Bonjour mes amis! That’s “Hello my friends” in French, the local language of the fascinating city of Melun, France. Yes, you read that right. From Melun to Melun, 0.0 kilometers, a journey of self-discovery in my own footprints. “Un voyage de mille lieues commence toujours par un premier pas” (A journey of a thousand miles always begins with a first step).

As I wandered through the quaint, cobblestone streets, my grumpy gnome feet took me to the same café I had been to just yesterday. I have been in this city before, but this peculiar instance of déjà vu brought a new perspective.

The café owner, a charming woman named Madame Claudette, recognized me immediately. “Ah, le gnome voyageur! Vous revoilà!” (Ah, the traveling gnome! You’re back again!) she exclaimed with a hearty laugh. The fact that even in the same city, the same spot, different stories can blossom, is a testament to the ever-evolving narrative of travel.

Today, I didn’t just explore Melun but I explored the depths of my own journey. As I sipped my café au lait, I pondered upon a quote by the French philosopher Voltaire: “Il est encore plus facile de juger de l’esprit d’un homme par ses questions que par ses réponses.” (It is easier to judge the mind of a man by his questions rather than his answers). The journey of 0.0km made me question, am I seeing the world or am I discovering myself?

I’ve been on the road for 84 days, covered a distance of 2272.7 kilometers. My recent stops include: Saint-Denis, Créteil, Melun, and Fontainebleau. No new border crossed this time, so no new language change to report.

The melody of a local song hummed by Madame Claudette still echoes in my ears: “Sur le pont d’Avignon, on y danse, on y danse…” (On the bridge of Avignon, we dance, we dance…). This tune, and the day’s musings, are my souvenirs from the shortest of my travels.

Au revoir for now, or as we say in gnome language, “Keep your beard tangled and your hat pointy!”

Greetings from Melun, a city that carries the weight of history with the grace of a ballet dancer. First off, did you know that Melun is known as the ‘cradle of kings’? It was once a royal residence before Paris took center stage. Talk about living in the shadow of your younger sibling, eh?

Another fascinating thing about this city is the Collégiale Notre-Dame. This is an 11th-century church that has seen more history than a library full of books. The French say, “Qui n’a pas vu Melun, n’a pas vu merveille” which translates to “He who hasn’t seen Melun, hasn’t seen a marvel.” And by Jove, they’re right!

I can’t help but think of the French poet Paul Valéry when I see this city. Like his verses, Melun is a blend of elegant simplicity and complex history. As he once penned, “Le meilleur moyen de réaliser l’impossible est de croire que c’est possible” – The best way to achieve the impossible is to believe it’s possible. In Melun, I believe!