If you travel to France to experience the French countryside, you may be missing the best activity you don't read about in the guidebooks : The Sunday Village Randonnée.
Randonnée in French means a hike. The "Grand Randonnées" in France are marked French hiking trails, sometimes hundreds of kilometers long. For the serious hiker who owns hiking boots, a backpack, nordic walking poles, and an outback hat.
That would not be me. If you are a fellow casual walker, as I am, and you're in France with a Sunday morning free, then the Village Randonnée is just the ticket. Depending on the village, they may be set up for bikes and/or horseback riders as well.
Many villages and hobby or charity organizations hold these events annually, most often on Sunday mornings, so let me walk you through the one we had in our former village of La Vineuse each year, planned by the village social committee, of which we were a part.
The posters had gone up, fliers had been distributed for our event. The festivities started at 7 am at the pique nique shelter at our school/mayor's office. We set up a coffee station, trays of croissants and pain au chocolat. As our visitors arrived, they paid a small fee and were given maps of the three marked trails (a choice of one, two, or three hour walks) to pour over, while we poured the coffee.
The serious hikers arrived first, booted up and bursting with energy despite the early hour. This was the 3-hour crowd.
Throughout the morning and afternoon, the more casual flâneurs drifted in, dressed in t-shirts and les baskets (tennis shoes). They came in pairs, with packs of friends, or in multi-generational family groups. We set them off in convivial herds. Couples pushing strollers, hiking clubs, college kids in lycra, seniors out for a spin, they were all there. There was laughter and camaraderie as they headed off down the hill.
Mid-morning we did our next set-up, for the finishers who were starting to trickle in (except for the 3-hour crowd, who did not trickle, but strode in energetically as if they might take in a couple of aerobic classes and some weight-lifting in the afternoon). There was wine of course, to celebrate; plus trays of cheese and saussison, and cookies. The visitors lingered to discuss their walks and share a glass.
We've done other village randonnées, and they are great fun. There's a party atmosphere as you chat with other groups along the way. We've passed through hamlets, along farm paths, by beautiful country houses and gardens, by lakes and ponds, and there is usually a château or a church along the way, hidden deep in the countryside. If there is a better way to experience la France profonde, I don't know what it is!
IF YOU GO: If you can’t catch a planned randonnée on a week-end, you can go on your own. Most villages have marked walking paths you can take anytime; look for the large maps signposted in a central location in many villages. Or you can download randonnée maps at http://www.france-randos.com (select your language at the top). If you want to participate in a week-end randonnée event, the local tourist office is your best bet, and you will always find them in the digital or print version of the local paper.
In the COMMENTS: Ann, I'm hoping the French breakfast is going to help with those pesky hips too! But then again, brioche with cherry jam, Jan, could tempt me in a skinny minute. Julie, at least your dog gets you moving in the morning, they are great for that. And Colleen, isn't that French bread wonderful? They've come a long way since it was only baguettes.
Favorite READS: Our favorite book critic Natalia checks in with some great new reads. I'm always looking for books in French that are not overly difficult, and my friend Debbie got me reading Guillaume Musso. By this author, Natalia recommends Skidamarink . She says: odd title, interesting story. Musso is hugely popular in France. To read one of his in English, try his thriller, Central Park. Natalia also recommends Cara Black and her Aimee LeDuc series, mostly set in Paris. And speaking of Paris, my friend Sandi is currently immersing herself in books about the city, and she says, "Your readers will LOVE A Paris All Your Own, by Eleanor Brown. She also recommends Paris Street Tales and Paris Was Ours: Thirty-two Writers Reflect on the City of Light.
