This is Elancourt !!!

Posted in France, Versailles

Another memorable post needed to tell you of my former home department 78 Yvelines in the île de France region of my belle France! I spent my first 9+ years in Versailles, but did went all over including this memorable city that I like to tell you a bit more for you and me,This one will be in my black and white series, no pictures, Therefore, here is my take on this is Elancourt !!! Hope you enjoy it as I.

I first came to the City of Elancourt passing on the N12 ,then the D58 to visit the France Miniature park, The City is 6 km from Plaisir, 6 km from La Verrière, 35 km from Paris, 16 km from Versailles and 448 km from my current home, The city is crossed by many roads: the RN 12, RD 912, and RN 10. Also, crossed by the RD 43 (route de Montfort) the RD 23 (Route de Trappes) and the RD 58 (route du Mesnil). The town is also crossed by the R12 departmental road, which joins the RN 12, By by train, not taken but there is direct from Paris, Montparnasse (line N) or La Défense (Line U), take the train to La Verrière station. And here need to take a bus or taxi,need to inquire on City hall,

Élancourt is part of the Agglomeration Community of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. The city holds the “artificial” high level of the relief of the Île-de-France with 231 meters above sea level, the Revanche hill, today Élancourt hill, completely artificial since built from the cuttings of the New city of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.

The main if not only reason to come here is France Miniature ,a miniature park which brings together 150 reconstituted landscapes ,117 French monuments and sites, reproduced on a 1/30th scale on a space of five hectares for 2,000 models in the form of a map of France with pools on locations seas and oceans that line France as well as Corsica Island, To make it all more alive, boats and moving trains rub shoulders with the 60,000 characters to find in the different spaces. The estate is crisscrossed by many miniature railways on which trains are made up of models reproducing SNCF equipment (TGV, Coral Trains, etc.). In the manner of a giant, browse the Eiffel Tower, Vaux-le-Vicomte, Saint-Tropez, Mont Saint-Michel, the Arles, the Basilica of Lourdes, etc, and the discovery of the regions ,During the visit, take the time to admire the Palais de la Miniature where the infinitely small. A space of attractions for children completes the route. These dear toddlers discover a six -track slide, the panoramic tower and many other fun activities while enjoying the landscape. France miniature is home to 2 catering areas. The Snack-Bar “La Gourmandine” offers fast food (open from April to November). And the restaurant “Les Provinces” offers regional recipes and products (open during school holidays in zone C and every weekend).

Other things to see here if more time are the Commandery of the Templars of the Villedieu founded between 1150 and 1180 by the monks of the Order of the Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon (known as the Order of the Temple), parish of Élancourt, archdiaconé of the Pincerais, deanery of Poissy. and renovated between 1971 and 1978, Also , the Church Saint-Médard.

A bit of history tell us that the oldest piece attesting to a commandery established in Élancourt is a confirmation by Arnaud de la Ferté, lord of Villepreux, of the donation made by his vassal Dreux de Villette to the order of the temple. This charter is dated to the episcopate of Jean de Salisbury, bishop of Chartres from 1176 to 1180, which means that the commandery already existed on this date. It was not until September 1206 that the name “of the Villedieu de Maurepas”, (later Elancourt) for the first time, mentioned in an act of agreement between the Templars and the Abbey of Saint-Denis. During the dissolution of the Templars in 1312, all the property of Villedieu-Maurepas were placed under the obedience of the Hospitallers of the Order of Saint-Jean de Jerusalem of the Commandery of Louviers-Vaumion located in Omerville. An anecdote tell us that on September 24, 1852, left Hippodrome, Place de l’Étoile in Paris, French aeronaut Henri Giffard, aboard the first steam airship, at the speed of 7 km/h, and landed on the site of Elancourt, today, the aerostat district in Trappes.

The official France Miniature park: https://www.franceminiature.fr/en/attractions

The city of Elancourt on its history/heritage : https://elancourt.fr/ma-ville/decouvrir-ma-ville/histoire-et-patrimoine

There you go folks, the other side of life in France, not visiting but living the real thing. Maybe just maybe you may feel to want to come to these areas just to take a look at how we live normal life away from the tourist throngs , just maybe ,you will be surprise. As I always said, Ernest Hemingway wrote about A Moveable Feast or Paris est une Fête because he only visited there, if he had gone out, he would had had the need to write a second book, France, is a moveable feast !!! Again, hope you have enjoy this post on this is Elancourt as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

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Published by pedmar10

I am a lover of travels to Europe , Americas , Africa and Asia as well ,who like to share my experiences of the last 53 years with the world, visiting so far 81 countries; living in 6, working in 5, and Citizen of 4, speaking fluently 4 languages. I can deal with sports especially football/soccer and love music, arts, wine collector/drinker, and go out to restaurants, and just visit the world. My background comes all the way from Candelaria and Pajara in Tenerife, Spain where my grandparents came from ;not knowing each other then, to Punta Brava, west of Havana, Cuba. There , my parents born in Cuba met and later on I was born there too. 100% guanche (annexed Tenerife to Spain on April 10 ,1496). I left Cuba as many have to Madrid, Spain where I lived for 4 years. Then, move to Perth Amboy ,New Jersey USA (living there 13 yrs) ; where I completed high school, became a US Citizen, learned to drive a car, and learned English. Afterward, went to the university in Florida, ERAU, and upon graduation decided to moved there to Ormond by the Sea, near Daytona Beach, finally moving North Miami, then Hialeah, then another moved to Silver Lakes division in Miramar, Broward county, Florida; in Florida I lived a total of 18 years. Finally , moved to France in 2003 ,Versailles call me for its royalty, and working in Paris was great. It was time to seek frontiers again and moved to Brech near Auray, Morbihan in Brittany , and later move to not too far Pluvigner. Total so far in France has been 20 years, and counting. Moving average a home every 5.5 years hopefully this will be my last. Cheers All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means or stored in a retrieval system of any nature, without the written permission of the copyright holder, me. No part of this work may be modified, without the written permission of the holder, me.No part of this work may be exposed to public view in any form or by any means, without identifying the holder as the author, and with the before mentioned permission.

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