How hot is it! We are approaching this 30th section of the GR 1 in a heatwave. It's over 35 degrees, forty feelings. Suffice to say that today's walk will not be easy. There are two types of hikes: the contemplative and the sporty. This is definitely a sporty hike. From 9 am, the heat is present. Fortunately, the day's section is only 15 kilometers long ...
If Saint-Chéron, our starting point, has everything of a pretty little town, it's impossible to linger because you have to hurry to spin in the surrounding woods. With such temperatures, the shade the trees provide seems vital. But quickly, we become disillusioned: unlike usual, the forest is very sparse and the hike is mainly done in the middle of huge fields of wheat ... without the slightest square meter of shade. No need to specify either that no cloud is present in the sky, to our dismay. Obviously, fatigue is felt much more easily than usual, but it is the risks that threaten the hiker in hot weather. We stop at the first town on the route, which is also the only one between our starting point and our arrival stage: Sermaise.
We take the opportunity to take our light meal break. We will be satisfied with a very fresh salad. We should not weigh ourselves down too much, at the risk of not being able to start again. Because this harrowing weather disrupts the day a little, even if the crossing of these magnificent golden fields which extend as far as the eye can see is dazzling.
The breaks at the foot of the trees found here and there allow us to savor the view. These periods of calm do end up lying down, just like us, lying on the shaded ground. Too bad for the delay, it is better to arrive in the early evening if this allows you to enjoy the ride as much as possible. It's not every day that we find ourselves in the middle of an ocean of gold, there's no point in rushing.
We meet a small summer camp on the way, a group of college students, between 10 and 15 years old, supervised by two monitors, Corentin and Julie. They have offered this rural activity to young people, they are not used to this kind of outing: “The children are mostly Parisians, they never see nature. Our goal is to make them discover something else, far from their daily city life. "
It succeeded ! The change of scenery is total for these young people who, despite the ambient furnace, enjoy the walk far from their parents. “It's also a good way to meet up with friends and to forge bonds that cannot be created at school”, rejoices one of the children: it is true that learning to interact with nature directly being there with your classmates is a more rewarding experience than staying in a classroom. The college students start a picnic by exchanging jokes. The atmosphere is warm and friendly. For them, the day will be a memory marked with a hot iron in their young minds. The mission seems successful for the two monitors.
The list of our desires
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For the end of the day, we find the forest, it was about time! Admittedly, there is only one or two kilometers to cross but we take advantage of every corner of shade. There are more and more stops, you have to hydrate yourself and catch your breath. During one of these breaks, another hiker in her fifties walks past us, we take the opportunity to discuss: “I live in the area, she reveals. I walk around here every day, whether it's windy, rainy or snowing. It does me a lot of good. The heatwave and high degrees don't scare her, especially since she stays in the forest, well sheltered from the sun. We would almost envy him, his ride seems to be very pleasant.
This final meeting gives us renewed courage to cover the last kilometers. There is only a small effort to make, cross the town of Dourdan, our point of arrival. Ideally, we would have loved to stroll through the streets of the city and visit every nook and cranny, but there it is untenable… we rush to the station! Luckily, the train is already there waiting for us. We do not need to pray and we rush in to savor the freshness of the air conditioning.
The great castle of Dourdan, a prison in the city
From the 17th century and for 150 years, the great castle of Dourdan served as a place of detention, one of the most important in the region. This old medieval fortress created in the 13th century was transformed into a royal prison until the French Revolution.
It then became a departmental prison and then a municipal prison during the 19th century. The castle was sold in 1852 but its prison past resurfaces today. Until September, an exhibition is underway on the history of the castle. You can visit the various places of detention of the fortress and discover many anecdotes on various cases related to the castle, its famous detainees and the testimonies of those who lived at that time.
THE ADDRESS. The pleasant evening in Saint-Chéron
The house is huge. More than 250 m2 of property. It was too much for Mr. and Mrs. Fazio, the owners, since their children left. Never mind, we might as well open their doors to travelers. The retired couple can make two rooms available, at an unbeatable price, 50 euros per night for one person.
Bernard Fazio is proud of what he has built: “On the bed and breakfast site, we have the best rating in all of Saint-Chéron: 9.9 out of 10! "
Indeed, the Property guest room deserves all these praise. The hosts are very friendly and will make sure you have a good evening, a lovely time.
Property guest room, 76, rue des Mares - 91530 Saint-Chéron. From 50 euros per night.
STAGE 31 TO DISCOVER ON AUGUST 15> From Dourdan (91) to Clairefontaine (78)