September 10, 2015
Still in Fontainebleau
A quiet restful day in Fontainebleau. We got the bus into town and met Louise at a cafe beside the beautiful carrousel for breakfast and lingered over that while we waited for the Chateau to open. A wander through the gardens to see the famous fountain with the peeing dogs then onto what we are told is the second biggest chateau in France. It does of course date from a very long time ago. Now there is only a tiny remnant of the medieval castle which dates from 1137. From the 16th to the 18th centuries the chateau grew and grew in splendour under various monarchs until during the French Revolution it was stripped of its furnishings but the buildings themselves were spared. Seeking opulence Napoleon 1 made it into an Imperial Residence and had it refurnished. What you see today is massive opulence and extravagance, there is a riot of colour and gold. We were lucky to have Louise with us as she knows the place well.
A wander back to the bike shop and our bikes were finished. It appears that Ken's had a broken spoke as well as a buckled wheel. Brake pads and various cables were replaced and on the test ride back to Louise's place for lunch they seem to go well though I must say that it feels strange riding an unladen bike.
When Louise got home after her 'school run' we took off on a great little cycle ride. The great New Zealand short story writer Katherine Mansfield spent her last couple of years in a commune just out of Fontainebleau searching for a cure for her TB. She died there and is buried in the cemetery at Avon. Loiuse tends her grave. When she first got to Fontainebleau she found the grave and was distressed to see how overgrown and neglected it was. She now is the official keeper of the grave. She has cleaned it up and with the short story The Garden Party in mind has planted it with lavender and keeps the whole thing in good order. Louise tells us that it is obviously occasionally visited as she has found single roses on it and once some paua shells. On special occasions it has been visited by dignitaries and huge bouquets have been left. You are doing a good job Louise. Our route there was interesting as we went through the castle ground and got a different view of it and the extensive water works that surround it.
Back to Louise's for a very nice meal and we said our good-byes and were back to the Ibis for the night. We have had a lovely time in Fontainebleau and I wonder if I will still be able to ride a bike when we set off tomorrow.
Today's ride: 8 km (5 miles)
Total: 1,968 km (1,222 miles)
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