In my previous blog post, I laid
out the basics of our trip to France. As mentioned, it was really broken into
three distinct segments. This is a recap of the first segment: from Paris and
Loire to the South of France and Monaco. I will get into detail of the foods
and wine, in following blog posts.
We arrived at the Los Angeles
Airport at noon, and headed towards the TSA checkpoint. Because of our Global
Entry passes, we were diverted to a different area, where there was no one in
line, so we saved about 40 minutes. Boarded the second level of the Airbus 380
in Premium Economy.
Our flight arrived early at Charles
De Gaul Airport. Traffic to our hotel was pretty bad, but did get to the hotel
around 2:00. 20 hours from house to home. The room wasn’t ready so we decided
to walk around the corner to a local Bakery called Yannick Martin. So, our
first taste of food in France was a Pain au Chocolat. After
finally getting settled in, we walked along the Siene to the Eiffel Tower.
Walked around the tower and took some photos. Lots of North Africans selling
the same junk (Eiffel Towers that blinked, wine, beer, water, etc). Since we
got there early for our boat cruise along the Seine, we walked along the river,
stopped to have a beer at La Terrasse des Vedettes, right by the Pont d’lena. Aboard
the boat, we were each served one glass of inexpensive Champagne. Saw many
sites along the Seine, including the Flamme de la Liberte, which is where
Princess Diana died. Then, down further by the golden statues of the Pont
Alexandre III, the glass domed Grand Palais. Next, we went past the Notre
Cathedral, with all the scaffolding around it, from the recent fire. We circled
the island and came back on the other side. The cruise lasted about one hour,
then we headed up to the Eiffel Tower. The outside is surrounded by a security
glass wall. We headed to the elevator, which took us to the second level. We
were not able to get to the top level, as tickets had to be purchased in
advance. After walking the second floor, we took the stairs down to the first
floor, then ultimately down to the ground, just as all the flood lights were
coming on. On the hour, the tower light up with sparkling lights. We walked
back to the hotel, and got in after midnight.
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| Sacré-Cœur from the Arc de Triomphe |
Day 2...we slept in, then walked a few blocks to the Musée
de l'Orangerie and saw the Lilies by Monet. Bought a day pass (15 euros for two
of us) for the metro, and took it to as close to Sacré-Cœur
as possible. Not knowing where to go, we just started walking up the hill.
Eventually found signs pointing to the cathedral, and climbed a lot of stairs
to reach the top. Toured the Cathedral of Sacré-Cœur,
then walked downhill to the to Montmarte area. Had lunch at a sidewalk café
called Au Cadet de Gascogne. After lunch we walked down some of the alleys of
Montmarte, then used GPS to find the Moulin Rouge. Next we got back on the
Metro and took it to the Louvre (the original castle of Louis XIV – but too small,
so built Versaille). Didn’t go in, as the lines were pretty long, so walked
around the grounds. Back onto the Metro and took it to the Champs Elysees, and
the Arc de Triomphe. Crossed under the roundabout through a tunnel and got
tickets to go to the top of the tower. The stairway up was a narrow, winding
staircase. The view from the top was better than the Eiffel Tower or Sacré-Cœur.
Walked back to the hotel along the Champs Elysees, and found that the US
embassy was close to our hotel and surrounded by security guards.
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| Chateau Chenonceau |
Day 3…We got up early this morning. It was raining
slightly. Bought our daily Metro ticket and headed to the Catacombes de Paris
to meet up with our tour guide to the Loire. After getting through the morning
Paris traffic, we headed Southwest towards Tours, in the Loire Valley. Our
first stop was the largest castle in the Loire: Chateaux de Chambord. Salamander was considered a dragon as it would
“emerge from fires and come back from the dead” Symbol is everywhere. The dual
spiral staircase was of special design, and thought to have been created by
Leonardo DeVinci. The next stop was for lunch and wine tasting at the small Château
de Nitray. The owner gave us a tour, including the pigeon coups and a rustic
lunch. The last stop was at Chateau Chenonceau,
which started with a wine tasting in their cellar. The castle had been owned by
Diane de Poitiers.
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| Mediterranean from Le Meridien Hotel |
Day 4…Got out of the hotel fairly early and drug our
luggage to the metro. Once we arrived at the Gare de Lyon train station, we had
to figure out which hall to go to. The station is huge. All the trains are
listed on a board, but only about 15 minutes before boarding, do they tell you
which gate to go to. We knew which hall to go to, because it was on the ticket.
