France
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Paris |
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Every trip to Europe has to include a few days or a week in Paris. Just walking these streets is like living in a work of art, a piece of history. The cafes and shops and street markets are as wonderful as the world-acclaimed museums and architecture. Few experiences in life can compare to the romance of standing on top of the Eiffel Tower late at night, looking out over the Seine at the City of Lights. |
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Accommodations: I
love to stay in the Left Bank, on the Blvd. St. Germaine, where I can
walk past cafes and along the Seine, or near the Pantheon where street
markets are held 3 days a week. I enjoyed the people and room at
the Hotel St.Jacques (01.44.07.45.45/fax.01.43.25.65.50),
Up the street is the Hotel
Tulip Inn Saint-Germain (www.tulipinn.com fax.01.43.29.91.31) Other
possibilities:
Regent's Hotel, Hotel des Academies, Hotel Marignan (01.43.54.63.81),
Port-Royal Hotel (01.43.31.70.06/fax.01.43.31.33.67). |
Activities: Walk
past cafes and along the
Seine, to Notre- Dame and Sainte-Chapelle or
the Jardin du Luxembourg You
don't need a car or taxi, as the subway is part of the Parisian
experience. Get off the subway at the Trocadero and
walk through the Jardins to visit the Eiffel Tower.
If you get there at sunset, the lights of the city from the top
will take your breath away. This view is from the Arc de
Triomphe, but equally interesting sites there are of the
traffic below and the extravagant shops of the Champs-Elysee.
You can easily spend an entire day at the Louvre or
the Musee de Orsey.
Go to Montmartre to watch the artists at work
and visit Sacre-Coeur and the Salvadore
Dali museum, there. |
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The French Countryside |
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Take the TGV Rail
(fast train) to Toulouse, then rent a car to visit Albi and
Cordes,
where you can enjoy the most wonderful B&B in this valley. (One night,
I sat outside for an 8-course formal dinner, eating and drinking for 4
hours,
as I watched the sun set over the walled city of Cordes sur Ciel,
on the hilltop.) Then drive on to the walled city of Carcassonne,
where you will step back into history. The
French Countryside
may well be the best place to completely relax with loving hosts and incredible
food and views. |
Accommodations:
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Activities: Albi:Walk the streets of old town, in the cool of the morning and visit the Cathedral de Ste.-Cecile. Visit the Musee Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in the Palais de la Berbie, then stroll around the beautiful terraced gardens, overlooking the Tern River. Cordes: Drive up the hill to the walled city of Cordes sur Ciel to enjoy the shops and lunch (Hostellerie du Vieux), looking back down at the farmhouse. Or simply sit in the farmyard, enjoying the flowers and animals and company. Carcasonne: Take a guided tour to learn what life would be like living inside a citadel! Simply enjoy walking around this place. (But never drive in through the gate on a red light! All traffic is one-way!) Nimes: In town, enjoy the roman antiquities such as the amphitheater, Les Arenes and visit the Jardin de la Fontaine. Find the mall. It has the best source of internet access and amazing food market. Drive to Pont du Gard, to see a Roman architectural masterpiece, a giant aqueduct in a pastoral setting. Enjoy the hike and take a lunch! Next trip: Toulouse, Cote Vermeille, Collioure, Elne, Parc Regional
du Haut Languedoc, Montpellier, La Grande-Motte, the sandy beaches
of
Pezenas, Moissac |
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Nice and the French Riviera |
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The Mediterranean
is 5 shades of turquoise like you have never seen, and the resorts lining
it are worth the price, but you can get a cheaper room up the street. You
can simply enjoy walking around this beach town or the others like it,
or you can select various activities. I can say that I have parasailed
the French Riviera. On my next trip, I'll be sure to book a cruise to St.Tropez
for the day as soon as I arrive, but the shorter boat cruise was
enjoyable. |
Accommodations:
I found the Hotel Canada ([email protected] fax.04.93.87.98.94)
was run by kind and helpful people, at a very affordable rate, considering
it was right on the main shopping/eating street, near the beach.
Rooms were small and required many stairs. |
Activities:
Walk the promenade, again and again, looking at the color
of the sea. Walk the shops and restaurants, up the street. Book a
cruise to St. Tropez a few days in advance or take a boat tour of
the bay. And definately parasail! |