Loire Valley Region, Saumur-France

Our next stop after the chateau in Vollore was to head to Saumur. We visited here when we cycled through the Loire Valley 18 years ago. Saumur is a fairly large town and has lots of shopping, hotels, cafes and such. We didn’t have much time in the town as the car trip from Vollore to Saumur was about 5 hours but our main purpose for coming to the Saumur area was to visit a chateau along the way and the mushroom museum and a second chateau the next day. I would have loved more time in Saumur. The clothing store selections looked amazing and much less hectic than shopping in Paris.

The Loire River is the longest river in France and the 170th longest river in the world. It measures 1,012 kilometers or 629 miles long and eventually drains into the Atlantic Ocean. It is quite lush all along it as it winds through towns and farm land and many chateaus can be found along its path. We got many glimpses of the river around Saumur and from the Chateau du Saumur which is a beautiful castle that sits atop the town.

The Loire Valley has been coined the Garden of France and is home to over 1,000 chateaux ranging in architectural character from medieval to late renaissance periods. The chateaux were originally built as strongholds in the divide between southern and northern France. Today many of them are privately owned and many are owned by the french government and opened as museums.

We leave today

Our trip has ended. We leave today for Boston. I am ready to get home to see my husband and my dogs and also to see the finished product of the siding project on our house that occurred while I was away. Andrew and I missed Labor Day weekend on the lake which is always a great time and usually the final weekend that everyone is at their cabins/homes but we will see them all again when they come up to close up their cabins and take the boats out of the water.

It was difficult to find the time to write the blog and sometimes the internet connections were spotty so by the time I finished writing my post my connection had failed. I gave up many times. I will have more posts once I get home to my macbook.

Au revoir Paris.

French Riviera

We have arrived to the town of La Ciotat (see o tat) which is located between Marseille and Toulan in the Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur region of the country. La Ciotat is famed as the site of the first publicly projected motion picture. The film was called L’Arrivee du train en gare de La Ciotat which in loose translation has something to do with arriving in the train station in La Ciotat. The films the work of the Lumiere Brothers who would to on to make many more famous french films. The famed showing of the film dated back to 1895 in Paris but La Ciotat makes claims of having private showings of the film prior to it being shown in Paris and therefore taking credit as hosting the first ever motion picture showing.

The first order of business was decided upon by the kids, a visit to the pool. The water was colder than we all expected but the kids and Martin managed to tough it out and get in. After getting settled into the hotel and finishing up the big swim, we ventured into town to find dinner. The town is very similar to Ocean City or Atlantic City, NJ; Hampton Beach, NH; Clearwater Beach or Miami Beach, FL., in terms of its many beachside restaurants and street vendors. It was a bit more commercialized than I had anticipated. When I visited the Riviera way back in the early 80’s I was in Nice and I do not recall it being as busy and carnival like.

We settled on dinner at Le 2 Soeurs (the 2 sisters). The specialties of the area include mussels served with a choice of sauces (traditional garlic and wine, roquefort cheese or curry) served with pomme frites (fries), filet de leup (a local white fish) served whole for two or more people or filleted for one as well as anchovy pizza and a variety of interesting and substantial salads. The wine of choice in the Provence region is rose and we enjoyed a nice selection from Chateau Pey Neuf, Guy Armand. The first bottle came in a plastic wine bag that served as the wine chiller. I have seen them before in wine magazines but had never used one. The second bottle appeared in a more traditional metal wine cooler. During the course of the meal we were approached by a photographer wanting to take and sell us a photo of our group, no merci. Then we were approached by the street musician who had been playing the saxophone on the nearby street corner. We assumed he was looking to perform privately for us for money, no merci. As it turns out, he was looking for a tip for his playing. We figured that out on the second night we were in the area for dinner. We tipped him generously this time.

After dinner we ventured off in search of dessert knowing we would find many options along the way. When we got the beach area we saw all the kids running around with light up toys that they were launching up into the air so we visited a few of the street vendors until we found the same contraption and bought them for the three kids. By now it was very late and we had big plans for visiting the beach and swimming in the Mediterranean the next day so we headed back to the hotel to get some rest.

