Lost on a saturday
Fontainebleau, 3. September. Two days after leaving Paris, we are waking up on a camping ground in the UNESCO biosphere Pays de Fontainebleau, the first biosphere of the tour. The last days before the start of the tour were quite stressful, so I didn't have time to contact the biosphere's manager in advance. Fortunately, the camping ground has an expensive Internet connection that allows me to access the biosphere's webpage and look up the address of the manager's bureau and his phone number. His name is Christophe Sirere, and his office bears the charming name "maison de l'environnement" (the house of the environment).
Two minutes later, I am trying to call the manager. Nobody replies. It dawns on me that saturday might not be the best date to find people working in their office. We decide to take our bikes and drive on-site to check whether the office is closed. Besides, we are eager to see what lies behind the alluring name "house of the environment". On the way, we stop by at a Vine and Cheese Fair, where some local merchands are selling products from the Fontainebleau region: Goat cheese and self-made jams.
Later that day, we arrive in Moret-sur-Loign, at the outskirts of the UNESCO biosphere. A charming city with beautiful old houses, but there is nothing environmental about the nice antiquities store that we find at the given address. A French lady passes and tells us that the house of the environment has moved already three years ago - to Montarlot, a small village some kilometers from here.
No signpost points us the way to the house of the environment in Montarlot. We get astray between riverlets, small gardens and animal hutches. Finally, we spot an identification plate "maison d'environnement" and right next to it: "Défense d'entrer" (no trespassing). Shouldn't a house of the environment be an open space, where everybody is welcome? We dare and enter.
A beautiful alley next to a quiet lake with swimming birds leads the way to an old mansion. As we approach, a guardian with a grim countenance blocks the way. This is a private area, he tells us. I mention the name Christophe Sirere and he informs us in a more friendly way that Mr. Sirere is on vacations and won't come back before Monday. And that there is no information about the UNESCO biosphere available right now.
Slightly disappointed, we drive back to the camping site, thinking about what we have seen. I admit that this visit was not well-prepared, but nevertheless - shouldn't it be easier to find information about the UNESCO biosphere? Shouldn't such a place be more welcoming? But no judgement today - there are still so many more biospheres to come ...
14.09.2005 13:02h
More Articles
|
More Stories about Pays de Fontainebleau
The Tour's Biospheres
Which biospheres have been or will be visited?
Basic Informationabout Pays de Fontainebleau (UNESCO site)
Map of Francewith the location of Pays de Fontainebleau (UNESCO site)
|
Article
