Bike Ride from Laon to the Chemin des Dames

[frenchmystiquetour]

I remember once driving through the Picardie region north of Paris on my way to Soissons and passing by the town of Laon I was intrigued by what I saw from a distance. The town sits atop an isolated butte surrounded by plains on all sides with a row of buildings running along its spine punctuated at each end by a church, one of which appeared to be a rather impressive looking cathedral. Peering into the distance from my car window and beyond the road I could see some rolling hills, green patches of fields and forest and a little village steeple poking above a small town here and there. Looked kind of pretty so I kept it in the back of my mind as a future bike trip destination.

Fast forward a couple of months and the bike and I were on the train heading out from Paris arriving in Laon. You get right into this ride quick. The minute you leave the train station it is a good 5-10 minute ride up a steep hill to reach the town at the top. Here is a view looking up at my first glimpse of the cathedral.




But it is worth the effort as once you reach the top you are rewarded by panoramic views of the surrounding countryside in all directions.








The history of Laon pre-dates the arrival of the Romans when it was a Gallic village. Fortified by the Romans, it resisted invasions by various barbarian tribes and its control and possession was oft times disputed through the Merovingian, Carolingian and Capetian dynasties. The oldest remnants of what exist today date from the 12th and 13th centuries and can be found in the cité médiévale area near the cathedral, which itself dates to the 12th century with some later additions and modifications. Laon is classified as a city of art and history and has 68 classified historic monuments. Many of the buildings lining the main streets date from the 16th to 18th century. Put it all together and it adds up to a great place to spend a few hours. Let's have a look around town.

[frenchmystiquetour]

Now for a look at the cathedral, much of which was built between 1155 and 1235 and was the model for the much more famous cathedrals of Chartres and Paris as well as Reims, Dijon and a few others. It is considered a premier example of gothic architecture and one look at it confirms this reputation. It is noted for the numerous sculptures of animals which occupy its towers.










Here are some detail shots.

[frenchmystiquetour]

Yes, those last two photos were indeed a rhinoceros and a hippopotamus. Since these animals were unknown in western Europe in medieval times they are not original to the cathedral, although I'm having a hard time figuring out just when they were added and for what reason.

I learned a lot about Laon and its cathedral in doing my web research but I hope you're not disappointed if I don't recount it all here. My bike trip reports tend not to focus too much on the historical aspects of my journey but rather focus on showing you lots of cool pictures. So with that thought in mind let's leave Laon behind and head out into the countryside.








The first village I arrived at was Bruyères et Montérault and if you've seen my other bike trip reports then you already know what this village will look like. Quaint with a bunch of narrow, windy streets, some old buildings, a few local stores and a centuries old church (13th century here, I believe) in the middle of the village. And no people anywhere in sight.














The visit to each village is always followed by the now familiar photo of the road back into the countryside.




Followed by photos of the next village.

[frenchmystiquetour]

And then back into the countryside where the pattern continues to repeat itself.





The pattern of village then countryside may be repetitious but it never gets tiring. This is what France is when you leave the cities and it is often beautiful.


Pedaling on, the road entered a patch of forest and went uphill before clearing the forest and entering a vast expanse of agricultural land.




Soon I arrived at the top of the hill and panoramic views of the countryside stretched out in front of me.




And to the left of me.




And behind me, where I could see Laon in the distance.






And to the right of me.




And then down the road in front of me to continue.

[frenchmystiquetour]

Having just been in the countryside I'm pretty sure you know what comes next.
















Okay, so not much is happening here and that's just the way I like it. No history to describe. I can just sit back and relax and let the pictures do the talking. I will be boring you later on with more of my writing and some novice history lessons but for now I'm gonna go pour a glass of wine and leave you alone to look at pictures for a while.

[frenchmystiquetour]

I'm back. Sorry. Remember that history I said I was gonna recount for you? Well I'm going to tell you a little story now so you may want to get out your pillow. Once upon a time.....no wait......that's another story. This one's about a church. A pretty cool Art Deco church called L'Eglise Saint-Martin de Martigny-Courpierre. Here is my view on approach.








The area in which I was riding today was the theater for some pretty heavy fighting in WWI. Many villages suffered heavy damage during the fighting and the 12th century church, which once stood on the site of the present church, was destroyed. After the war the government instituted rebuilding programs and one of the noted architects in this region was Albert Paul Müller. From 1928 to 1933 he oversaw the building of this church, which is considered a masterpiece of the Art Deco style. In addition to utilizing the aesthetics of the style it also incorporates new building techniques through the use of cement in its construction, replacing the traditional lime mortar. Personally I'm not so sure that was a great idea as there are bits and pieces on the exterior of the church that are already eroding away. But that was in vogue at the time so that's what was done. Here are some shots of the exterior of the church.

