogether peaceful atmosphere. And there are still going to be a few more upcoming attractions and pleasant stretches of scenery so I don't want to sell myself short on the quality of the ride. There's still more to see, which you will find out about now as we return to the town of Maintenon, where I had previously left off on my other ride. Anyone reasonably familiar with the history of Louis XIV's love interests has probably heard of Madame de Maintenon, one of the wives of Louis, and it is this town from which her title is derived. Like about a million other towns in France Maintenon is first recorded historically in the early 12th century when mention is made of a lord of Maintenon. The first fortified castle arose at this time and by the 13th century there was also a keep. In the early 16th century the château comes to the possession of one of the creditors of the lords of Maintenon, who was also the treasurer for Louis XII and finance minister of Francis I, Jean Cotterau. The château is expanded, giving it a square shape with towers at the corners. The next major changes come when the château is purchased by Madame de Maintenon in 1674. Having raised the illegitimate children of the king and his mistress she became the beneficiary of money, property and other rights and privileges sufficient enough for her to purchase the château. Just beause she's an interesting historical figure and because the towns fame is so inextricably linked to her here's a quick background of the Madame de Maintenon. Supposedly born in a prison to a father of noble stature (her mother was the jailers daughter), in her adolescence relations of her family introduce her to Parisian society where she meets and marries the noted poet, Paul Scarron, whose salon attracted all the bigshots. Scarron was a cripple (rheumatoid arthritis and/or partial paralysis) who had supposedly contracted his infirmity due to an unfortunate bathing experience in the Seine in the winter. Myself, I would think a bathing experience in the Seine would be unfortunate in any season. Becoming an influential figure at the salon, Madame Scarron (not Maintenon yet) makes friends with all the important ladies (I don't want to name drop), one of whom is Madame de Montespan, the kings mistress. She earns the mistress' trust enough to raise hers and the kings illegitimate children, in discretion of course. For her services the king and his mistress each gave her large sums of money, allowing her the ability to purchase the château. The king falls for her and starts spending much of his time with her, while the royal bastards spent time being raised at the château. Hmmmm, do you think Madame de Montespan is starting to think she made a poor choice for a governess? Shortly thereafter in a secret ceremony Madame de Maintenon married the king and the wedding celebration was held at the Château de Maintenon. The rest, as they say, is history. The king did frequent the château often to visit the bastards (I love saying that word) and Racine wrote the works ''Esther'' and ''Athalie'' at the château (not that I've read those books) and I'm sure lots of other exciting things must have happened there but I don't know about them. I'm a casual cycling enthusiast, not a Rhodes scholar so my knowledge of literary masterpieces and historical detail doesn't extend much beyond the limits of the widely read classics such as ''Bambi'' and historical intrigue involving things like ''The Bermuda Triangle''. If you'd like to learn more about either of those two topics just ask me. So, I'm on the bike again and we're going for a cruise through Maintenon. Here's what it looks like. The château is rather impressive, with large grounds, and is open to the public but I didn't go in. The view is somewhat obstructed from street view by buildings and trees so this is the best I could do. As you can see, there is renovation of some sort going on. That's all for Maintenon. Since I've got pictures from two different rides for the next few photos I'll insert some of the ones from the ride I took in the fall since the colors are nicer and it was a sunny day. Okay, it's time for the next attraction. The sign in the next picture will explain everything. If you don't know about dolmens, menhirs and megaliths in general then click on this link: anyportinastorm.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=france&action=display&thread=4008
|
|
|
Post by frenchmystiquetour on Jan 6, 2011 22:12:26 GMT
