St Simeon

The Ile de France

The Ile de France, with Paris at its hub, is the very source whence French history and culture has bloomed, flourished and spread. The River Seine and its tributaries Marne, Oise and Aisne flow through a network of verdant valleys, rich in fine forests. The lovely varied landscape is strewn with pretty old towns, fine churches, great gothic cathedrals, magnificent chateaux and many other souvenirs of former glory, whose beauty has inspired artists and poets down the years. With its bounds Reims and Fontainebleau, Senlis and Chantilly, Rambouillet and Chartres, along with Versailles and Paris itself are just a few names that echo with the legacy of twenty centuries of history.

Accommodation

Cottage 24 Changeover day Wednesday Laurant Perrier - Cottage on 2 floors - Sleeps 5 - 1st floor - Double bedroom with en-suite bathroom - Twin bedroom - Separate bathroom - Ground floor - 1 Z-bed - Open plan living area Terrace with courtyard views - NO PETS

Leisure Facilities

The Clubhouse contains an indoor 10x5 metre swimming pool, a sauna, information room, billiards, pool, table tennis and table football and a launderette. Outside is a tennis court, an outdoor swimming pool and childrens’ splash pool with pergola. Croissants and bread are delivered each morning from the local bakers. The site manager arranges weekly trips to a local boulangerie to watch baguettes and croissants being made, and to spend a day in Paris. Other activities available locally include canoe, kayak trips down the rivers, horse riding and pony trekking. The quiet local roads allow good walking and cycling. In the nearby towns of Coulommiers and La Ferte-Gaucher there are supermarkets and restaurants. St Simeon itself has a small garage, a café/shop, a bakery and a post office. There are plenty of good restaurants in the surrounding towns and villages.

Local Attractions

With ample entertainment for all the family, Disneyland Paris is about 16 miles west of St Simeon and clearly signed. There is also the Asterix theme park, to the north of Paris.

The Champagne region round Reims and Epernay is easy motoring through pleasant countryside, with plenty of interesting diversions and a choice of routes. There are cathedrals, museums and chateaux as well as vineyards and many local markets. Some battlefields of the First World War are en route, indeed the German advance on Paris in 1914 was halted just north of Coulommiers, and there are some interesting memorials to be found hereabouts. Do visit Fontainebleau and Vaux-le-Vicomte, with their fine chateaux, parks and beautiful gardens by Le Notre. The painter’s village of Barbizon is well worth visiting for its galleries and cafes. The nearby medieval town of Provins should be visited as should, of course, Versailles. Cities and towns that are on route are Beauvais, Amiens and Chantilly. Paris is an easy 40-mile drive into the centre with easy parking.