[frenchmystiquetour]

The exterior certainly is classic Art Deco in style but it is the interior of the church that will freeze you in your tracks once you enter. I've seen the famous Matisse chapel in Vence, and, while it certainly is lovely, in terms of artistic craftsmanship it doesn't hold a candle to this church. I'm not saying the two churches have common ground for comparison but it does raise an interesting point. Some monuments are famous due to their association with a historic person, place or event and their ''tourist worthiness'' is more attributable to said history rather than any intrinsic self generating interest.

Admittedly, this church sits in the middle of nowhere with no nearby attractions (with the notable exception of WWI sites) and no public transport system to assist the visitor so the necessary infrastructure to create a ''tourist worthy'' destination is lacking. But hopefully, by giving exposure to such little known precious gems as this, those with a car and a taste for discovering the unknown might be inspired to search for their own undiscovered gem. Let's go inside.

[frenchmystiquetour]

On second thought maybe you shouldn't seek out undiscovered gems, otherwise, I might not have such places all to myself when I visit. I spent about 30 minutes of awestruck solitude sucking all the ambiance I could out of this masterpiece.

Before leaving the church behind I feel obligated to mention the name of the artist responsible for the numerous frescoes, works of mosaic tiling and other decorative details exhibited in the church. Eugène Chapleau was known as one of the greatest fresco painters of his time. His style was influenced by post impressionism and inspired by the fauviste movement popular just after the turn of the 20th century.

Here are a few photos of the landscapes one encounters as viewed from just outside the church.






Feeling I had totally gotten my moneys worth out of my church visit (absolutely free) it was time to get back in the saddle and ride on to new adventures.












One of the things I enjoy most about riding in the countryside is that I have no idea where I am going. I know where my ride will start and where it will end but in between is pretty much a matter of picking a road and seeing where it goes. This method had yielded some pretty good results so far today and I was feeling like I was in a pretty good discovery groove. I was hopeful it would continue.






Good things kept coming my way as I stumbled upon a ''Voie Verte'' (Green Way) that ran briefly along the road before splitting off from the pavement and heading into nature.

[frenchmystiquetour]

Here I encountered a rare species not often found away from urban environments and nearly non-existent on my ride since I had departed from Laon.



The French species of the human being is generally an urban dwelling bipede known for its love of baguettes. Based on my observations it is generally shy and elusive in the countryside but still displays the same love of baguettes as its urban counterpart. I suspect it has a fear of small villages as all the ones I encountered outside of Laon seemed to have been shuffling along discreetly on the voie verte. They are quite harmless should one ever surprise you and simply saying ''Bonjour'' usually puts them at ease. Keep an eye out for the village lunatics, however, as these ones may pester you with bizarre questions.














Time for the next historic monument on today's journey. The Abbey of Vauclair was founded by Cistercian monks in the 12th century. For 600 years it was a model community resisting raids, power struggles, The Plague and economic hardship. Its slow decline to ruin began with The French Revolution and whatever was left after that and later episodes of looting was pretty much finished off by the end of WWI. Although it is not the most impressive pile of rubble I have ever encountered there was something about this place that exuded a very pleasant tranquility. I guess other people felt the same way as there were a surprising amount of them at this monument.

[Deleted]

Once again a magnificent report (which you are probably continuing as I write this).

Firstly, I am always amazed when people manage to find hills in Picardie, but at the same time, I know that Abbeville is also on a hill, so it is not all flat beet fields, which is the impression that most people get from Picardie.

Secondly, I see that you are once again going to convince people that France is completely devoid of inhabitants.

Thirdly, the church of Martigny-Courpierre is indeed magnificent. I am even more surprised to see caryatids on the church, because I have noticed that they seem to be a total no-no on all of the other churches that I have seen (Grecian paganism).

Fourthly, it is wonderful to see some sunny photos again, because you know how foul the weather has been this week. Non stop rain.

Bravo, as usual, FMT. (Hey, I just remembered that it is impossible for me to believe that the cathedral in Laon was built in only 30 years. I must look this up.)

[frenchmystiquetour]

One thing I find interesting about ruins is that the various parts have been removed from the whole and sort of lend themselves to being studied as isolated elements, revealing details that might otherwise be overlooked.



Well, maybe an old pillar doesn't make the most exciting object of individual study but being that I am a stone mason it made me think about how much effort must have gone into sculpting just this one pillar. If we put a modern team to work today to try to reproduce the same pillar I imagine if they were pitted against a mason gang from the 12th century they would probably get the job done no faster and no better, even with all the modern equipment at their disposal. The time frame within which many ancient churches, cathedrals and abbeys were constructed often leaves me wondering at what knowledge and skill has been lost to time.

