Fontaine-Fourches

La Bonne Etoile is located 65 miles southeast of Paris, in the small village of Fontaine-Forches, France. The village is nestled in a corner of the Ile de France on the edge of the Brie, Champagne and Burgundy regions.

…I posted a picture of the back yard of La Bonne Etoile above my desk at work. Every morning I work, I am transported back to those mornings when, cup of coffee in hand and a light jacket on my shoulder. I watched the sun rise through the trees and begin a new day in the French countryside….

David Draper, Creative Writing workshop 2007 and Photography workshop 2008

The Champagne Region

The area is rich in historic towns and villages such as Provins, the medieval World Heritage Site by Unesco, its medieval festivals and productions like “The Eagles of the Ramparts,” “The Feast of Harvest” and “The Legend of the Knights ” offer an adventure for the whole family and historians a like. Within eight miles the town of Nogent sur Seine hosts the museum Dubois-Boucher, which contains the largest private collection of sculptures by Camille Claudel. Here you can bike along the Seine and visit the Château de la Motte Tilly.

The Burgundy Region

High on the list to visit are Sens with its cathedral and Gallo-Roman museum and Troyes, a pedestrian city with its timbered houses, churches, stained glass and its Museum of Fine Arts.

Not far away is the Château de Fontainebleau and the forest featuring hiking, biking, rock climbing, and equestrian activities, Château de Vaux le Vicomte, the precursor of Versailles is a definite day trip.

Dear Kristina and Jerome, Thank you both for enabling such a satisfying and truly enjoyable ‘French Experience’, a time in France I will never forget. It seems all a dream I am yet to wake up from …hope I never do!

Susie Meech – Lyn Difenbach workshop 2011