Today we sleep in and were down to breakfast at 9:30. Everyone was a bit worse for wear because of our late night of partying. We had a nice breakfast of: baguettes, meat, cheese, cereal and hot chocolate/café’ au lait, before heading back to the old city of Rocamadour. After the short drive to the Chateau (on the top of the cliff), we were slightly disappointed to find that it was mostly closed to visitors. So we drove back around to the lower part of the cliff and parked to have another look around. There were a few stores open; however, it looked like the State Fair several weeks before opening. There was a lot of activity moving setting up and cleaning, but not a lot open for business. We enjoyed a nice walk and headed ... read more

We slept through breakfast and checked out about 11:30. After we explored our own chateau, it was time to find a cappuccino, a baguette and explore more chateaus. Our first stop of the day was Chateau Chenonceaux. This remarkable castle has a tangled history of love and betrayal. It was given to Diane de Poitiers, mistress to Henri II. Diane’s power over Henri’s heart infuriated his reigning queen, Catherine de Medici. However, after Henri died during a joisting tournament in 1559, Catherine had Diane thrown out of Chenonceau. , Inspired by her native Florence, Catherine added the two story gallery that spans the river. In honor of my father, I found the mechanics of the chateau to be the most interesting. It has a rotisserie that automatically rotates three different stakes, perhaps roasting up to 30 ... read more

We landed at CDG airport in Paris France at @ 12:30 PM. Our flight included a plane transfer in Newark, which we made with time to spare. This was a bit difficult, considering we had to travel from Terminal B to Terminal C on a tram, in and out of security, without the stroller (which we had checked through to Paris) all in under 55 minutes. Our overseas flight was without complications; however, we flew on a 757, which has no overhead storage and little leg room. We all managed to sleep, especially the girls. Once in Paris, we set about making our way through Passport control, baggage claim and finally customs. Believe it or not, our luggage was like the 3rd pieces of the belt. No only this, but it came out just like it ... read more