The ride that began on the north-west edge of Paris comes back to the same place, and there is a pleasure in returning to a starting line after a long loop. It is a hard-working landscape of tram lines and tower blocks that looks better in the evening, when the sun sinks behind the towers and the river takes on a pale glow.
A few minutes upstream lies the Île des Impressionnistes, an island at Chatou where the Maison Fournaise, a riverside restaurant, once hosted the painters of the Impressionist circle. Renoir painted his Luncheon of the Boating Party on its balcony in 1880, and the building has been restored as a small museum. The island is a pleasant place for a walk if you have a quarter of an hour, with a path along the water, benches and a few cafés. It shows that the Seine here was once a weekend playground of Parisians, who came out by train to row, swim and dance.
After a day in the country, the last miles back are mostly about patience. The main routes into Paris from the west, the A86 and the N13, fill up with commuter traffic from about four in the afternoon, and weekends see long queues of returning day-trippers. Smaller roads along the river are more relaxing, with plane trees and old walls, and traffic lights that, at least, keep you moving. Fuel is no problem, with a choice of stations, and cafés and bars open late. A cold drink and a sandwich by the water is a decent way to wind down.
If you finish before dark, walk to the riverbank and watch the barges slide by, heavy with sand and grain. The Seine here still works for a living, and the lights on the water look very good after a long day.