When you wake up on a Saturday morning and wish to go somewhere to picnic for the day, where do you go? Paris is a city that embraces picnic-enthusiasts with its many gardens, parks and woods replete with water bodies and sporting activities. But there is always that one day when you feel like stepping out of the city. And as my husband and I asked each other that question, we both instantaneously agreed on Moret-sur-Loing. Rarely do places become so familiar that you wish to visit them again. A place we had visited in 2021 (still COVID era in many ways) and had fallen in love with. On that visit, it was more of a footnote as we had gone to experience the famous Château de Fontainebleau and Moret-sur-Loing was a mere detour. 

An hour’s drive from Paris, Moret-sur-Loing sits on the edges of the forest of Fontainbleau as a well guarded secret. As we drove towards this medieval town, following Google maps religiously, we wound up at a dead-end in the forest. A rickety off-beat road leading to nowhere. And we had company – soon enough three cars followed. We all asked each other and wondered where did the magical town disappear? Tracing our way back, we tried two more routes on instinct and vague memory before the majestic gates finally appeared. (footnote for first timers – be careful with the navigation)

A daunting fortress on the outside, we decided to park and walk through the town, which on a Saturday afternoon was comfortably sleepy. It definitely had more tourists than I remembered from last time, but the blanket of serenity was familiar. As we made our way from the entry tower to the next, along the narrow street, which came to life with an occasional cafe, we could hear the water rolling vigourously nearby. You can hear not just the sound of water, but that of birds and humans like a chorus before an audience.  

And then just as you cross the second gate, the magic is for the onlooker to behold. The bridge that traverses from the gate to the other side of town is a testament to a fruitful marriage of history and environment – the fortified medieval gates, the bridge and the Notre-Dame church on the one side, and the river Loing, its canals, the water-wheels and the green gold all around on the other hand. Alive with colorful flowers of the season and every shade of green glistening in the sun, it is like an impressionist painting coming to life. It is therefore no surprise that this town came to be the home of the famous Alfred Sisley for 20 years and where the prolific artists made over 400 of his paintings. Every angle is a composition in itself – one to capture, preserve and recreate.

With public on either side enjoying a day in the sun, the canal itself is full of life. There is something for everyone – paddling, canoeing, boating or simply splashing around in the summer heat. The ducks and swans give you company as do the fish of varied sizes. In that moment there is absolute harmony, where you are one with nature as history looks on perched on the banks of the river.

Traveling with our pet, we decided to grab something to eat from a boulangerie and sit by the river to enjoy the afternoon. As we bit into our sandwiches, and Simba (our dog) had his go at the water bowl, I could feel myself slow down – in a way give in. After a long week, the rush of the city and the demands of daily life, sitting here, 80 kms from Paris, I could truly unwind. The air of relaxation was wrapped in the soft music played by the solitary DJ parked on our side of the river. The anonymity of the situation, where we could hear multiple languages and feel the energy of all ages, the unifying force was the desire to enjoy a Saturday afternoon and in that moment, the small pleasures of life.

Moret-sur-Loing has something for everyone – history buffs, adventure enthusiasts or gastronomy believers (don’t miss out on the town’s famous sweets – Sucre d’orge). But to a city dweller like myself, it a was beautiful weekend getaway. Thus, it is no surprise that the town brands itself as one of the most beautiful detours of the country. This positioning is worth mentioning for France truly celebrates its countryside, whether with the tags of the “most beautiful villages”, the “villages of character” or the “floral towns”- each is celebrated as beautiful and unique. It is reflection of a society that appreciates what may easily be discarded as the mundane and unearths the inherent beauty.

So perhaps, the one lesson for all of us is that – no detour disappoints! And in that spirit, on our way back, we decided to take a detour to painters’ village of Barbizon on our way to Paris…