Au fil de la Seine – Échappées belles

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Échappées belles – Au fil de la Seine 17 mai 2025

De Conflans-Sainte-Honorine dans les Yvelines, la capitale de la batellerie, jusqu’à la mer dans son estuaire, au Havre, Sabine Quindou va à la rencontre de celles et ceux qui font la Seine d’aujourd’hui et qui témoignent de celle d’hier. A vélo, en canoë, à cheval ou à pied, elle remonte également le cours du temps pour découvrir cette diversité de paysages bucoliques, urbains et médiévaux que proposent le fleuve, mais surtout comprendre comment ce fleuve aux jolis méandres façonne le paysage, nourrit ses campagnes et inspire ses riverains.

-WELCOME TO THE BANKS OF THE SEINE. -Did you sleep well? -Very well. When you wake up in a cabin on an island and remember you’re in Andrésy, in the Ile-de-France region, it’s crazy. What brought you to this island? -The adventure of everyday life. The day I discovered this place, I took a boat , and before I set foot on the island, I fell in love at first sight. -There’s no other way to get to your place than by boat. -Without a boat, you can’t get to my place. -You wanted the view of the Seine. Why? -The view of the Seine is inspiring. The Impressionists settled along the river for the light. That’s what made me choose this place. The contact with the river, with the natural park we’re in, helps boost your energy , and that contributed to this metamorphosis. -You moved in with a boat? -Yes. -Oh! The queen of the niche. -I’m used to it. -There you go. First stop. Conflans-Sainte-Honorine. The capital of inland waterway transport. -There are sometimes dozens of barges. -When did this port’s great boom take place? -It was the 19th century. At the time, it was the industrial boom. The barges weren’t motorized. There was a system of chains submerged in the water that allowed them to be hauled to Paris. -Conflans-Sainte-Honorine benefits from its proximity to the capital. -Yes. And today, river transport, despite the rise of rail and road transport , remains a key activity in Conflans. We’re at the confluence of the Oise. Large tonnages, as you can see here, still carry goods from the four corners of the world to Paris. -There are still boatmen who live on their boats and there is even, I’ve been told, a chapel boat. -Yes, 100 meters away. -Shall we go? -Yes. -With pleasure. (It really feels like (a church.) -Yes. It’s quite deep. -HELLO. -Hello. Can we have coffee? -Of course. -Would you tell us the story of this boat? -Yes. It’s the only chapel boat that officiates. -In all of France. -Yes. -It’s big. -It’s 72 m long and 8 m wide. -So, it’s a church and I saw written on the facade that it’s a reception center. -Exactly. For 80 years, this boat has only done social work. When Joseph Bellanger arrived in 1935, he created the Entraide sociale batelière (Batterie Social Assistance). The boatman’s profession wasn’t recognized. They were seen as travelers. They came, dropped off their goods, and left. Bellanger fought to have the profession recognized. The trade was learned from father to son. Most of the boatmen and their children couldn’t read or write, and to help them, Bellanger created the boarding school for boatmen’s children. -To educate them. -Yes. -The city is the capital of inland waterway transport due to the importance of its port and also because it was a refuge. -But above all, they had a postal address. -Also. -We didn’t have an address then. -Incredible. This boat is a place of history. -Yes. For the boatmen, it’s huge. And for Conflans. -Incredible. It gives me goosebumps. It’s super moving. Thank you, Isabelle and Xavier. -With pleasure. -There are already quite a few people. Gentlemen. Go ahead. -Once a month, Théo opens the doors to the Terrain. An improvised second-hand goods village set on the banks of the Seine, just an hour from Paris. -It’s been open to the public for 8 years . It started as a project Crazy. A 4,500 square meter undeveloped plot. It feels good. -In just a few years, Le Terrain has become a haunt of amateur and professional second-hand dealers, like Sébastien, the first to arrive here. -My brother and I came by in a canoe and saw that the land was for sale. We started with two of us and now there must be about ten of us. We’re treasure hunters. Treasure rescuers. He honks. -As for visitors, the motivation is the same. We come on foot, by bike , or even by boat to unearth nuggets. -You never know what you’ll find. There are always nice surprises. -Ian and his little family never miss this monthly rendezvous . -It’s beautiful. -It’s typically the things we have. -Yes. -When he doesn’t have a crush, Ian enjoys observing this open-air theater. -That’s the part I love. It’s a bit like Disneyland, but it’s ten times more beautiful. When you look closely, there are perspectives and everyone has their own little house where they sell. -1 euro. -Besides the fact that it’s a flea market, it’s also a natural place that attracts people since the banks are accessible. People walk around and discover the beach. -There. -I found these simple and pretty cutlery and I found something pretty kitsch for a wedding: 2 characters that we’re going to customize to look like the bride and groom. Here are our two finds. -More great purchases. -Like many bargain hunters, the family leaves with treasures in their pockets. But on the banks of the Seine are also hidden other wonders, like the Affolantes, these houses that Parisians bought with the development of the railway network around the capital. -There are some lovely buildings around here, including one, the Clos-Bon-Dieu, which was created for the 1900 World’s Fair, which arrived by boat. -In Thomery, Catherine Brault fell under the spell of one of these residences, which she bought in 2017. A castle steeped in history where the artist Rosa Bonheur lived. -This is Rosa Bonheur’s studio. This is where she will spend three-quarters of her time. All the animals there that are not hunting trophies are her