Fontainebleau

LIZ SAYS: Yesterday, Dick suggested that we take a short train ride to Fontainebleau. It is a small town with a enormous fantastic chateau and grounds. While I got all bent out of shape trying to figure out if and how we could bring the bikes, Dick had the good sense to print out a map of the place. Okay, so I picked out every bike in the train station, bumming out about not getting to ride that day. But, a few choo choo strides outside of Paris and I started to get in the spirit, okay, so we will walk and my bike will be the when I get back. Fontainebleau is a nice little town with loads of flowers planted in huge forest green wooden planters every quarter block or so. The main square near the chateau and grounds is full of restaurants and bistros serving lunch to everyone. Hearty salads, like only the French make, full of ham and potatoes and poached eggs. Waitresses with plates heaped with chunks o' meat and frilly ruffles of lettuce unload at tables with pale pink stemmed glasses of summer wine. There was the perfunctory carousel in the square, but this one was cute and girlie with a rocking circular covered love seat and donkeys with baskets for the smallest of children. It also had what Dick called a 'stairway to heaven', an upper level with even more exotic modes of circular travel. The whole thing was topped off with drawings of 'putti' or cherubs cavorting in twos. Oh, yeah, it was precious, definitely. But that is nothing, entering the gates of the chateau's grounds led to a huge building with a fabulously squirrelly staircase. But my eye was immediately drawn to the vast expanse of greenery divided by flowers into gorgeous parterres and the meticulously trimmed and turned trees as far as I could see. And, water, oh the water: fountains, canals, a lake, a stream and cross the street to a continuation of the canal. Swans, coots, moor hens and ducks messing about the water while the typical little brown birds and pigeons swoop through the gardens. I immediately knew we would be back, and, with bikes. It was all so grand, in every sense. We barely scratched the surface and I was awed. Although no pictures could do it justice, it would not be like me not to try, so just imagine the photos expanded as far as you can see and you will have an idea just how massively fab this place is.