After spending some time admiring and reflecting on what was left of the abbey I decided to sit down and eat my picnic lunch. I had grabbed an assortment of delicious looking things from a take-away food place in Laon (since there is no food in the countryside) and I was looking forward to sampling my treats. Apparently so was everyone else who passed by me since they kept looking at me with curiosity, as though I was doing something unusual by eating in public, or perhaps they were hoping I might offer them some. I looked around to see if there was a no picnicking sign somewhere but other people were eating food so I assumed it wasn't forbidden. Why weren't people staring at them? Several passerby encouraged me with a hearty ''Bon Apetit'' and I smiled back politely. I still don't know why I became such an attraction at the abbey.

Delicious lunch finished, I hopped back on the bike and continued my journey. Next on the agenda was a trip to the Chemin des Dames and an exploration of WWI history.




The Chemin des Dames is the name given to a road running along a high ridge that has served as a conduit for conquering armies dating back to when Caesar first took advantage of its strategic importance in conquering the Gauls. Napoleon and then French, Allied and German troops in the first World War followed in his footsteps. It's hard to believe that a place of such natural beauty and offering panoramic views of the countryside has been the stage for such horrendous acts of brutality.




There are several WWI monuments and cemeteries scattered along the Chemin des Dames and found throughout the surrounding countryside. On a bike I could only see a few of them in one day. Here is a statue of Napoleon in commemoration of the Battle of Craonne in which the French fought the Russians and Prussians in 1814. Napoleon used a tower in a mill building as a look-out and the statue stands where the mill once stood.




Here are some views from the statue.








Here's a brief summary of the WWI history of the Chemin des Dames. Three important battles were fought here from 1914 to 1918 (The 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battles of the Aisne) with the Germans controlling the ridge until October of 1917 when it was captured after the second battle, only to be retaken after the third battle.

During the start of the first battle the French had been creeping towards the ridge during the night in heavy fog. The bright morning sun burned off the fog leaving the French, who were in wide open fields with no cover, exposed to intense machine gunfire and mortars. A stalemate ensued with each side digging in and so began trench warfare. For the next 3+- years the Germans and French looked at each other from a distance of several meters.

The best known battle is the second one. It was supposed to be a massive offensive by the French but delays and information leaks gave the Germans time to prepare and combined with poor decision making by the French the number of casualties was astounding. The French suffered 40,000 casualties on the first day of fighting and after the 12 day battle concluded they had amassed 120,000 casualities. The French did capture the ridge by the battles end but the German position only moved 7 kilometers.

The third battle marked the German recapture of the ridge for a short time until the tides of war turned against them a short while later. No need to detail all the atrocities. I think you get it.

Moving west along the ridge I came to the first WWI site, La Caverne du Dragon. The museum is housed in old stone quarries that were part of a farm at the start of the war. Beneath the ridge is a large system of old quarry tunnels some 20-40 meters underground, most of which were occupied by the Germans during the war. At times both the French and Germans were occupying portions of the quarry, using them as field hospitals and command centers.




Adjacent to the museum is the Constellation de la Douleur, an artisitc work that commemorates the contribution of Senegalese soldiers to the French cause.

[frenchmystiquetour]

Moving along.




Next I entered the town of Cerny en Laonnois.






At the start of the war the original village was located somewhere on the plateau near church in the last photo. It was completely destroyed during the war and rebuilt afterwards.You know all that beautiful countryside along the plateau you've seen in the last few photos? Here's what it looked like during the war.



Pretty grim.There are numerous cemeteries in the area and one is located in Cerny en Laonnois. During the fighting soldiers were often buried where they fell. After the fighting efforts were made to relocate the bodies to cemeteries. Here is a French cemetery.




And here is the adjacent German cemetery.




That was pretty much it for the historical portion of today's ride. The only thing left to do was enjoy the remainder of my picturesque journey through the countryside back to Laon. Here are a whole bunch of photos of my return ride to Laon.

[frenchmystiquetour]

At last I could finally see Laon sitting atop the hill on the distant horizon.






And that was all there was time for today.



If the preceeding report and accompanying photos weren't enough to convince you that I had an awesome bike ride today, well, I'm out of proof. I guess the moral of the story is that war is bad and bike rides are good. And that is all she wrote.

[fumobici]

Stunning report again FMT. Perfect balance of commentary and letting the images tell their story, some fascinating particulars and lots of quintessentially French country ambiance.

