Visiting Friends Outside Paris – Herblay-Sur-Seine

September 6, 2025

I have met so many lovely expats on this trip.  Peter and François invited a group of us for lunch on a hot, but lazy Saturday with a little tour of the area.

The Saint-Martin d’Herblay church was built in the 12th century in the Gothic style, on a Latin cross plan. The transept dates from this time, while the nave was built at the end of the 12th century or the beginning of the 13th century. The aisles were built in the Renaissance. The choir was replaced in the 16th century in the flamboyant Gothic style.

I was charmed to see that the stations of the cross were done in such a modern way in this ancient church.

From the church we walked to the Seine.

Apparently, painter Victor Madeleine fell under the spell of architecture while visiting the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1900. He built this house on the banks of the Seine in the Arab-Andalusian style. It now belongs to the city of Herblay-sur-Seine. Madeleine was mainly known for his Parisian scenes and his market scenes. He is buried in the Montmartre Cemetery.

We took a fun little ferry to the Island of Herblay.  The island is a lovely park and the ferry was filled with families with bikes to take advantage of that fact.

The 1910 Great Flood of Paris was a catastrophe. The Seine, carrying winter rains from its tributaries, flooded Paris and its surrounding communities. The Seine water level rose more than 26 feet above its ordinary level.

Estimates of the flood damage reached about $1.5 billion. What I found fascinating is that despite the scale of damage, no deaths were reported, and no outbreaks of diseases occurred.

It was a delightful way to spend a hot and muggy day in France.  Thank you, Peter and François.