The hotel we are staying in is a new experience for us on this trip. It is basically an apartment. It appears that most people rent it for a week or more and they do their eating in the hotel room rather than taking meals out. We did decide to make our own breakfast rather than pay an exorbitant amount of money for basically a breakfast of sweets, fruit and coffee. Shopping at the local marche (market) was an adventure. You had to pay to use a shopping cart (we opted to hand carry everything) and you had to pay for bags (we used our backpacks and hands to tote the goods back). The price of food itself was not too bad and we found some fun things including little cookie sticks packaged with Nutella for dipping, fresh apricots, green and purple plums, butter biscuit/cookies and mini chocolate bars with hazelnuts. Perfect foods for snacking on the go. We were all craving protein for breakfast after so many mornings of croissants, fruit and yogurt so we indulged in some scrambled eggs, bacon (which is more like proscuitto) and real white bread toast!!! We threw in the obligatory fruit and yogurt too.

The time had come for the swim in the Mediterranean. My nephew Evan was particularly excited about this part of the trip. We drove to the beach, found a prime but expensive parking spot nearby and headed for the sand. The beaches are very pebbly, not the soft sand we are used to at home. I selected a few of the prettier pebbles to take home as a remembrance. For those that hadn’t put on their bathing suits before heading to the beach or wanted to change out of them after swimming, they had to pay 60 cents to get into the bathroom to change.

The water was freezing but we all knew we had to get in while we were here. Andrew and Martin had a great time body surfing while the others relaxed on the beach. If I can figure out how to post video I will put one if of my brother in law, he is an amazing body surfer. He gave Andrew a few tips while they were at it.

Arc De Triomphe (Arch of Triumph)

This world famous tribute to the military dates back to the early 19th century. The arch was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 as a commemoration of his victory in the Battle of Austerlitz. Only the foundation had been completed by the time Napoleon wed in 1810 so a mock arch was erected using wood and canvas materials. Construction continued until Napoleon was defeated in that battle at Waterloo in 1815. It was not until 1836 that the arch was completed long after Napoleon’s death in 1821. In 1840 his coffin was paraded through the arch in a grand procession through the streets of Paris.

The carvings on the exterior walls of the arch depict war scenes. The interior walls are inscribed with the names of soldiers who lost their lives during war time. For a fee of approximately 9 euros you can take an elevator or climb the 284 steps to the top of the arch and get a view of the crazy traffic circle located at the base of the monument as well as the 12 streets that form a star like pattern from the square.

Today the arch is best known as the site of France’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The flame similar to that found at the Tomb of the Unkown Soldier in the United States is lit every evening at 6:30 and has been lit every night since 1923.

The arch appears to have been cleaned since I last visited it in 1994. The loud music that was being played when we were there to keep the birds off the monument was now missing. They must have figured out a better way to keep them off the structure. This is a must see when you visit Paris.

My camera battery had died when we visited this site. I will post a photo later from Andrew’s collection.

Mont Blanc, Chamonix

We arrived late in the day on Saturday after the long train ride from Paris. We had to change trains multiple times to get here but the scenery was beautiful along the route. Our journey wasn’t without a slight snafu. My brother in law thought the first train left at 11:10am so we arrived at the train station with plenty of time for that departure. Unfortunately our train left at 10:11 and we had just missed it. Martin rushed to the billetes (ticket) counter and made new arrangements for the 11:11 train which had a different route but ended up putting us on the original connection we were supposed to make and we arrived in Mont Blanc right on schedule. Martin is famous for his travel blunders so I expected we would encounter one along the way. Everyone handled it well and then we all agreed we would check all of the departure times ourselves from now on. We didn’t tell Martin that of course!! He has done an amazing job of putting this trip together, choosing all of the hotels, setting the itineraries for the day so we can see as many of the sites as possible and getting us around each town. My sister gets big kudos too because she is great at directions and speaks excellent french so we have had terrific tour guides.

Our hotel was basically a giant alpine ski lodge with cow hide covered ottomans, lots of exposed beams and a huge fireplace. The rooms were very comfortable with views of the mountains from just about every area in the hotel. We also had a view of the train tracks but luckily the last train at night was just before 10pm and the first was around 7am. We are usually just getting to bed around 10 if not later on this trip and up early to get ready for our daily adventures.

Saturday night we only had time to walk a bit through the town and then have dinner. It was lightly sprinkling when we set our for dinner. This was only the second rain event since we got to France. We had one night of rain in Paris when Abigail and I went shoe shopping. That didn’t slow us down!! Chamonix was bustling and full of brassieries (cafe/restaurant) and shops. Many of the restaurants have retractable awnings which came in handy this night because it started to pour as soon as we were seated. We were seated at the front corner of the cafe so as people were rushing to get out of the rain they tried to take a shortcut under the restaurant awning. The short ones were successful but anyone that was tall and didn’t pay attention ended up smacking their head on the awning frame. It was amusing at first but then it got annoying and stressful every time someone came running toward us wondering if they were going to duck or not.

