This second stage on the GR 13 is tougher than the first, relatively flat one from Moret-sur-Loing to Nemours, with 332 metres in positive elevation. After leaving the car at the station in St Pierre-Nemours (a huge, free parking lot), we crossed the town, via the castle, before heading uphill into the woods above Nemours.… Continue reading GR 13 From Nemours to Souppes-sur-Loing
GR13B from Moret to Nemours
It’s been years now since I hiked one of France’s GR paths, the long-distance hiking trails that crisscross the country in every region. Now that I am confined to France and unable to do my planned hikes in Germany, I have decided to do several stages of a local one, the GR 13B, that runs… Continue reading GR13B from Moret to Nemours
Misy-sur-Yonne loop
Hike number three in the book of a local hikes. We did this early on a Sunday morning. The first section along the river is pleasant enough. However, the second half is deadly boring on dirt tracks through fields and sparse forest land, with the high speed train creating a terrific din just a hundred… Continue reading Misy-sur-Yonne loop
Donnemarie-Dontilly and the Brie region’s mediaeval churches
A fantastic 18-km hike done on an early September day when the weather was absolutely perfect. From the pretty little town of Donnemarie-Dontilly, this hike takes in a number of small hamlets and villages, each one of which has its own church, some in a spectacular position, such as the church at Paroy on top… Continue reading Donnemarie-Dontilly and the Brie region’s mediaeval churches
Episy, la Genevraye and Cugny
Hike number 29 in the local book of hikes, done on the last Monday of August with an early start at 8:30 when the air was crisp and fresh after a long day of rain on the Sunday. A fairly easy hike, on mostly flat terrain, but with lots of new discoveries: a castle ringed… Continue reading Episy, la Genevraye and Cugny
Bourron-Marlotte to Nemours via Villiers-sous-Grez, the Dame Jouanne rocks and Larchant
On August 25th, we took the train from Moret, near where we live, to Bourron-Marlotte, two stops along the line. From the station in Bourron, we passed through a fairly wild section of the forest, with lots of fallen trees, that made a nice change from other carefully managed areas further north. After the small… Continue reading Bourron-Marlotte to Nemours via Villiers-sous-Grez, the Dame Jouanne rocks and Larchant
Rocher de la Combe, Mont Morillon, Rocher des Demoiselles, quarries and romance
A long, 19-km hike in a part of the forest that I had never seen before. A fairly difficult trail to follow as a lot of the paths are pretty overgrown, but this makes for a more adventurous atmosphere than on the other carefully maintained trails of the forest. The terrain was fairly undulating, with… Continue reading Rocher de la Combe, Mont Morillon, Rocher des Demoiselles, quarries and romance
The gates of Provins
Finally, after 25 years in this corner of France, we made it to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Provins for a “beat-the-heat” hike first thing on a Sunday morning when temperatures were forecast to hit 40°C. A great, easy 14-km hike from the ramparts of Provins into the surrounding countryside, and then back to… Continue reading The gates of Provins
Thomery and the Seine
Early morning hike through the forest and along the river in the pretty village of Thomery. Another angle on a landscape that I only usually see from a kayak. http://www.komoot.com/tour/231206405
Paris from station to meetings to station
July 22nd was a beautiful day in Paris, cool in the morning and warm to hot in the afternoon, but without the mugginess that all too often characterizes the city in summer. As I had to be in Malakoff (a southern suburb just outside the city) at 9:30 am, I took an early train and… Continue reading Paris from station to meetings to station
Footsteps 