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Post by frenchmystiquetour on Nov 29, 2012 15:05:15 GMT
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on Nov 29, 2012 15:06:14 GMT
Apremont was a place for the manufacture of buttons starting in the late 17th century, in case you think that's important. I don't, so I pedaled on out of Apremont. The foliage was at its peak as I encountered a forested section. After an uphill climb through the forest I arrived in Aumont-en-Halatte. Aumont sits on a butte above the surrounding plains. It has long been linked to pagan cults from the neolithic era through the Gallo-Roman epoque. The village sits snug on the southwestern edge of the Forest of Halatte, which has scattered remains of ancient stone tables, ''magic circles'', menhirs (standing stones) and other megalithic constructions, the earliest remnants of spiritual manifestation in the area. Later a Gallo-Roman temple was built and dedicated to healing deities as evidenced by the numerous ex-voto offerings found in local museums. Later the Christian cults arrived and built their churches, like the 15th to 16th century Eglise Saint-Gervais et Saint-Protais. On the left of the above photo is the Monument to the War Dead. One of the first names on the monument is that of Nissim de Camondo, whose namesake is that of a well known museum in Paris. Having been a WWI French pilot shot down and buried in Alsace behind enemy lines, his remains could not be retrieved. His father, a banker and notable art collector with a residence in Aumont, being inconsolable over his loss bequeathed to France his hôtel-particulier in Paris and its rich collection of art on condition that the museum that housed it bear his son's name. After leaving Aumont and riding through a brief stretch of forest I arrived at the rural outskirts of Senlis.
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on Nov 29, 2012 15:07:13 GMT
I had visited Senlis the day before but was only able to take a few pictures since my camera battery died. I'll start with those photos and you'll notice the weather had been quite a bit better. Although Senlis no longer has a train station it still has its old Gare, which was rebuilt in 1922 after having been damaged during the war. Senlis has a rich and lengthy history but is perhaps best known for its gothic cathedral. The presence of the cathedral is due to the fact that Senlis was the seat of a powerful bishopric and the early kings of France resided here, attracting other persons of power. The cathedral represents one of the earliest examples of gothic architecture with the first phase of construction occurring from 1153 to 1191, followed by further embellishments in the 13th century. The roof collapsed in a fire in 1504 and during rebuilding its height was raised by over 5 meters and reconstructed in the flamboyant gothic style. Here's a look inside the cathedral. Senlis was originally a Gallo-Roman town and in the 3rd century was surrounded by ramparts and 30 towers. Much of this infrastructure remains in the compact central core of the town. The town also boasts a Roman arena dating from the 1st century. The arena is on private property and can only be visited one day a month when guided tours of the town are being given. It can't even be viewed from the street so I'll have no pictures to show you of that. Continuing with my indepth historical analysis of Senlis I discovered a bunch of other stuff that happened after the Romans and then in the 12th century under King Philippe Auguste a new set of ramparts were built further out to encompass the growing settlement (not completed until 1287). Senlis was at the apogee of its glory at this time. It was a royal town and residence of kings and also possessed of a bishopric, a cathedral, 3 other churches and 3 abbeys as well as being a center for the trade of wool and leather. That's enough about the history for now and anyway, the medieval kind of feeling is what gives the town its ambiance so it's what's most relevant to the towns prominence. Lots of windy cobbled streets, ancient timbered buildings, notable stone buildings for the notable people, gothic churches, ramparts and all the other accroutrements of medieval times that spring to mind when one imagines this epoque. No wonder it's been the scene for so many movies depicting those times of lords and ladies and armor and swordfights and such. I got a map at the tourist office that outlines a tourist trail through town and followed it around on my bike. The trail starts inside the Roman ramparts on the grounds of the Priory of Saint Maurice, founded in 1262 by Saint Louis. Speaking of the Roman ramparts, here they are. Leaving the priory grounds I branched out into the network of tiny cobbled streets and lanes both inside and just outside the ramparts.
