French, a good trip, looks like the last autumn ride. Mrs Bilbo and have a phrase for these villages "they shot the horse" meaning it is smaller than a one horse town.

The statues in about the 6th photo (from memory) facing away from us, is that a war memorial?

Such lovely peregrinations, FMT. Thank you!

And I have the same question (I think) - what's the lumpy structure in the middle of the first picture of a rapeseed field?

That's a good question in regards to the war memorial in the rapeseed field. That's a sculpture by Paul Landowski called Les Fantômes. I'll paraphrase from the report I wrote about exploring that area in regards to Les Fantômes:

"Each statue is 8 meters in height and the assemblage is the work of Paul Landowki, more famously known for his statue of Christ the Redeemer situated atop Mount Corcovado overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro. He also was responsible for 35 statues in Paris, among them the statue of Sainte-Geneviève on the Pont de la Tournelle. There's also the Musée-Jardin Paul Landowksi in Boulogne-Billancourt, situated on the site of his former studio.

The site of the Butte de Chalmont was chosen as it was the scene of an Allied victory over the Germans on July 28, 1918, during the Second Battle of the Marne, which changed the course of the war. The monument is composed of two separate statues. At the base is a statue of La France, symbolising victory and hope, carrying only a defensive shield engraved with three deities representing the motto of the French Republic: Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. Leading to the upper statues are 4 sets of stairs representing the four years (and three months) of the war. The upper monument consists of a group of 7 soldiers surrounding a nude figure representing a martyr protected by his elders who have come back from the dead. The statues lean slightly forward and have closed eyes as though they have just raised themselves from their death shrouds."

The statues are some of the most amazing I've ever seen and are totally overwhelming. If you want to see pix of them you can check out this link to see the report:

http://tinyurl.com/cqst5xz

Ah yes I remember you writing about it.

Hi French Mystique Tours, I have always enjoyed your posts, especially this idol through the Oise region north of Paris in lovely fall weather.

The Chateau at the Parc Jean-Jacques Rousseau is charming, along with his impressive statue – he must have gotten around, eh?

This summer I saw an excellent exhibition about his works in the gallery (above the River Cher) at Chenonceau celebrating the 300th anniversary of his birth. Rousseau had served there as a tutor to Madame Dyjon’s children for some years.

Your pics around Ermenonville and Mont Eveque (sp.?) were lovely too. Of course, I then had to click on your earlier study of the Picardie area with those haunting photos of WWI with cemeteries and statuary, particularly those of Paul Landowski about whom I know little but will check him out shortly. So much to think about.

Looking forward to your jaunt to Chantilly. Merci…

I remember now, too. And I have been to the museum in Boulogne-Billancourt. Wonderful stuff!

Thanks latedaytraveler. I'll need to go back to some of these places individually to have some real exploration time. A visit to the abbey and museum at Chaalis followed by a visit to the Parc JJ Rouseau is a must for me at some point. There are so many other interesting things in that area that I didn't even have time for. I'll have a Senlis-Chantilly report soon.

StCirq - I've been wanting to see that museum.

FMT, how do you keep finding such unspoiled rural areas close to Paris?

I know not every town,village, and country road in France is a thing of beauty, but on the whole France has kept sprawl to a minimum. When you leave the towns you're in the countryside, and both are scenic.

Thanks once again for this brief trip back to France.

For that direction from Paris development pretty much stops after CDG. Even inside the N104 north of Paris there are undeveloped pockets and I plan on checking some of those out since they are so close to Paris. Thanks again Coquelicot.

FMT, what a lovely essay. Thank you so much for posting. It just serves to prove there are treasures to be found just off the beaten path in France. And, biking allows one the opportunity to slow down and discover. Those photos of the rapeseed fields are stunning. I've never seen color like that. But, I've never seen a rapeseed field in full bloom. Spring is lovely, but the fall foliage is gorgeous too. Again thank you for taking the time to post.

I also enjoyed your report, FMT. How many miles or kms do you bike on one of your outings? I do thank you for taking us along on a beautiful ride.

French Mystique Tours, isn’t the Oise area where Van Gogh spent his last days? Are you familiar with that region?

Also Dee_Dee wrote: “Those photos of the rapeseed fields are stunning. I've never seen color like that.” I agree – there beautiful. The first time I saw them in Europe was when we were flying into Edinburgh one year in late May. From the air, they are most imposing.

Again, terrific report…

Van Gogh spent his last years in Auvers-sur-Oise. He and his brother Theo are buried there. The whole town is a wonderful memorial to him. And there's a fabulous château that's been turned into a museum about the origins of Impressionism, which came to be because of the railroad system that allowed artists to get out of Paris and experience light differently. There's a room that's a replica of an early train car, a room devoted to the absinthe culture, holographic exhibits, and more. Auvers makes a wonderful, easy daytrip from Paris.

Correction: He didn't spend his "last years" there. He spent the last two months of his life there.

Dee_Dee - There are so many off the beaten path treasures to find in France you could never see them all. I discover them every time I go riding. I knew about Ermenonville and the abbey at Chaalis before I went riding but everything else I just stumbled into.

kansas - On this ride today I think I did about 60km to 70km. I ended this report with my entry in Senlis but I actually rode from Senlis to Chantilly where I caught the train back to Paris.

latedaytraveler - The Oise is a department in the Picardie region. If you look at the map in this link the Oise is the area outlined in red:

http://www.maplandia.com/france/picardie/oise/

If you want to see the rapeseed just head for the countryside outside Paris in late May and the landscapes will be ablaze in yellow. At some point I'll be doing a report on Auvers-sur-Oise and the surrounding area as it is just as rich in history and heritage as the places I covered in this report.

Auvers-sur-Oise is in the Val d'Oise département which is in the Ile de France region (greater Paris region). The Oise département is further north. All these are named after the Oise river.
http://i47.tinypic.com/11i3cs7.png

St Cirq, thank you for the information about Van Gogh’s last days at Auvers-sur-Oise. Sounds like a great destination from Paris.

FMT, merci for the map…

Whew - that 60-70 km was quite a workout - thanks, FMT!

Another lovely report. Again, I don't know how you get the multitude of locals to stay out of your pics, but I am still impressed by that.

I LOLed at the sanglier with the arrow (only because he didn't actually get hurt, of course. )

FMT, thanks very much for another lovely day in the country!

Not only does rapeseed(canola) dominate the sights of the sites but the wonderful sweet smell permeates the air. lovely!!

YankyGal - Glad my trip reports are keeping you in shape!

joannyc - You are most welcome.

amer_can - Thanks.

Great job! Thanks for sharing!

Thank you for reading irishface.

Once again,,,,beautiful pictures....and GREAT commentary !