friends. And Rosa could only work surrounded by her friends, that is, her animals. There were more than 200 in the park. -Her animals were a source of inspiration for this great 19th-century artist. -She was the first to paint animals to show what they are. This painting is “Wild Horses Fleeing the Fire.” This is her last painting. She was 77 when she painted this work. We have the pure animal in the middle of nature. All its beauty. -Since Rosa Bonheur’s death in 1922, almost nothing has changed in this castle. When she bought it, Catherine hoped to make beautiful discoveries there, especially in the attics. -We were lucky that these attics were cluttered and no one had the courage or the time to observe every square centimeter of the house. There was a ball of paper in the middle of this attic. One day when we were perhaps going to throw it in the trash, one of my daughters said: “I’m going to look.” And we discovered this profile of a horse. -This drawing of a horse is one example among hundreds of rediscovered works. Well aware of the value of this treasure, Catherine opened the house to the public. A way to highlight the work of the one who was then the most famous French artist in the world. And to perpetuate Rosa Bonheur’s great struggles: the animal cause and feminine creativity. She sings in Spanish. … -Parenthesis that invite you on a journey beyond time. … … -Will you give me a hand? -Of course. -Ah. Here. -Thank you. When you take over your parents’ farm, Michel, do you imagine that one day you’ll be delivering your cider to the Château de La Roche-Guyon? It’s prestigious. -I’m very proud. I’ve been coming to this château for over 50 years. When I was a kid, this château was a favorite place for family Sunday visits. -A long history. -Yes. -Hello. -Hello. -We’ve come to deliver the order we placed. Six bottles of cider. -Yes. -Here, I’ll bring you some new products. A zucchini and basil soup and a tomato-zucchini soup. -Okay. Here, they say there’s a thousand years of history, because each century has left its mark. There was a first château as early as the 8th or 9th century, which was entirely troglodyte. It was a group of caves, the “boves,” where the lord lived. In the 12th century, King Philip Augustus, who was in conflict with Richard the Lionheart, saw that it was a strategic location and asked the lord to build the keep. “I’m going to see all this landscape from up there.” “See you later.” -“It’s… my… “pleasure.” This could be my home, here. … The Ruelles farm. -Yes. -Here I am at your place. This farm also tells a long story. -Shorter than the one at the castle. -Less than a thousand years. -Yes. It was created in 1650. -Still. -The time of Louis XIV. -It’s where you were born. -Yes. I spent my youth there. I left and came back to take over the farm, with a desire to produce other things and in a different way. Shall I take you? -I want to see. -Let’s go. Buzzing. … -I have the impression that it’s buzzing everywhere. -We see butterflies too. It’s teeming with life. Here, I practice agroforestry. -What’s the point? -To bring nature back into the fields. To grow, a tree needs CO2. They will regulate the climate. They will capture water. Thanks to There’s an Airbnb every 30 meters in my fields. Free, no tourist tax. Earthworms are my friends. They replace the tractor and the plow. Except there’s always a “but.” Field mice don’t have to redo their tunnels every 3 months. -OK. -So, they take advantage of it to reproduce. To do that, they eat my wheat. -Less happy. -Yes. I saw birds of prey arrive. I said to myself: “I’m saved.” Not so. I was a little distraught. One day, I saw a heron arrive. It must have sent a text message to ten of its friends. -Of course. -The next day, they came and took care of the matter. I still have field mouse attacks, but the birds of prey, foxes, and herons manage. So, I have them, but I no longer see any damage. It’s not immediate, but these trees will bring things positive to my farm and also to the territory. -What is this plant? -It’s elephant grass. It’s a magic plant. -Yes. -Do you want to see? -Yes. -This plant is my oil well. Every year, it brings me the equivalent of 6,000 liters of oil. -Oh yeah? -I heat the whole farm. -Yes. -I use zero chemicals. Zero chemistry. -Oh yeah. -I watch it grow. -Okay. -That’s fine with me. -Where does this grass come from? -It comes from China. It’s sterile. -No invasion. -Exactly. It hasn’t been to the neighbor’s. -Great. -Not angry with my neighbors. -Great. It’s magic. -Does it lack water? -A little. -It works. -Poultry is good. -Let’s eat! -Yes. -WE’RE HUNGRY. -We’re thirsty. -“We’re thirsty.” -Good things await us. Go ahead. Come in. -Hello. -Hello. -Eugénie and Thibault. My daughter and her boyfriend. -Pleased to meet you. -Hello. -They plan to take over the farm and develop the culinary side. -Restaurant? -Yes. -You’re torturing me with that aroma. -Yes. -Exactly. -Who’s cooking? -Me. -OK. You’ll carry… Especially you, Eugénie. The family story. -Yes. I always wanted to take over the farm, but I didn’t know how. It’s difficult to take over your parents’ work. I wandered around a bit, then I asked myself: “What drives me?” It was gastronomy. -The restaurant, to complement the farm’s activities. Camille. -Hello. -How are you? -Good. And you? -I was told to bring back some cider. I associate “oenologist” with “wine,” not with “cider.” -“Oenologist” is someone who knows about wine, but we’re trained in everything that involves fermented alcohol. We have several varieties of apples, just as we have several grape varieties. We ferment. We bottle our product. -With a showcase of the farm’s products. -Obviously. -“Obviously.” -AH. They laugh. -We’re going to taste the goldfinch cider. -It’s the name of a bird. -A magnificent sparrow. And now, we’re seeing flocks of 80 to 100 individuals again , and it’s fantastic. -I toast to this business… family-owned and more. So, to sustainability. To transmission. -To diversity. -Thank you, Michel. -Thank you for coming.