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on Nov 29, 2012 15:08:13 GMT
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on Nov 29, 2012 15:09:36 GMT
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on Nov 29, 2012 15:10:42 GMT
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on Nov 29, 2012 15:11:48 GMT
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on Nov 29, 2012 15:12:57 GMT
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on Nov 29, 2012 15:14:03 GMT
Chantilly is known as the Town of Princes and it had always been a gathering spot for the nobles/royals. The origin of Chantilly's grandeur starts in the 13th century when a powerful lord established his seigneury here and built the first château, a fortress at the time. Historically speaking, a bunch of stuff happened after this and then in 1673 Louis II de Bourbon, Prince de Condé built a new road called Gouvieux. The land around the road attracted commerce and the expanding population served the needs of the expanding château. The Condé dynasty became established and are responsible for much of the grandeur we see in Chantilly today, the bulk of which was the work of Louis IV Henri de Bourbon-Condé starting from around 1720, who built The Grand Stables. The château domain was broken up and sold off during the Revolution but another Condé reacquired the château and bits of its former domain in 1815. Shortly after in 1834 The Hippodrome was established and various equestrian clubs and activities sprang up. It was from this time onward that Chantilly acquired its world renowned equestrian status. Chantilly is also noted for its famous Black Chantilly Lace, which trimmed ladies shawls, sunshades and such during the Age of Enlightenment, its porcelain and of course its famous cream. Anyone who loves sweets might know about Crème Chantilly (or whipped cream). That's enough history for now so let's get back to the report. As you saw earlier in the report, equestrian activity is a popular pastime in the area and its origins are directly linked to the presence of the Château de Chantilly, or more particularly, its Grandes Ecuries (Grand Horse Stables). Due to the sandy soil, adapted to the fragile thoroughbred legs, Chantilly has become the biggest horse training center in the world. Here are The Grand Stables. Associated with the stables is The Living Horse Museum, which is one of the most noted museums in the world pertaining to horses. On the first Sunday or every month from February to November the museum does equestrian shows. Of course these are highly elaborate shows and costumes on the horses and humans are top notch. However, the star attraction in Chantilly is the château. A bit more about the château now. You know it's been around since the 13th century but its first epoque of prominence came under the ownership of Le Connétable Anne de Montmorency, who despite his ladylike first name was in fact a man and close companion in arms to kings Francis I and Henry II. It was in the mid 16th century he undertook the first great works and renovations at the château. The Montmorency dynasty lost control of the château in 1632 when it was confiscated by Louis XIII for reason of their revolt against him. In 1643 the Condé dynasty, first cousins of the Royals, acquire the château. They employ Le Nôtre and Mansart as garden designer and architect, both of whom were in the employ of Louis XIV at Versailles, and the next great phase of renovation occurs. I've given you enough info about the history of the château so I'll tell you a bit about what you can visit today. There are the usual apartments inside the château, richly decorated to reflect their epoque, as well as a renowned museum and library. It's been a while since I was inside the château but what I like about it is the fact that it is as richly decorated and opulent as Versailles (though not as grand or over the top) but has none of the crowd problems. The apartments and galleries are spectacular and done up in decor from the 18th and 19th centuries. The château houses The Condé Museum, which has the second largest collection of pre-1850 paintings in France (the largest being The Louvre). In addition to the paintings there are the usual other objects of art such as tapestries, precious vessels etc. The museum was created in 1886 when Henri d'Orléans, duc d'Amaule bequeathed to the state his château and its art collections. The museum is full of masterpieces and rare objects which I'm not going to tell you about. The château also has a renowned library which is the official archives of the château. It is full of the collections and writings of the seigneurs of the château from the 11th to the 19th century. The château and its library have a history of attracting notable writers, among them Jean de la Fontaine, Racine, Molière, Madame de Sévigné, Châteaubriand, Proust etc. The collection consists of some 44,000 books and 1,500 manuscript and thousands of letters. Back to the photos. There is an admission fee to the château and its grounds so I only have photos from the street. Finishing up my photo shoot of the château I moved on towards town. Here are some more shots of the horse stables.
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on Nov 29, 2012 15:15:16 GMT
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Post by mossie on Nov 29, 2012 15:30:50 GMT
Many thanks for another entertaining bike ride. I was particularly taken by the Senlis station clock. it must be the only clock to simultaneously cater for locals and visiting Australians. ;D
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on Nov 29, 2012 15:43:14 GMT
The train station was actually one of the most unique things in town. I'm guessing this is what an Aussie train station looks like? Thanks mossie.
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Post by fumobici on Nov 29, 2012 20:17:09 GMT
I'm pretty certain mossie was referring to the discrepancy between the times shown on the two clock faces although there is something vaguely Victorian/Ozzie about the architecture. Lovely report as ever FMT and an interesting subject matter here. The chateau is majestic and the old town centers positively ooze charm. Cobbles aren't just hard on bike riders and automobilists, they take their toll on walkers as well. But like most everything else cobbles aren't all created equally, some are viciously domed whereas others are quite smooth. And of course either way they are far more durable than modern macadam.