So we arrived, and waited. We had seats in first class, which on the upper
level of the train. You carry all your own bags, and try to find a place to
store them. No bag security checks. Found our seats, and settled in for the
high speed train ride south. After about five stops along the way, we arrived
at the Nice station. The weather was warm. Found a taxi and took it to the
hotel. The Meridien Hotel is located right across the street from the sea. They
upgraded our room to the top floor, overlooking the Mediterranean. Awesome
views of the sea and coastline. We walked a couple blocks from the hotel to the
Villa D’Este. Ordered a bottle of Valpolicella, and had a wonderful
Mediterranean dinner.
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| View from Jardin Exotique at Eze |
Day 5… We joined a tour group to Monaco, We drove along the
coast, and worked our way up the old Roman road to Eze. Stopped for some photos
just below Elton John’s house. Made a second stop along the road, overlooking
Saint-Jean-Cap- Ferrat, a peninsula that juts out into the sea and one of the
most expensive areas in France. Stopped at Fragonard Perfumery. Production is
similar to wine blending and distillery work. After the Perfumery, we went a
short distance to the base of the old village of Eze. We walked the narrow,
winding cobblestone streets to the Jardin Exotique. This is the site of a medieval
fortress, but the area has been occupied since 220 BC.
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| Monaco from the Palace |
Next stop was in Monaco. There is no indication when you
have crossed the border into the country. Our first indication was when a lady
driving a Bugatti Chiron made a U-turn in the highway. We drove to the top of
the rock, overlooking the harbor, and location of the palace. We tried getting
into the cathedral where Princess Grace was married, but they would not allow
women in if their shoulders were not covered. We wandered around the shops, and
looked for the post office and/or the government building so we could get our
passport stamped with the Monaco stamp, but neither were open on a Saturday.
Nice views of the harbor below. There is a large oceanography museum on the
hill, but didn’t go in. Just took a photo by Jacque Cousteau’s yellow
submarine. Watched the changing of the guard at the palace, and since we had
plenty of time, we took the self-guided tour of the palace. Our group
re-gathered in front of the cathedral, the drove to the lower area of the
country, and did a full circuit of the Monte Carlo race track. Walked around
the Monte Carlo Casino and went inside, but couldn’t get far. To get into the
main casino, you have to be properly dressed in a coat and tie.
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| The Monte Carlo Casino |
When we arrived back at the hotel, we dropped off our
stuff, and headed down to the walkway along the sea. Went down and walked on
the rocky beach to put our feet in the Mediterranean Sea. It was pretty warm,
just not sure how anyone walks on those rocks. We ultimately walked down
towards the flower market, and walked the narrow streets towards an authentic
Nicoise restaurant, recommended by our tour guide. Sitting at the table next to
us was a Frenchman who spoke very good English. As we found out, he used to
work with the French navy, and ultimately worked for Jacque Cousteau.
When we got back to the hotel, all the main streets had
been blocked off for Bastille Day celebrations. Normally, they would have been
on the 14th, but they were expecting rain, so all the fireworks and
bands were done on this night. We were able to sit on our balcony and watch the
fireworks and hear the bands, as thousands of people jammed the streets below.
Day 6…we picked up our rental car at Europcar and headed up
the coast towards Marseille. We had to get to the Marseille Airport to meet up
with our transfer to our next adventure, the river cruise up the Rhone. We had
plenty of time, so drove through the countryside, and along the coast, visiting
the small towns of Cannes, Bandol and Aix-en-Provence. There were plenty of
toll booths along the way, the scenery and some of the small beachside
communities were stunning.
At the Marseille Airport, we met up with our driver, for
the ride to Avignon, where our River boat was waiting. Our driver was into
wine, and I found out that he is building his own wine tour business in the
Provence area. His name was Remi. He is a sommelier, and had studied in
Bordeaux, and his website is www.gentle-provence.com.
Check out my next blog post with segment two of the
adventure: Cruising the Rhone and Saone River Region, with all the stops along
the way. For food information, check out my France Food Blog.
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#WineBlog #WineTasting #WineTravel #Wine #WineEducation #FoodandWine #WineEnthusiast #wineExpert #WinePairing
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#WineBlog #WineTasting #WineTravel #Wine #WineEducation #FoodandWine #WineEnthusiast #wineExpert #WinePairing
