A walk in the Cergy forest with friends - truly delightful
The lush green Cergy forest is an ideal space for exercise and leisure in a modern metropolis
Charming views of the small hills in the clear-sky Cergy forest
The verdant forest provides a space for city dwellers to stroll and unwind
The blue sky, white clouds, and forested hills resemble Monet's Impressionist paintings
A lush green walking park along the Seine River in Cergy
Tall trees make for a great spot for leisure and strolling
Bright countryside fields - a view of vegetable greenhouses
Countryside scenery near Cergy forest - a verdant potato field
Countryside scenery near Cergy forest - a small garden within the potato fields
Poetic and picturesque pastoral scenery near Cergy forest

Strolling is the most pleasant activity, becoming an integral part of Parisians' lives; whenever possible, they go out for a walk or to clear their minds. The bustling city of Paris offers many spaces for walking, more places for shopping, and numerous leisure areas. Enjoying coffee, exhibitions, theater, or movies, Paris can be said to be a paradise of pleasure. Having just returned to Paris and still sorting through thoughts brought back from my hometown, I accompanied Xiaoxia, a photographer from Taiwan, to visit several older painters living in Paris, such as Zao Wou-Ki, Chu Teh-Chun, Peng Wan-Chi, and Chen Ying-De, among others. I also took him for a walk in a Paris park. It seemed that the Taiwanese friend was not in the mood to relax, but wandering around was fine anyway. We went for a walk in Bercy Park near our home, allowing the distant friend to experience the charm of the City of Light.

On the last day, he went to Cergy, a suburb far from Paris, to photograph the painter Li Boyuan. He took the RER early in the morning to the eastern outskirts of Paris, Cergy, a journey of nearly an hour. Teacher Li came to greet us. In this newly developed suburban city, there are modern architectural groups everywhere, with cafes and restaurants lining the station area. Teacher Li invited us to have a cup of coffee and chat before we went to his studio to take portraits of the artist. After lunch, guided by Teacher Li, we walked together in the nearby forest, entering a lush natural world full of greenery and flowers, enjoying a forest bath and escaping the heat, relaxing our bodies and minds, and sharing our life in Paris with our Taiwanese friend who had traveled from afar.

The following week, Teacher Li invited several friends living in Paris again to come to his residence in Cergy. This time, we not only entered the lush green forest but also crossed bright fields, walking all the way to the banks of the Seine River. Along the riverbank with its shimmering reflections, we arrived at a leisure park. This dense leisure park connects Cergy and Pontoise. If one has some knowledge of French Impressionism, one knows that this stretch of the Seine River with its shimmering reflections is where Impressionist painters were active. Continuing up along this river leads to Auvers-sur-Oise, the village of Van Gogh. Coming to this green forest sparkling with sunlight, just looking at the bright sun allows one to deeply appreciate the paintings of the Impressionists and how bewitching their light is. In this hot summer, strolling in the dense forest relaxes the body and mind in a unique way, spending a beautiful Sunday in such a poetic and picturesque manner.