The aircraft give it away. Mitry-Mory lies just south of Charles de Gaulle Airport, and the planes descending over the fields are a constant presence. This is the Plaine de France, a flat, open country north-east of Paris where large-scale farming mixes with logistics parks, motorways and suburban towns. It is not a place you come to for scenery, but it is a practical gateway for riders heading out of Paris towards the north or the west.
The area has a long agricultural history. Before the airport and the motorways, it was a breadbasket for the capital, with huge farms growing wheat and sugar beet. Some of these farms still exist, with fortified courtyards and big barns, a reminder of the past. The Canal de l'Ourcq, dug in the early nineteenth century to bring water to Paris, runs a little to the south, lined with trees and a towpath.
Riding here is about getting through efficiently. Roads are wide and straight, traffic is often heavy, and roundabouts multiply. Lorries heading for the logistics hubs and the airport are common. Watch for speed cameras, which are frequent in France, and for wind on the open plain. If you are heading for the Vexin, the limestone plateau west of Paris with its Seine cliffs and villages, the most efficient route goes around the capital on the Francilienne ring road.
Fuel is readily available in Mitry-Mory and around the airport, along with supermarkets and fast food. Bakeries in the old village centre offer a better coffee and croissant. Take a short break here, check the bike, and push on towards the more interesting countryside to the west, where the roads begin to curve along the river.