Breakfast at Gare du Nord
We rose early and headed to Gare du Nord to buy tickets and board the 0910 train to Senlis. It was a cold and over cast day and we were hoping for some cleared skies in the country.  We had arrived fairly early at the train station, (we left plenty of time to get from our apartment in the 16th arr, ride the bus across Paris, and negotiate our tickets to Senlis). The hardest part was finding the proper ticket window at Gare du Nord. There is a specific Metro/RER ticket sales area, a specific TGV ticket sales area, and a specific TER ticket sales area.
second class seats on the suburban train TER
The Senlis Train Station, now deactivated and a bus routiere
Senlis is about a 30-minute train ride north of Paris and then a 20-minute bus ride.  We purchased  our ticket from  Paris to Senlis (41€ for 2 round trip tickets) the train goes to Chantilly Gouvieux and then you board the 15 bus to Senlis, show your ticket to the driver and he will punch your ticket and drop you off at the former Senlis Train Station.
A word of caution do not get off the train by mistake at Orry de Ville, because you may not find the bus to Sanlis G.R. waiting, after all you are in the French countryside. In our case, it worked out and we had a pleasant ride through the countryside with suburban type enclaves, farms, horse farms, towns.
Market Day in Senlis
When we arrived in Senlis, there was a street market happening (Tuesday) so we walked the market before heading to the Tourist Office. Â Markets are always Mike’s thing. We don’t have to buy anything – just look, observe, smell, and listen. This was a typical small town market with everything from food to clothing to household goods and even fabric/thread/buttons. All of the streets in the town center were filled with vendors of one sort or another. Â While walking to the tourist office we checked out restaurants and cafes (menus) for our pending lunch – we are a couple who travel on our stomachs after all!.
The Tourist Office staff was very welcoming; we were given a map, a bus schedule and some information about the return bus trip. Then we headed off on the tourist trail following the map as best we could with a tourist map with the tourist office marked on the wrong spot.
From the ramparts, a peek at La Nonette River
Our hopes for a clearer day in the country were not realized; it was damper and felt colder here than in Paris. The streets and walks were all cobbled, the buildings mostly stone. Though we did see a few half-timbered structures. The stone walls of Senslis date back to the third century, built as fortifications by the Romans with 30 towers – some remaining. The streets within the walls are tight picturesque streets with many businesses on the first floor interspersed with residences. But, you think the Fan has parking problems? This is a whole new level.
Cathedra in Senlis
The cathedral in the center of town dates back to the 1100’s. The medieval fortifications, ramparts around the outside of city, provide a great place to stroll. A portion was closed for repairs so we were unable to complete the entire circuit. We did stroll through the Parc du Palais Royal, built by St-Louis in 1262. Chappelle Royale St-Frambourg is now in private hands (a foundation) restored to be an auditorium in 1973, but its only open limited hours: March to June and from September to November only the last Saturday of the month. So we were unable to check out the stained glass by Joan Miro.
We lunched at a restaurant near the cathedral, Le Scaramouche, a bistrot gourmand. www.le-scaramouche.fr  The plat du jour was a shaded beef with onions, mushrooms, and a smoked paprika sauce. Mike selected  duck pate followed by a brochette of tender lamb with a cream sauce with onions and carrots over rice.
We arrived back in Paris at about 1700 and headed back tot he apartment, we had texted Martin and Paula earlier but they were out shopping and they do not have cell service on their phone  My phone battery died as we got back to Paris, using any GPS/Location apps will run your battery down ASAP.
We agreed to meet up with M&P at La Palette, 43 rue de Seine, Â for drinks, we arrived
Wine and cheese with Martin and Paula
about 1915 and headed home about 2000 after a couple bottles of Rosé and a cheese board and bread, perfect after our generous lunch.  We were outside under a heater and did not realize how cold we really were and after a day outside it was good to get back to the apartment.
Some Views around Senlis:
Inside the cathedral
Half-timbered structure with a storefront on the rdc
Interesting set of doors
A statue of the hunt
in the garden
walls around center city
From the website http://www.beyond-paris.com/senlis.html
Senlis
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There are some towns in France that are just great to visit. Towns that have a life about them, some interesting things to see for sure, but just reward you for visiting. Senlis (pronounced Son-Lee) is one of those. The town retains a lot of its medieval charm while not feeling like you are visiting a museum. Rather, the town has kept the best of the past and has the best of today. Senlis is about 53km/33mi from Paris, almost directly to the North. Padalarang What to see Part of what makes this town great to visit is just the vibe of the town. Really the best thing to do is to wander around. The tourist office (opposite the cathedral) has a map of the town with a number of walking trails that intersect with each other (ie one starts where the previous one ends) so you can choose the length of the walk you want to do and the sights you want to see. The main sights in Senlis are the Cathedral, the castle royal, the hotel de ville, and the Saint Vincent abbey. The medieval centre to the town is great to wander around. There are a wide range of old buildings, small pathways and remains of the city walls to walk around. There are great cafes and salon de teas in and amongst the city buildings to stop and take a hot or cold beverage and sample some local cake’s. The Cathedral Notre Dame de l’Assomption de Senlis is one of the dominant features of the town. It was built in the late 1100’s and much of the original cathedral remains, despite a fire in the 1500’s. It has the distinction of being one of the smallest catherals in France and at the moment there is work being undertaken to restore the gates to their original colors. The Royal Palace was a castle home to a number of dynasties before it became a “Palais Royal” under Louis VI in the 12th century. This was not open to the public when we were there, but much of the structure and the castle walls are visible from around the outside. In the medieval times the town was fortified by circular walls. Some of these walls remain, and it is possible to walk in and around them. Even where the walls are no longer extant it is possible to see where they were by the circular layout of the city streets. One of the unique features in Senlis is the Roman arena. Dating from 1st Century (before or after Christ?) the arena was rediscovered in 1865 and has been partially excavated. Visits are through organised tours only, so it is important to contact thetourist office before going to Senlis if you want to visit the arena. There are also four museums in the town. http://ndapak.com/category/projects/sectors/energy/ Things to do
How to get there Senlis is slightly more complicated than other towns to get to as there is no direct rail link. However there is only one change and it is not difficult. Trains leave from Gare du Nord and go via Chantilly (change at “Chantilly Gouvieux” station) or Creil (change at “Creil” station). If you are changing at Chantilly the bus stop (Gare Routiere) is beside the train station. Exit the train station through the main entrance into the car park. Turn left on Rue d’Orgemont. Walk along infront of the train station and just beside the train station is the bus stop. If you don’t speak French, asking the driver “Son-lee?” when you hope on and showing them your ticket (see below) should let you know if you are on the right bus. The first bus stop is for Senlis, it should be labeled with a timetable – its a good opportunity to check when the last bus leaves Senlis for Chantilly. We have not taken the route from Criel so cannot comment on how easy it is. If you purchase a ticket from Paris all the way to Senlis you will not need to buy a bus ticket in Chantilly or Criel. This is useful for getting on the bus because you can show the ticket to the conductor when you board to make sure you are on the right bus. Ironically, the main bus stop for Senlis is the now abandoned train station. From here it is a short walk into the main old section of the town. The tourist office (opposite the Cathedral) in Senlis can tell you when the buses leave Senlis for your return journey and show you where from (they speak good English). You can then buy your bus ticket on the bus for Chantilly or Criel and your train ticket at the Chantilly or Criel train station. This saves you having to predetermine when you want to return. While trains are reasonably frequent, it is a good idea to make sure that you know when the last train leaves for Paris before you leave. |
