Amiens Cathedral and the Hortillonnages: Road Trip in France #1
Let’s go for 4 weeks of Road Trip in France! To find and follow all the articles of this road trip, you can use a search on the blog (road trip france #) or simply access the category France here
Part 1: Travel Diary
Part 2: Practical Tips
Part 1: Travel Diary
Day 1 of the Road Trip
Car Rental
Once again, we go through E.Leclerc to rent our car for 4 weeks. The advantage is clearly the price. We are fortunate to have found one available for our entire vacation period, which isn’t always obvious. What’s more, this Leclerc is right on the doorstep of Rouen. More info here
Unfortunately, for our first day of vacation, clumsiness and misfortune followed one another. Our friend A., who is kind enough to pick us up and drop us off at Leclerc’s, gets hit by a pole that deforms his bumper while maneuvering. I forget my iPhone in the airbnb after we leave the keys and have to ring at all the neighbors to access the building again. Arriving at Leclerc, we are told that we will leave with a car WITHOUT a spare wheel because the last tenant returned the car without the wheel and they did not have time to find a spare.
It is therefore with a long delay that we leave Rouen this morning under a blazing sun (between 39 and 41 degrees).
In addition, it’s a bit of a fast day because I’ve put together an extremely busy program for us the first week. Amiens is just a quick stop to get to the main destination: the Champagne region where we will have several tastings and cellar visits.
Amiens Cathedral
1h25 later, we run to Amiens. It’s been a long time that I wanted to visit the Cathedral of Amiens : It’s the largest cathedral in France and it’s listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Inside the cathedral, the tiles form a labyrinth similar to the one in Chartres. If labyrinths are considered a game for us today, they were loaded with symbols for Christians: the rise of Christ on Calvary. The faithful followed them on their knees as a pilgrimage.
To be searched absolutely :
- the weeping angel: sculpture of a tomb popularized during the First World War by the soldiers of the British army who sent postcards around the world representing it.
- the labyrinth: made of marble on the paving in front of the choir, its center is a copy of the original preserved in the museum
- and possibly a guided tour of the towers of the cathedral (to be booked in advance, because of the Covid)
It is said that the cathedral of Amiens was built on a field of artichokes yielded by the market gardeners of the hortillonnages.
The Hortillonnages
The hortillonnages are a 300 hectare area of former marshland developed to create fields that can be used for market gardening. In the 15th century, the site covered more than 1500 hectares.
To move around and look after the plots of land, the hortillons invented the horn boat, the shape of which was designed to be able to dock on the plots of land without damaging the banks (raised and elongated end), and the size of which (up to 10 metres) allowed them to load up to a tonne of products
One became hortillon from father to son. Now there are only about ten hortillons left. The land is raised to create plots (easier to look after than by boat). Traditional methods continue to be used to avoid the use of fertilizers and pesticides. The land is fertilized with silt taken from the canals. You can stock up on vegetables & fruits every Saturday morning at the fresh produce market, Quai Bélu, or at the market on Place Gorlitz on Friday afternoon. You can also simply go directly to the Ferme des Hortillonnages.
The little boat ride is a little too tightly glued, but it looks really nice. Many departures from the Maison des Hortillonnages. We did not do it for lack of time.
O Garden
The only restaurant at Les Hortillonnages is on the waterfront and serves simple but fresh dishes. We booked a week in advance to make sure we had a table by the water but due to a misunderstanding we only had a table near the water. Their salmon tartar is very good.
The restaurant is accessible by car even if the path leading to it looks pedestrian. We made the mistake of walking along the canal, but we saw several cars passing and even 4 parking spaces in front of the restaurant so don’t make the same mistake as we did 😀 Just follow Google Maps !
From one island to another
We did not have the opportunity to stay there but we were told a lot of good things about these unusual huts from one island to another in the heart of the Hortillonnages. Bicycles will be put at your disposal, but also fishing rods or a kit of ornithology and a barbecue! Count 120€ minimum and remember to book well in advance.
If the huts are full, you can go to the Domaine des Bruyères(link Booking), also very charming, but outside the city.
The continuation of our road trip, it’s this way
Part 2: Practical Tips
Useful links
- Official website of the Hortillonnages d’Amien : http://www.hortillonnages-amiens.fr/
- 4 weeks Road Trip in France by car: program & detailed plans here
- These points of interest are part of the +800 tourist places in France that we recommend. To access free Google Maps of the 800 places in question, click here
- More info about our car rental at Leclerc here
- Accommodation :
- From one island to another: https: //www.duneilealautre.fr/
- Domaine des Bruyères (link Booking)
Budget
- Visit of Amiens Cathedral: free of charge
- Visit of the Hortillonnages : free
- Lunch at Ô Jardin : 17 euros/dish
