Wednesday 3 April at Creteil and Isle Adam

The lake at Creteil

Next Wednesday 3 April we will have a short walk and a longer walk. 

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The shorter option will be led by Jean Chameroy. 

We will walk around the lake of Creteil, a short walk of 4 km. without hills. Creteil is the préfecture of the department of the Val de Marne. The lake was created from a quarry in the mid-1970s.

Rendezvous at 10:30 in front of Cinema UGC, fifty meters to the right of the station "Creteil Prefecture" metro line 8. 

Possibility of lunch in Creteil Soleil, where there are twenty Restaurants.

See you on Wednesday, Jean

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For the longer option...

Daniel Perot will lead us in the Forêt of L'Isle-Adam in the department of the Val d'Oise (95), hunting grounds of Philippe le Bel, and a jousting ground for François I. Passing successively to the Montmorency, the Condés and then to the Conti families in the 17th century, the Conti princes engaged Le Nôtre to design and create long, straight alleys and intersections for their grand passion—hunting. After the Revolution the forest became the property of the state. Here is Daniel’s information:

The Pont de Cabouille

Built at the beginning of the 16th century, the bridge's name recalls that people came here to "cabouiller" the water, stirring it up to attract fish. Solid on its three arches, nicely weathered by the centuries, the bridge joins Cohue island (where bridge tolls and taxes were paid) to the Isle Adam shore. Nearby a slender bronze water nymph emerges from the shimmering river—the little siren Evila, work of the Belgian sculptress Marie-Josée Aerts (1990).

It's been a while since we were last here. After crossing the bridge, we'll visit the interesting church of Saint Martin then move on to the "Chinese Pavillion", an 18th century "folly" designed, it seems, by the painter Fragonard. The end of our walk will take us past abandoned quarries to the station Isle Adam, where we began.

Travel

Out: Paris gare du Nord 9.56, train POVA direction Persan Beaumont via Valmandois, to Isle Adam Parmain (zone 5). Arrival 10.51. A five-zone Mobilis ticket might be cheaper than a round-trip ticket. Meet at the beginning of the platform.

Back: Isle Adam Parmain 16.50 arriving in Paris at 17.45. No earlier train.

Le Pont de Cabouille

Construit au début du XVIe siècle, ce pont rappelle, par son nom, que l'on

venait jadis ici « cabouiller » l'eau, la brouiller pour mieux y appâter le poisson. Solide sur ses trois arches, joliment patiné par les ans, il relie l'île de la Cohue (où l'on s'acquittait autrefois des droits de passage et de travers) à la rive de L'Isle-Adam. Tout près, une ondine de bronze, aux contours effilés, surgit des miroitements de l'eau. C'est la petite sirène Evila, œuvre du sculpteur belge Marie-Josée Aerts (1990).

Il y a un certain temps que nous n'avons pas été à cet endroit. Après avoir traversé le Pont de Cabouille, nous allons visiter l'intéressante église Saint-Martin et aller à la recherche du "Pavillon chinois", une folie du XVIIIe siècle dessinée, semble t-il, par le peintre Fragonard. La fin du parcours se fera le long d'anciennes carrières et nous ramènera à la gare de l'Isle-Adam, notre point de départ.
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GETTING THERE
Départ -- Paris Gare-du-Nord (surface), 9:56.  Prendre le train POVA. Direction Persan-Beaumont (via Valmondois).

    C'est en zone 5.  Rendez-vous au début du quai.
A Mobilis ticket (zone 5) could be more interesting than a round trip ticket.
Arrivée -- Gare de l'Isle-Adam/Parmain, 10:51.
 
Retour -- Gare de l'Isle-Adam/Parmain, 16:50. Arrivée : Paris, 17:45.
Il n'y a pas de train plus tôt.

Bring your lunch, water and hiking equipment for a 16/17-kilometer walk).

Looking forward to seeing you.

Daniel

daniel.perot@free.fr
09 50 56 65 26
Mobile (only the day of the walk) 06 51 22 35 16

The nymph Evila at Isle Adam