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Bastille
This is the monument on the site of the Bastille prison that was burnt down in the precursor to the French revolution.Hello from sunny England….NOT!!!
More of that later.
Paris was all that Paris should be. The weather was great, not too hot, not cold, and just right for touristing. We did all the sights from slightly afar so that we wouldn’t mingle with the crowds or do the lining up things. We’d bought a Metro pass so we utilized the trains a lot.
Mont Marte was lovely with great views of Paris and a very nice Cathedral, Sacre Cuer. The street musicians were there. One with a harp was playing some beautiful music. Lib had organised some walks, this one being one of them. It took us past the artists in the market just below the cathedral and then afterwards down the 45 degree tram to a market street where we had lunch. That night we had planed to go to a restaurant in the Louvre which had good reviews in our travel book. Unfortunately it was closed, so we decided upon another on the perimeter in an access named after a Cardinal Richileau (or close) Second strike! Last choice was the Paris Hard Rock Café where again we had a good meal. Lib enjoyed it too and
The Far Canal
A fair distance of this canal is underground. The canal is used as a resevior for Paris's drinking water. I got to buy another tee shirt. Roll on London.
I had searched on the web beforehand for a nice restaurant in Paris as a special treat. A restaurant called Chez Georges kept bobbing up with good reviews. So when we arrived in Paris, we booked a table. It is in the financial district very near a square to a guy named Ludovic who apparently was pretty good in a battle against some pretty awesome odds. He got himself presented to the current Louis the umpteenth. He must have seen himself as a pretty good Roman General cos the statue had him decked out as a Roman Triumphate even if it was the XVIth Century. Getting back to the restaurant, we arrived and it was a bistro affair. The waitresses were dressed in the French au pair fantasy but were a little older for my liking, lol. Our waitress was more like a matron. She knew what we were going to have. The bistro style is a bench seat along the walls and tables jammed together with seats in the centre parts. Fran, who was seated along the wall seat felt very claustrophobic. Especially, seeing that she had a
Louvre
Although we did not do the Louvre, this was snapped on the way to the travel book recommended restaurant which wasn't open. very gregarious Canadian woman to her left and an equally gregarious Frenchman whom I would have sworn was a yank, to her right. Both insisted upon deciphering the menu for us. The entrees were served in big bowls where you took what you wanted and the rest was returned to the kitchen for the next person who ordered it, I suppose. ‘Twas a good way of doing it, I reckon, though, you’d never see it in Perth in a fit. Too many bloody regulations! The meals were all delicious and I can recommend the restaurant. Only problem with the night was that it was very stifling in there.
Next day was a walk that incorporated the site of the Bastille prison, which of course was destroyed in the revolution (Bastille Day 14th July… Happy Birthday for then, Robert) Down beside that monument which is a high column with a gold guy on top, is a port on a side canal to the seine. This canal (the far one) is not joined to the Seine River. It is a much higher level and even where we took the river cruise, was 3-4 metres above, so they don’t let it flow
Mont Marte
Please forgive wrongly spelt names. The artists quarter near Sacre Cuer. into the Seine. It is actually used as a reservoir for Paris, set up by Napoleon. We went through an underground canal about 10km long then a series of 4 locks which took the level up 25 metres. Finally, we ended up in a sort of art Technology Park where something happened, to which I have been sworn to secrecy. Sorry folks, can’t say anything more about that. (Talk about editorial censorship….Shheeeshh!)
That night, we took a train to the station next up from the Eiffel Tower. I wanted to be far enough away from it to get a good picture. The Tower stood in all its magnificence lit up in an iridescent blue. Blue, because it is Frances turn to host the European Union Government, for 6 months, I think, and while that happens, they light up the tower in the EU colour of blue. Lib and Fran contrived another visit to Printemps department store. Printemps is pronounced pwontoms and if you pronounce it any other way to a Frog, you get a completely confused look.
Leaving Paris was sad. I went early to pick up the car from where it had been ensconced for 5 days
Sacre Cuer
Just in front of me was the guy playing the electric harp. Behind me was a vista of Paris. and picked up the Girls from Rue Cler and we set off for the Champagne area, north east of Paris. We arrived at our B&B early afternoon and made a booking for a tour the day after the next with a lady who ran tours, of course. We drove into the next biggish towns and had a look around before going back to our ultra small village for dinner. Our dinner was at a restaurant suggested by our hosts, an older American couple who had lived there for 15 years or so. Well, for a village of 6 houses, this restaurant was 4 star! Mega high standard. We had a Table d’Hote (set) menu which turned out to be about 7 courses long! Fran really enjoyed it but I think Lib and I would have rathered Hard Rock Café!
The next day we headed for Epernay. We had a look at the town and ended up at the tourist office. This was on the Avenue of Champagne. All the larger houses were on it in all their magnificence. They were doing some champagne tastings in the Tourist Office and we forced ourselves to indulge. Outside, over the road was
Moulin Rouge
If you look carefully, you can see a couple of tourists at the bottom. Terry and Kay(e) lived close by during their stay. Um, Terry, did you visit the abundant shops here? Moet & Chandon, of course. The exterior was actually quite ugly. Not at all like you would expect. Very modern. Inside was a quite grandiose and we booked a tour, including the tastings. The main part of the tour was the cellars and the millions of bottles stored within. Our guide was a debonair young chap with a very proper English accent appropriately named Rupert. We tasted the vintage champagne and the vintage rose as well. All in all, it was a very professional tour, as you would expect, but it did miss out a bit. The tour that we had booked the previous day was much more hands on and practical. The young woman, Nathalie, was one of the family of owners. The House sold most of their grapes to M & C, but kept back enough to make about 30,000 bottles under their own label. The process was very laborious and had continued for centuries. We had a guy named Richard on the tour from Margaret River, WA, who actually owned a vineyard called Celestial Bay. His vineyard was many times the size of Nathalie’s’ growing about 7 varieties against the 3 that Nathalie was allowed to grow.
