Fontainebleau Forest and Loing Sweep · part 2

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Photo stop near Ablis

   Ablis lies right where the forest of Rambouillet gives way to the Beauce, and the change is almost theatrical. Ride south out of the trees and the land flattens into an immense, open plain of wheat, barley and rapeseed that runs to the horizon in every direction, the granary of France. On a clear day you can sometimes make out the spires of Chartres Cathedral far to the south-west, rising out of the fields like a ship on the sea, the way pilgrims saw them for centuries.

   Read the complete Photo stop near Ablis write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Photo stop near Ablis is where the day begins. Next is Fontainebleau Forest checkpoint 8.

2. 2. Verrières-le-Buisson

   Verrières-le-Buisson is one of the greener towns on the southern edge of Paris, a residential place wrapped around a large wood, the Bois de Verrières, that runs along a ridge above the Bièvre valley. Antony and Châtenay-Malabry are next door, but the trees give the town a feeling of space that is rare this close to the capital.

   Read the complete Verrières-le-Buisson write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Finish at Fontainebleau Forest checkpoint 8. That is the ride. Next is High point near Vaux-le-Pénil.

3. 3. High point near Vaux-le-Pénil

   Vaux-le-Pénil sits on the high ground above the Seine, just east of Melun, in the Seine-et-Marne department. From the edge of the plateau, you can look down on the river as it winds through its valley, with Melun on its island and the forest of Fontainebleau stretching away to the south.

   Read the complete High point near Vaux-le-Pénil write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   This is where the road stops climbing. Next is Scenic stretch near Melun.

4. 4. Scenic stretch near Melun

   On the night of 17 August 1661, Nicolas Fouquet, the superintendent of finances, threw a party at his new château of Vaux-le-Vicomte, a few kilometres north-east of Melun, for the young Louis XIV. There were fireworks, a new comedy by Molière, music by Lully and a banquet served on gold plate. Three weeks later, Fouquet was arrested by d'Artagnan of the musketeers, and he spent the rest of his life in prison. Louis took his architect, painter and garden designer, Le Vau, Le Brun and Le Nôtre, and set them to work on Versailles.

   Read the complete Scenic stretch near Melun write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Scenic stretch near Melun, late in the day. Next is Back to Fontainebleau.

5. 5. Back to Fontainebleau

   Louis Braille was born in Coupvray in 1809, and the house where he lived is now a small museum, a short ride from this point.

   Read the complete Fontainebleau write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Finish at Back to Fontainebleau. That is the ride.