Sunday morning we woke to overcast skies but the weather report had said it would be sunny by 10am, and it was. We headed up the mountain on the cog railway bound for the glacier cave. The train ride was amazing. Talk about steep, but the views were spectacular. Next was the gondola ride down to the level where you could then take what felt like a million stairs to the glacier cave. Along the route there were signs posted showing where the glacier was at various times, 1980, 1990, etc and how much melting had occurred. My sister and Martin were here back in 1994 and they remembered there only being a few sets of stairs to go down to get to the glacier.

The ice cave was lit up with low wattage colored lights and had music piped in through Bose outdoor speakers. It was pretty cool (literally), walking through the cave and seeing how thick it was and also seeing the effects of the weather on the glacier and imagining what it will look like 10 or more years from now. I hope to come back and see it again. After the tour of the cave came the long walk back up to the gondola which took us back up to the train. The gondola ride down was straight down and a bit scary. The ride up not so bad. Dad, Andrew and I opted to get back on the train and head back down to town so we could have lunch and explore the town a bit. Kathy, Martin and the kids decided to hike down. It took them over an hour and a half including taking a wrong path of course. I knew it would take a long time and I much preferred being able to get to see the town before we had to leave the next day. If we were spending another day here I would have enjoyed the hike. I would definitely come here with the intention of hiking if I am able to return sometime.

Mont Blanc offered lots of sporting goods stores, jewelry shops, glace (ice cream) shops and the Maison du Bon Bons, a giant candy store that Andrew was happy to visit. Fourteen euros later we had a bag of candy for the kids to share on the remainder of the trip. My bet is it will be gone in a day. It was getting late so we headed back to the hotel to meet up with the rest of the gang and found that we still had time to sit outside and enjoy an adult beverage while we waited.

Dinner out that night was at a fondue restaurant. I will post separately about that as it is an eating adventure everyone should try at least once in their life.

Cathedrale De Notre-Dame-De-Paris

The cathedral took over 180 years to complete and is the most famous cathedral in all of France. Constructed from 1163 to 1345 with massive stained glass windows including the spectacular rose window above the main entrance. The other must see feature of the cathedral are the gargoyles that adorn the exterior walls. Most of the original glass in the windows has been lost over time but the windows have been expertly recreated. You can watch a video inside the cathedral of the work done to replace the magnificent glass work.

For a view of the Seine and the city you can climb the 255 steps to the first level of the cathedral and then 125 more to the top. To enter the cathedral is free although the line will be long. There is an 8 euro fee for adults and 5 euros for kids to climb the tower steps. By the way,kids means 18-25. Younger kids are free. This is true with many of the sites in Paris.

The rental van

We were a little nervous when we approached the rental car lot and saw this little number sitting there. Luckily there was a VW Touran van sitting near it that was actually meant for us.

Normandy

We arrived by train to Caen where we picked up our rental vehicle for the trip to Bayeaux. Later I will post photos of the car we thought we were getting and then the one we luckily had the keys to. It was a tight squeeze with 7 passengers and multiple suitcases but we managed. Unfortunately our GPS system (dubbed Jacques) led us astray and we ended up at a cow farm just outside Bayeux. We think it was the last location selected on the GPS before we attempted to get to our destination. I’m pretty sure it was my fault that it erased the address Kathy had put in. I was messing around with it trying to turn up the volume and must have hit the wrong button. Kathy got us going on the right path again and we soon were at the Hotel Bayeux. In the end it was kind of a nice mistake because we got to see a lot of the beautiful Normandy countryside we would not otherwise have seen.

It was lunch time so we headed off downtown and found a cafe called Le Domesday (in keeping with the war theme of the region). Pizza, salads and crepes were the most common menu items found in Bayeux. Calvados was the most common libation we came upon. Calvados is a liquor made from apples that have been fermented, distilled and then mixed with water to reduce the alcohol level. Normandy is well known for it. Not the tastiest stuff in my opinion but I had to try it. I much prefer the Pastis common to France and I have had my share already with plenty more opportunities to come.

Back to the hotel and into the car to head for Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery where the thousands of American soldiers are buried after the attack on the french coast. It was an amazing experience to see what the soldiers endured to try and protect the towns of Normandy from the German forces. Once the soldiers hit the shore they had to climb to the towns above which from the photos I will post you will see was no small feat.