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on Nov 29, 2012 20:39:52 GMT
Yes, my wife pointed out the clock/Aussie reference because I'm not bright enough to notice such things. I think the bits and pieces of roads the ancient Romans left behind are proof of the durability of cobblestones. Still doesn't mean they're fun to ride on but I'll put up with the trouble since they are certainly more aesthetically pleasing than macadam.
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Post by lola on Nov 29, 2012 22:04:34 GMT
Beautiful, fmt. Clever bike rack on that train. Great day trip from Paris, and a great ride. You are lucky to be blessed with a good sense of direction.
I am tempted to visit the chateau and Delacroix exhibition soon. I found Versailles annoyingly opulent, and the crowds probably added to the annoyance. If Chantilly chateau is less of both it might make a good family excursion.
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Post by htmb on Nov 29, 2012 22:50:35 GMT
FMT, I have just loved the bicycle ride photo reports you've made, and am ready to go along on a ride! I haven't had enough time to look slowly through this most recent report and will look forward to being able to spend more time looking at your photos and reading all the captions. I was also happy to see the bike accommodations on the train.
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Post by mossie on Nov 30, 2012 8:05:40 GMT
Please, those stones are NOT cobbles. Cobbles are large round stones, generally gravel, such as can be found on the beach. Walking or cycling on them IS uncomfortable. Those stones are "setts", generally granite, dressed to 4 or 6 inch cubes. They were made by hammer and chisel and so are not quite perfect. Some old streets were paved with cobbles, but setts are the standard French method.
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Post by lola on Nov 30, 2012 13:46:07 GMT
That's fun to know about setts, mossie.
I seem to recall that fmt knows a lot more about hammer, stone, and chisel than most of us ever will.
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on Nov 30, 2012 14:28:47 GMT
lola - Chantilly is such the opposite of Versailles. Lots of breathing room and you've got the wonderful art collection and library as well. The grounds aren't as elaborate as Versailles but quite lovely nonetheless. I've never been to the horse museum but I think it's worth a visit. I agree that Versailles is so over the top that it's vulgar.
htmb - Those trains are great but you never know what kind of train you might get. Other trains on this route aren't as luxurious.
mossie - Yes, as lola pointed out I am also a stone mason and am aware they are setts and not cobbles. But since most people aren't versed in the terminology I keep it simple because that's what your average laymen would call them.
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Post by mossie on Nov 30, 2012 15:10:16 GMT
Sorry to be pedantic
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2012 15:22:05 GMT
Oh, I can attest that there are plenty of cobblestones in the centre of Senlis -- I had to drive a Smart over them, and I think that my rear end still has bruises from that day. I always wonder if the doctors in such towns treat a lot more twisted ankles or if the locals are so used to them that they have no problem walking on them. Anyway, thank you FMT for another outstanding report. Even when we visit the same towns, we see different things. I have to find a place to park the car, and then I am limited basically to only the most central nugget of most towns. And when I am driving from town to town (and I'm sure you know this as a passenger even though you don't drive), wherever it is easy to stop, there is nothing interesting to see, and conversely, if there is an outstanding sight, it is absolutely impossible to stop anywhere. So a bicycle is indeed the ideal transportation for this sort of excursion and there really a lot more bicycle trails than many people imagine. That TER train is quite nice, but have you seen the latest local commuter train by Bombardier? They have plasma screens with the routing and schedule and other plasma screens showing scenic videos. But what I really liked was the luminous ceiling that changed color. Why can't they put those trains on the RER B at least?
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Post by frenchmystiquetour on Nov 30, 2012 16:40:29 GMT
mossie - You weren't being pedantic, merely informative as usual. kerouac - I think Senlis had more cobbles, or setts , than just about any town I've visited. They're treacherous enough on a bike when dry but they are extra slippery when wet. A bike is indeed the perfect way to explore a town like Senlis, which actually has a lot to see than just the central core. You can cover a lot of ground like a car but stop and enjoy things like a pedestrian. And I know the frustration of being in a car when there's something photoworthy and there's no place to stop for the danger of being rear-ended, not to mention it's illegal to stop on the roads. I haven't been on the fancy TER yet. The ones I take are pretty damn nice but the whole plasma screen/video and luminous ceiling thing really puts it over the top? What line do those run on? I've only had the Bombardier on the Chantilly, Provins and sometimes the Vernon route. The RER A has some nice new double decker trains but they usually only run on the Disney route, not to Saint-Maur. I see they're also on the RER B line. Seems they've got less bike space though!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2012 17:23:14 GMT
I had the ultra luxurious one coming into to Gare du Nord from Saint Denis (not the RER) a couple of weeks ago, and I also had one coming from Courbevoie into Saint Lazare.
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