The dolmens that are on display here are the exposed elements of an archaeological dig, which is ongoing so you can see the various trenches that have been dug and there are accompanying informational signs that explain what you are looking at. On this site were constructd a few dolmens and menhirs. Although the original construction date is not known due to later disturbance, it is likely prior to 1,500B.C. to give a conservative estimate. What is interesting about the dolmens here is that they were later re-used as a necropolis during Merovingien times, around the end of the 5th to early 6th centuryA.D. Since the end of the megalithic period is generally considered to be around 1,500B.C. it is interesting to see the function of utilizing a dolmen as a funerary monument still being practiced a couple of thousand years after its original construction. Some sort of pagan traditions must have been carried on for many generations prior to the Christianization of France, when many of these remnants of the past were torn down by zealous Christians, as well as others who saw them as handy building material and farmers who saw them as a nuisance in their fields. Let's have a look at the dolmens and the dig site. As you can see, this one obviously suffered various levels of destruction over the centuries. There are also informational signs for the visitor. Often times, local nicknames have been given to megalithic features, many of which refer to the mythical figure in the Gargantua series of works from the 16th century writer Rabelais. That is the case with the menhir nearby. Sometimes dolmens and menhirs were given nicknames based on their appearance. People sometimes imagined their physical shapes to resemble certain types of animals or saw otherwise fantastic images in their appearance, such as a devils footprint. As the former research director for a somewhat non-mainstream archaeological organization from time to time I used to receive photos from enthused advocates who sent me pictures of rocks in which they saw fantastic images, most of which were penises and vaginas. There were none of those types of images here today but apparently this dolmen resembles a frog. Does everyone see the frog? Leaving the megaliths behind I continued on my way. There wasn't much of serious historic significance until I got to Chartres so once again we'll ride through anonymous villages and countryside and if I'm feeling lively perhaps I'll break up the photo montage with a comment or two.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 6, 2011 22:13:25 GMT
One of the famous lines about the Beauce, the region of Chartres, is that it is " imprenable en photo" (unphotographable), due to the unbearable flatness of the plain. Let's see if FMT disproves this adage!
|
|
|
Post by frenchmystiquetour on Jan 6, 2011 22:14:36 GMT
|
|
|
Post by frenchmystiquetour on Jan 6, 2011 22:16:19 GMT
|
|
|
Post by frenchmystiquetour on Jan 6, 2011 22:17:46 GMT
|
|
|
Post by frenchmystiquetour on Jan 6, 2011 22:19:14 GMT
|
|
|
Post by fumobici on Jan 6, 2011 22:48:12 GMT
|
|
|
Post by frenchmystiquetour on Jan 6, 2011 23:14:04 GMT
<<Shame on you, FrenchMystique! I saw at least one or two people in the street. If you cannot properly evacuate these towns before taking photographs, extreme measures may be taken.>>
This will never happen again, I promise. Not because I'll try to avoid taking pictures with people but because those were the only people in the countryside.
<<One of the famous lines about the Beauce, the region of Chartres, is that it is "imprenable en photo" (unphotographable), due to the unbearable flatness of the plain.
Let's see if FMT disproves this adage!>>
The fact that I was sticking mostly to the scenic roads should speak volumes.
|
|
|
Post by tod2 on Jan 7, 2011 6:27:41 GMT
An absolute delightful bike ride with you FMT! I loved seeing the little stone bridges we crossed over in Chartres and the old wash houses along the river. Thanks also for that little insight into Maintenon......I have just finished reading ATHENAIS The Real Queen of France who was Marquis de Montespan and mistress to Louis X1V for seventeen years, baring his illegitimate children (bastards!) The book reveals why Louis fell for Madame de Maintenon and the author, Lisa Hilton did an excellent job in keeping one enthralled.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2011 13:42:08 GMT
Just beautiful. I'd love to see you riding your bike through those streets, FMT
|
|
|
Post by frenchmystiquetour on Jan 7, 2011 19:28:06 GMT
tod2 - I love Chartres. It surprises me when I hear some people say it's just OK when it has such a large collection of ancient buildings and streets.
After I finish reading "Goldilocks" perhaps I'll try reading one of those more advanced literary works which you referenced. Such an interesting group of historical figures existed at the time of Louis XIV. I'll make a mental note of that book you mentioned a perhaps give it a read. I'm interested in knowing more about some of these people.
deyana - Thanks for reading, as always. I'll have this up on SunnyDS shortly.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2011 20:25:14 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Lynn on Jan 8, 2011 2:31:56 GMT
Lovely. We have done it by train and road. I love Chartres and think the medieval lower town is especially attractive.
|
|
|
Post by frenchmystiquetour on Jan 8, 2011 6:16:41 GMT
lynn - Thanks for reading. I think the lower town is my favorite part too.
|
|