The cemetery was pristine. A beautiful tribute. The experience weighed heavy on my father’s mind. He was a young boy when World War II broke out but he remembers the devastation of the American’s when so many of our soldiers died. We wandered through the many rows of white marble crosses. Thousands of names with ranks and the state the soldier was from, but there were many more that simply stood for a soldier whose identity was never determined. Those crosses were inscribed with “Here Rests In Honored Glory A Comrade In Arms Known But To God”. Jewish soldiers who died were buried with stones bearing the Star of David rather than a cross.

We walked the steep and long walk down to the shores of the English Channel so everyone could dip their toes in the waters of these historic shores. The enormous cliffs stood off in the distance and further confirmed that these were very brave soldiers indeed.

Back to the town of Bayeux so we could explore and find some lunch. Andrew and I split off from the group and headed for baguette sandwiches and pastries for our lunch. We did some window shopping along the way until we came upon the the baguette du jour. Chicken, boiled egg, tomato, lettuce and cheese. We wandered over to the steps of the police station and watched the goings on while we ate. Sandwiches done, we wandered across the street to Lefrancois Patissier where we scored an eclair cafe (coffee eclair) and a cigar which essentially was a crepe filled with rich chocolate and rolled up like a cigar with the ends dipped in chocolate and crushed hazelnuts.

On the walk back I found a great kids clothing store called Sergent Major were I found a fabulous fall outfit for my friend Kelly’s little girl Natalie. It was her 4th birthday last week and we missed it. Andrew discovered a great candy store with chocolates by Jeff de Bruges. The popular thing in the store was little chocolates shaped like sardines. They sold them in ribbon wrapped bundles as well as little tin fishing buckets. Andrew went for the bundle to share with his cousins as well as a chocolate lollipop for himself.

Dinner time came much too soon after our late lunch so we went in search of desserts rather than a meal. We settled upon a creperie called Au Louis d’Or. Most went for the ice cream treats or dessert crepes. I had an apple and camembert cheese filled crepe. Very nice other than the very smelly and smokey sausage that came on top of it.

An early night thankfully. It gave us a chance to get some extra sleep and get ready for the big sweep of the country that we start on Saturday. Right now we are back on the train from Caen, Normandy to Paris where we will have a relaxing night of shopping and dinner. Abigail and I are planning to first attack the shoe store right near our hotel and then it is off to L’Occitaine and a few other shops we saw nearby.

Hotel Le Bayeux – Normandy, France

Great little spot right at the foot of the cathedral and an easy walk to all of the shops, restaurants and patisseries! The hotel is just 6 miles from the beach sites and the cemetary. There were three in our room which had 3 twin beds. My sister’s room had a double bed and bunk beds with plenty of space for the 4 occupants. Our shower and toillette were in separate rooms which made it nice with multiple people needing to get ready at the same time.

The rooms all have television although you are hard pressed to find an english speaking channel. Free wi-fi is provided which made it easy to touch base with home.

Breakfast was a separate fee but included many choices including; hard boiled eggs, toast, yogurt, fresh fruit, muesli style cereal, crepes, meats, tomatoes, a variety of cheeses including blue, camembert and ettemal, and of course, baguettes and croissants. You could order eggs and bacon if you wanted and it was included in the fee.

Room price was $45 per person per night for the triple room we had.
address: 9 Rue Tardif, Bayeux, 14400 France
http://www.hotellebayeux.com
email: lebayeux@gmail.com
phone: +33231927008

Hotel Ducs d’Anjou – Paris, France

Excellent location in Paris. Quick access to the Metro. Short walk to many of the top sites including the Pont Neuf, Saint Chapelle, and Notre Dame. For those that don’t mind walking more you can walk to the Eiffel Tower as well. We did it and enjoyed being able to see some of the neighborhoods and various parks along the way. I think you miss a lot of the charm of an area if you rely on public transportation too much.

The rooms are small but adequate for the needs of us. We are not in the room much so we do not need a large luxurious space. Showering is a bit of a challenge. Some rooms have a tub with a hand held shower head others have a stand up shower with no tub. None of them have shower curtains so beware leaving anything on the floor, it will get wet.

The room I shared with my niece overlooked the many cafes below. When the window was closed you could not hear the sounds of the street below so don’t worry if you are on that side of the hotel. The rooms are air conditioned which was lucky for us as we visited during a heat wave.

Breakfast was a separate fee which I believe was about 10 euros.

Room 52, queen bed, small closet with some shelving, writing desk, television
free wi-fi (did not work well at times)
$59 per person per night for off season, price went up to $106 per person for Labor Day weekend
http://www.hotelducsdanjou.fr/
email: info@hotelducsdanjou.fr
phone: +33 (0) 1 42 36 92 24