Travel report: From Paris to Mont-Saint-Michel

Savoir-vivre - my colleague Katharina and I on a tour of France

Paris and Mont-Saint-Michel - magical attractions that have an effect on us! And what lies in between? Vallée de Chevreuse, Vallée Eure-et-Loir, Perche and Normandy-Maine? We look at each other. Rarely heard of. Our curiosity grows. That's where we want to go! A potential cycle tour for our guests from 2018?

Order from our boss: test. We test it. And we're already on the train to Paris.

Paris

In the Montmartre district near our hotel (a renovation of the rooms wouldn't hurt, but the view of the Eiffel Tower can stay!) we breathe in the Parisian air. A quick tour on the day of arrival: the Sacre-Cœur, French cafés and brasseries as well as the typical salons de thé, the many small alleyways. I'm a little sad that we have to leave again tomorrow, but of course I'm also looking forward to tomorrow's first cycling stage to Versailles.

Hilly Vallée des Chevreuse with typical French villages

Returning to the cycle path in Versailles is child's play compared to the previous day. The cycle stage through the Vallée des Chevreuse on the Ile de France, on the other hand, proves to be challenging: paved country roads with steeper climbs to the villages have to be mastered. We are rewarded with the pretty stone houses and small, inviting churches typical of this region. A cooling forest section through the forest of Rambouillet in the hot midday sun. The stage drags on. A ten-kilometre detour to the Abbay de Cernay is out of the question for both of us. The Château de Rambouillet with its beautiful park along the route is just right for us to take a breather. Passing the pretty village of Epernon, the route finally leads to Hanches and our accommodation, a typical maison d'hôtes. I feel like a queen of the sun in this rural property with its large, well-kept park and even a swimming pool! This is crowned by a very warm welcome from the hostess and a 4-course menu. It's just as well that there are no other dining options in Hanches.

We ride along a variety of country roads, through villages with short climbs and somewhat longer descents. Suddenly we come across a privately owned castle and an impressive church tower at the side of the road, followed by a ride through pleasantly cooler sections of forest. The castle of St. Jean in Nogent-le-Rotrou with its medieval fortifications is a welcome break. In the castle, we learn about the history and artists of the Perche. Then the Norman open country opens up before us: the first grazing white cows and meadows adorned with hay bales. And it is windy here. The air becomes noticeably rougher and fresher. It doesn't matter. It makes the longer uphill sections bearable. And downhill too! It rolls. The route is well signposted and mostly asphalted. Now it feels like I've really arrived. A 4* hotel awaits us in Villeray. Very stately. There were no refreshment stops along the way. The excellent 4-course menu tastes all the better. And the French cheese too! A huge selection rolls to our table. Melt in your mouth!

Carrouges Castle and pure Normandy

I didn't know that vigorous and relaxed cycling could go together. In Normandy they do. My legs have got used to the sometimes longer climbs and I'm now mentally prepared. Of course, the descents are also fun. Cycling long distances every day is simply part of this region to experience the landscape, the villages, the stone houses and the castles in their entirety. Take Carrouges Castle, for example, on this stage. One of the largest in Normandy, nestled in moats, the reddish brick is striking and the gardens are striking. The route then continues in familiar fashion on asphalt cycle paths, through pastures and villages with descents and gentle climbs. The cycle path signs almost always guide you reliably. One last up and down through a predominantly asphalted and protected section of forest, the forêt des Andaines. Then we reach Bagnoles de l'Orne, a 19th century spa town with numerous Belle Époque villas. But more importantly: my first galette and a salade de chèvre! Yum!

Only Mont-Saint-Michel to go

The destination is so close and yet so far. How many kilometers are left until then? 38 kilometers? 50 kilometers? The signs are going crazy. After a few kilometers, we leave the Voie Verte. We follow signposted country roads. Once again, it's ups and downs. Then, all of a sudden and hard to believe, it appears far back on the horizon. But the way there is deceptive. You can see Mont-Saint-Michel again and again, but the cycle paths seem to circle around it a thousand times. Sometimes it is closer, then further away again. And then, after a total of 50 kilometers, the time has come. Mont-Saint-Michel looked lonely from afar, but up close we see the opposite: there are people on it, in it and all around it on the mudflats. The black-legged sheep don't seem to mind. They are part of the picture. Compared to the days before, it's the windiest here. And it's getting cloudier and cloudier. The first raindrops fall. We go into the monastery and take a look inside the reception room, the monks' dining room, prayer rooms and several other rooms. Then continuous rain. The weather forecast was right. We put on our rain gear and quickly cycle the 10 kilometers in the rain on a gravel road to Pontorson, our overnight stop. Only the arrival counts. We celebrate Mont-Saint-Michel, the cycle tour and our sporting success with a Kir Breton.