Moret-sur-Loing

When our local contact who lives in Moret-sur-Loing offered  to take us  to his village, many local french suggested us to take this, calling it a beautiful place, an abode of painters, especially Impressionist painter Alfred Sisley. I neither knew impressionist painting nor Alfred Sisley, though later, I could see his works on the net.

Moret-sur-Loing is only few miles away from Fontainebleau, A fairy tale like place so beautiful, words fail to describe. No wonder why Alfred would have chosen to spend his life here. It looks as if time has stopped, Its medieval structure, the cobbled stone pathways, the enchanting river gushing through the place. Wow, I am waiting to spend a couple of days here.
The delicacy of this place is a candy called Sucre d'Orge, a triangular shaped peppermint similar in shape and appearance to our vicks drops, but sweet in taste. I recall having tasted similar peppermint in my schooldays with a hint of coconut in it. The recipe is closely guarded for about 160 years now and the factory also boast of a museum for tourists to see the history of Sucre d'Orge.

Medieval buildings such as this and beautiful statues adorn the Town all along

 

La maison Raccolet a house of tourist attraction

An ancient facade probably called Façade François Ier

12th-century towers which takes to the river

Panoramic view of the right bank

The beautiful Right bank

Château de Fontainebleau

My penchant for history takes me to Fontainebleau a small town just 60 kms away form Paris.  Surrounded by dense forest and famous for the Château de Fontainebleau- the palace with history embedded in every corner of the huge palace. You get to see the place Pope Pius VII was imprisoned by Napoleon and then, at this very palace Napoleon signed the Treaty of Fontainebleau, by the virtue of which he was exiled to Elba. Its another matter he returned back to face defeat at Waterloo.

The Palace is surrounded by huge gardens, rich with fountains of all type, beautiful sculptures spread out in the entire complex, a huge lake, White peacock dancing along - makes all this a enchanting place.

The Imposing Palace gates

Front View of the Château

 An Interesting Fountain

A collage of sculptures in the Château and out in the gardens

Collage of the bedroom, assembly hall, paintings and the stained glass in side the Château

Country side in the Suburbs of Paris

Its always worth while  moving away from places which are filled with the regular tourists,  limiting ourself to the city of lights-Paris, is a mistake most of us the make. A short distance from the main centre of attraction will take you to many places, which could turn out to be a beautiful experience.

Starting with the French countryside, I wanted to see how the rural ordinary people live, there life style etc. But after seeing much of the areas, I realised that in a Developed Nation, If I was trying to find the sort of poverty that exist in rural India, It is not to be. Having spent 16 years in Kerala, I suddenly realised, Kerala too is miles ahead in terms of Hygiene, cleanliness, standard of living etc. All this only due to the higher literacy rates.

A small village

Horse breeding farms

History stares at you in many locations, 


Old mansions....

Forts

A brook, very much like in a Enid Blyton story

This is beautiful-an ancient water wheel, in working condition