Chateau Fontainebleau France

Travelled: 91km
Visited: Chateau Fontainebleau
Stay: St Julien du Sault - Aire free - services free (water and dump point) - GPS N48°01.742' E3°18.084'

We arrived in Fontainebleau at 9:20am and managed to get a parking spot right outside the main entrance and because it is a public holiday we got to park for free! We went to buy a sandwich (baguette) for lunch and headed to the castle. We bought tickets to visit the Grands Apartments with an audio-guide for €13 each. 

The keep is the only part left of the original castle built in 1137. Since then it has had many additions and renovations. The rooms where amazingly decorated.

Napoleon Throne Room

We then drove to the Aire in St Julien du Sault. We had a walk around town after settling into the Aire.

Samoreau

Travelled: 48km
Visited: Samoreau
Stay: Samoreau Camping Communal €15 includes all services GPS N48°25.3632' E2°44.8728'

We felt we needed to find a place to stay to fully charge the batteries. We found a camp ground near the Chateau Fontainbleau. We are still 6 km out, so a bit of a walk especially if we are going to spend the day on our feet. There is an hourly bus service or we can take the bikes. In the end we decided to go tomorrow in the hope the weather is better. We spent the day catching up on a few things enjoying the view of the River Siene from our window and watching the barges motoring by. Between showers we walked around town with a visit to the boulangerie for our daily baguette, then strolled along the bank of the River Siene.

View from Bluey

Local Butcher

Ready for 'the lunch' with an award winning baguette and an eclaire

Although we were tempted by the wood fired pizzas

Inspecting this stone wall in much need of pointing up

A beautiful lace curtain 

Some properties along the River Siene

Samoreau Camp Ground

Senlis to Provins

Travelled: 170km 

Visited: Senlis, Provins

Stay: Provins: Aire: €8(free as no one came to collect) Services- € electricity(not working), water free

GPS N48°33.708' E3°14.440'

Woke up to the sound of rain and the realisation that someone had turned off the electricity to Bluey. So the fridge was at a cool 16°c (warmer than the van) and our house batteries had not been fully charged. After a quick coffee we headed down the narrow country roads to Senlis, an ancient walled town. After a couple of attempts circling the town, we managed to find a parking spot. We enjoyed walking along the cobbled stoned narrow streets munching on a fresh baguette and looking at the local produce offered at the weekly market.

We decided that a drive to an Aire with electricity on offer was our best option so after a bit of research and we set our sights for Provins. We drove through rolling wheat and canola fields to this medieval city. Unfortunately the electricity was out of service...but the drive did charge the batteries up, so all was not lost. Provins turns out to be a very popular tourist attraction, so after finding a spot in the busy Aire, we visit the tourist office and get a map and then off we go to find a nice cold beer (the fridge is still only 12°). We also walk around the town and drop in at the Church and gaze at Caesar's Tower. We might have a look tomorrow at one of the 3 Medieval Shows on offer.

Provins Aire