I’ve been living in France for over 20 years, and in all of the time that I have been here, I still haven’t run out of places to see. I’m not sure there is ever enough time to see it all, but I am certainly enjoying the journey.
This past Mother’s Day was the perfect example of how this region continues to surprise me. My dear sweet Frenchman planned a little road trip for the family. After driving about an hour in a southeast direction, I realized we were driving through the gorgeous Fontainebleau Forest. This peaceful drive, reminded me that it’s so easy to find calm outside a busy city like Paris. So close, yet, another world.
Just outside the forest, we arrived in a beautifully quaint medieval town. I looked around wondering what this charming place was and why haven’t I heard of it before. Then, I saw a sign, Moret-sur-Loing. Still, nothing registered in my brain. I consoled myself with the thought that France is filled with so many beautiful places no one knows about until… There they were, clear as day, clutching phones for directions, pointing and taking photos… tourists! Wow, okay, clearly, the rock over my head had gathered moss after all of these years. How on earth could I have missed this place? There would be no consolation, nor excuses for me not to know this little town.
Moret sur Loing is absolutely charming and includes everything I love: fortified entrance gates, art, history, a walking trail along the Loing River and a beautiful church. It also has the added bonus of being known for one of France’s oldest sweets, Sucre d’Orge. The secret recipe and fabrication are unchanged since the time when it was first created by the Sisters of the Notre-Dame-des-Anges in 1638. Although it is no longer produced by nuns (since 1972), with one candy you can taste what King Louis VIII and his court, Napoleon and Sarah Bernhardt were known to love. I can’t help but to be thrilled by the idea of being transported in time, tasting a piece of history!
Situated in the middle of the Loing River, on the grounds of the ruins of the old Moulin Propencher, this island demure welcomed celebrities like Charlie Chaplin and Gary Cooper. Today it houses the Sucre d’Orge Museum.
This charming village was also the home of Alfred Sisley. During the 20 years he lived there, he painted more than 400 works dedicated to Moret sur Loing and the region.
I had an absolutely lovely day with my family, and I recommend this little gem. I’m feeling quite blessed.
Living the dream... in Paris, France 
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