Those two churches you featured in this report, neither of which I am familiar with are both incredible in their own way. If it was just happy chance that you ran into them, you are either incredibly lucky or France has such gems hidden everywhere. Perhaps a little of each?

Merci x 1000

[cheerypeabrain]

Absolutely brilliant! I really enjoyed reading your narrative and the photographs are lovely, that Art Deco church is simply stunning. Thank you ;D

[mich64]

Gosh, that was fun.

[frenchmystiquetour]

kerouac - I double checked my sources on Laon cathedral and I couldn't find the website for where I got the dates 1150-1180. I remember in doing research that I found some conflicting dates on various websites but since I couldn't find my original source for those dates, I edited and played it safe and went with the wiki dates of 1155-1235. Wherever it was that I found the dates 1150-1180 it was also mentioned that much was finished in this time, which implied that more was left to be finished.

As for the caryatids they were described as angels supporting the steeple, so I think the architect managed to cleverly side step that issue by describing them as such. Besides, it was the 1930's and at that point who really cared about religion in France anymore?

Yes, the blue skies are a refreshing break from the recent horrid weather, which is predicted to continue for several more days. Of course this is timing perfectly with my parents in arrival in France today visit me.


Fumobici - If I ever publish any of these reports I'll have you write the foreword as you always pay me much appreciated compliments.

Finding those churches was part luck, part planning. I had seen the cathedral once just driving by and knew I wanted to come back. The art deco church I had heard about in doing some pre-research before my ride but I never saw any pictures so I was quite stunned to walk inside and see what I saw.

Oh, and letting the pictures do the talking is much easier (for lazy people like me) than doing all that damned writing. And my bike reports are really more about what you see on a nice bike ride than what you learn. You can tell I don't learn anything because I am never mistaken for being intelligent.

cheery and mich - Your appreciation is much appreciated!

[hwinpp]

How many km do you generally do on one of these outings on the bike, FMT? Do you picnic or do you have your meals at country restaurants?

Your trips are always quite amazing!

[bixaorellana]

Bravo! This was restful and exhilarating at once, an amazing thing you always convey with your virtual bike rides.

Starting from the bottom ~~ beautiful ride home, with the flowers, the long shadows, and that very human-looking Ferdinand.

The shots of the WWI cemeteries were sobering, as was the photo of the churned-up countryside. My mental image of rural France is based on things such as WWI history or Madame Bovary, so it's always a pleasant surprise to see that modern France has kept so much countryside.

I notice that it wasn't until well along in the thread that a phone pole or electrical cables were visible.

The art deco church is a gem indeed! The first view of it made me think, "Yes, that's how they would have built it originally, if they'd had some nice ferrocement to use!" I can see how you could spend that much time there.

If you ever feel like telling more about the cathedral in Laon, I'd certainly be interested. It's very Pillars of the Earth, isn't it -- easy to ascribe all kinds of arcane meanings to its features.

A wonderful ride, FMT ~~ thanks so much!

[frenchmystiquetour]

hwinpp - I usually do anywhere from 40-70km on these trips. I don't have time for sit down lunches so wherever I arrive by train from Paris I always stop somewhere and pick up some food and put it in my backpack and then off I go.

bixa - The cows in the countryside always seem to enjoy having their pictures taken. I only mentioned the numbers of French casualties from the battles in this region but if all casualties from the battles in this area were added up I would imagine it would be something close to a million. I think in some of these places the electric cables might be buried. Usually I see more electric poles and cables but they were strangely absent in this region.

Ferrocement. I just had to look that word up. Obviously a very durable type of cement but not even close to the durability of stone. The church was starting to show the limited life span of this material and I for one am glad it was not used more frequently, although it does lend itself to being easily molded into whatever shape you want. This church was absolutely one of the best highlights of all the bike rides I've done. Just took my breath away and lifted my spirit.

Well, a few google searches and you could probably find out as much about the Laon cathedral as I could recount for you. I loved Pillars of the Earth and oddly enough was just talking about it yesterday with my mother (who with my father is visiting me right now). It's one of her favorite books and one of mine too.

Thanks to bixa and hwinpp for reading.

[Deleted]

It's always good to rediscover a FrenchMystique report from the past.

[mossie]

Thanks FMT for a fascinating insight into rural France, in particular the Art Deco church. And thanks also to Kerouac for resurructing this thread

[SM]

Nov 9, 2010 17:43:20 GMT frenchmystiquetour said:

Now for a look at the cathedral, much of which was built between 1155 and 1235 and was the model for the much more famous cathedrals of Chartres and Paris as well as Reims, Dijon and a few others. It is considered a premier example of gothic architecture and one look at it confirms this reputation. It is noted for the numerous sculptures of animals which occupy its towers.










Here are some detail shots.