A Little Escape to Conflans-Sainte-Honorine

The Covid-19 confinement finally came to an end on 11th May here in France ! But the country continues to be under the state of emergency, with the confinement measures only gradually being lifted. For the time being, we can only travel within a 100km radius from our place of residence. This restriction completely removes the possibility of going to the beaches in Normandy in spite of the exceptional weather of late.

But one needs not go far to find beautiful places in France ! After browsing through the Google Map app and checking out different locations in Île-de-France, I stumbled upon Conflans-Sainte-Honorine : a little town located at the point where the Oise joins the Seine.

Conflans-Sainte-Honorine is indeed a pleasant place. Despite the relative proximity from Paris, only 30km, it has a decidedly rural and laid-back atmosphere. The town is dotted with old mansions with magnificent gardens, and is known for its numerous “péniches” – custom boats inhabited by a number of families – docked on the riverbank. It might be a bit stretching, but the idyllic scenery vaguely reminded me of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” the boats and the waters of the Mississippi River. The old part of the town is built on a hill overlooking both the Seine and the Oise, offering an excellent vantage point. In fact, the town developed around an old fortress that was built to counter attacks by the invading Vikings.

I spent a good part of the afternoon exploring the tiny town, taking photos and queuing for 20 minutes for an ice cream… All the ingredients for an excellent weekend !