He does not produce champagne however. Russell may know of him or the label which is mainly for export.
The countryside and villages of the area were delightful and we were sorry to leave, but we had to go on. We made our way to the coast at Dunkerque via Lille. Lille turned out to be a little gem of a place. On arriving at Dunkerque, we didn’t have an actual address for the Norfolkline ferry and the departure time was getting closer and closer. I was a little stressed to say the least but by a little luck and intuition, we managed to find the particular port with 20 minutes to spare. The ferry was about the same size as the one that took us to Croatia. We loaded on the car with the hundreds of other cars and semi trailers and went up to the decks for a bite during the 2 hour ride.
The weather God heard we were headed for England and summoned all his might to greet us on our arrival in Dover. GiPS took us on a merry chase for the trip to Brighton. We eventually turned him off. The countryside, surprisingly
enough, was very, very English.
By the time we arrived at out B&B hotel, the weather had turned very foul indeed but we did brave a trip along the famous Pier. We stopped at a pub on the end of the pier and watched the Wimbledon Men’s Final. Terrific match! The town of Brighton is not pretty, or maybe it was just the weather, so we headed off for Gloucestershire soon after breakie.
Our stay in the Cotswold’s is at a 1 pub crossing called Fossebridge at a very very quaint English pub that Lib had booked. From there we took a trip to Bourton-on-the-Water, a village that I remembered from my previous trip to the Old Dart. It poured down with rain on our arrival but did eventually clear for a walk. The town was delightful, just as I remembered, with a river running through the middle. We had tea and scones there, as you do! We swung by Bibury on the way back to our Pub. Bibury was one that Fran and Lib remembered. They have two hotels there by a very pretty stream, fully equipped with ducks, swans and trout. Both hotels were magnificent! One
Champagne
The fields of Champagne. There were valleys after valleys of grapevines. Interspersed with villages. was grand, in a very big, very old Manor house and the other warm and cozy and the open log fire was very inviting.
Next morning the weather had improved marginally and we were up early, 9am, for an English breakfast, (wasted on some) and off to Moreton-in-Marsh for a very popular market day. We were somewhat disappointed, however, because it was a real tourist market. There were few items of local produce or crafts. It had a lot of salesman spruikers/conmen selling the magic glues, kitchen slicers and Royal Egyptian Cotton towels. Oh the pommies do that well! We headed for Stowe-on-the-Wold. Wolds, so we were told mean hills, apparently. We lunched at a pub in Stow which was only young, being built in the fifteenth century. As with most of the villages in the vicinity, the shops were very quaint and don’t forget to duck your head going through the doorways. On the way back for dinner at the Fossebridge Inn, we called into Upper and Lower Slaughter. Lovely names, huh?
This morning, we visited Chedworth to see a pub that Liz and Greg knew. They used to walk there from Fossebridge (who sent their regards,
Grand Chateau
We spied this Chateau from afar and searched a way close toit. Turned out it was abandoned :( They were still operating the farm around it tho'. Oh for a couple of million to do it up. Greg). Braver souls than us to walk there - we blamed the weather that had turned bad again. We left the area and headed for Weybridge for Libs’ last night, calling in for a nice lunch at the Cornwall Pasty Shop in Cirencester. The trip to Weybridge was during the heavier falls of rain and the M4 motorway had visibility of about 100m. Didn’t stop some from doing their 150kph. Hmmmm Quite stressful for us in a left hand drive vehicle with the amount of spray kicked up by the big lorries.
Fran and Lib went to a day spa at THE WEYBRIDGE HEALTH CLUB this afternoon, don't you know. Had a superb afternoon, of course.
(LIB's ENTRY....
Hello everyone, well just spent my last night with my beautiful Fran and Brett who have given me a wonderfull time. We have had a gastronomic experience and wine fest !!!!! Every night better than the last. Tonight topped the poll, when we least expected it, all of us a little down after a horrendous drive from the Cotswolds we managed to sniff out yet another memorable night - becoming very good at it. Seriously I have had a ball. Thank The Grandfather of Champagne
Blessed Dom Perignon.
Dom Perignon Champagne was never owned by him! The name is now actually owned by M & C.
All the Dom actually did was invent the cage that enveloped the cork to stop it popping during the second fermentation in the bottle which gives Champagne its bubbles. (the smaller the better)
Anyone heard of Lafayette Champagne Company? It's the largest Champagne company in the world that no-ones ever heard of.... you both and I look forward to catching upith our many mutual friends when you get home.)
Fran & I drop Lib at Heathrow tomorrow morning and then we check in at our London hotel for 5 nights. We do hope the weather clears a bit.
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deb
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Sunny England!!
Well some things never change and that is the weather in England !! What an amazing 2 weeks you have all had. Certainly covered some ground - all those beautiful French villages and champagne. I particularly like the phot of you at Brighton!! On the home run almost London,New York, Vegas (not really you still have alot to see and do). Our weather is probably about the same as UK at the moment but I thought it was summer in the Northern Hemisphere?? Take Caare x deb