http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Europe , France en-us Tue, 10 Nov 09 08:21:56 +0000 Tue, 10 Nov 09 08:21:56 +0000 Having enjoyed many fine glasses of bubbly over the years it would have been extremely remiss to not visit the Champagne Region Autumn is such a beautiful time to visit as the colours add magnificently to the rolling hills.We had Saturday in Reims in a really funky hotel then drove over to Epernay on Sunday where there really is a Champagne Avenue. We did the tour at Moet Chandon which was http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Champagne-Ardenne/Epernay/blog-451766.html Holidays Finally .After school on the Friday I went out with Hlne Matthieu and Emilie. We went to a local pub which was really fun. Got home around midnight and was up again at 6.30am to travel to the Ardche region in the south of France. It was a massive 10 hour drive to the middle of nowhere where I would spend the next week hiking. I was surrounded by water trees and rocks. Sort of coo http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Rh-ne-Alpes/blog-451673.html With the excitement of my birthday being over I started to feel homesick. I didn't want to go home I just missed it. It was my first birthday away from my family and friends and reading the message made me realise I miss them like crazy. After a really long day at school I just wanted to talk so I text Mum telling her how I felt and if she could ring. The next minute the phone was ringing I cri http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Brittany-/Foug-res/blog-451666.html Day 14 Thursday September 10 2009After eating breakfast we settled our bill with Le Petit Versailles and sadly went on our way. We had immensely enjoyed our stay at Le Petit Versailles and our time in the Dordogne region. It was by far my favorite area of France and one that we will come back to again in the future probably renting a house for at least a week. Today was another long day of http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Languedoc-Roussillon/Carcassonne/blog-451597.html Yesterday was Place RoyalePlace De Vosges the 3rd and the 4th arroundissements and the Marais and the Jewish neighborood where M and I had coffee and Tarte Titin in a quaint cafe with a little courtyard along the Place Vosges. We were on our way to the famous Picasso museum. To our great surprise the museum was closed under rehabilitation and it will open up sometime in 2012. All the pai http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Ile-de-France/Paris/blog-451466.html Lack of posts in the last few days has been due to me not being well. Got ill on Tuesday with Renal Colic and Kidney Pains. Rob sorted me out with these tablets from the pharmacist and basically all I did for 3 days was sleep only waking up to eat. Didn't even make it out the Gite at one point Carol sent me down food and Rob looked after me. Was feeling a bit better by yesterday afternoon went http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Poitou-Charentes/blog-451422.html When I worked at the U.S. Embassy in Paris I had a lovely daily commute.I walked across the street to the boulangerie on Boulevard de Port Royal swallowed some sort of sinfully calorific pastry and ducked into the metro. After sticking my ticket in the turnstile while attempting not to touch anything with my bare hands I would elbow my way past the other commuters to the edge of the platform. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Ile-de-France/Paris/blog-451191.html Bonsoir tousNous sommes desolees to realize that our time is running away rapidementhellip Laurel will probably cringe at my fractured french She sounds so fluent.Wersquore quite established now in our little home in Rue Bachelet Montmartre. Irsquove taken over a few of the domestic duties because Laurel is much more attuned to the map reading planning directions than I.. Every morning http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Ile-de-France/Paris/blog-449999.html So me and r kid headed to the South of France. Stopped off in a City called Saint Quentin on the way down and sampled a number of strong ales. Particularly memorable was the Delerium on Draft in one hostelry.Got to Vaucluse and got on the bike. We met a load o really nice people staying at Enty's all of them into cycling. There were a great bunch of lads from Sunderland who had been cycling http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Provence-Alpes-C-te-d--Azur/blog-449947.html Not a nice day today the good weather spell has ended in a torrent of rain Its a very Scottish weather dayHad a semi long lie in then just cleaned the Gite while Rob did a bit work. Went up to the main house for lunch Tattie and leak soup home made with Garlic Bread was yum Tonight I am Trying 'Angels on Horseback' for the first time which is Oysters wrapped in Bacon no idea if I will http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Poitou-Charentes/blog-449937.html We had Brian and Chrissy visit us for 3 weeks incredible how time went by so quickly. It was a pleasure having them. While they were here we went off to Switzerland Interlaken France Paris Greece Santorini and Egypt Cairo. We hope to provide our blog fans some quick pics of of our adventures. We've been fortunate enough to go to Paris a few times now. As most visitors desire to visi http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Ile-de-France/Paris/blog-449905.html On Tuesday we landed near a tin shed in the south of France also known as the Bergerac airportMum and dad's friend from college Lynne picked us up and then drove us to their huge farmouse where we would stay for three nights. When we arrived we were met by her children Zenya Devlyn and Sebastyn. They showed us around the house I slept in the loft which was cool as well as their many barns and http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Aquitaine/Bordeaux/blog-449859.html It was a very long day getting to Paris. We were up early for the mini bus drive to Casablanca then farewelled Mum and Dad at the airport. They were flying to Madrid leaving an hour before us. Finally on our plane and arrived in Paris at 11pm and at our houseboat at nearly1am.We had a busy couple of days but no early starts We bought Sarah some new pointe shoes ballet from a shop just by http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/blog-449748.html Happy Halloween all and Toussaint All Saints Day bigger holiday here. Sorry there wasn't a bunch of pictures yesterday but by the time I got to the pictures is was after 11pm and I was pooped. Today was a travel day for us and while it wasn't a long trip hauling ones luggage up and down metro stairs and the train station takes it out of you. But we made it we are here in Versailles and we a http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/blog-449733.html Extremely cute puppies We walked by a pet store and there was this really playful puppy in the display window. So adorable.We decided to take a day off from vacationing and just be lazy in Nice. Got a late start then walked around town doing some shopping. Because it's All Saints' Eve most stores were closed except in the tourist areas. Kids were dressed up in Halloween costumes but other http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Provence-Alpes-C-te-d--Azur/Nice/blog-449713.html Well there we were at the end of the our Canal du Midi trip in Carcassonne on Thursday. The boat didn't actually have to be returned until Saturdaywhich was great because we could live on it while we toured Carcassonne. So some background always feel free to skip to the picturesreally we won't even knowIf you have a bit of an interest in history in general or medieval history in parti http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Languedoc-Roussillon/blog-449689.html Happy Halloween everybody Watch oot the boogeys don't get you tonight. I'm safe enough I sleep with a boogey every night anyway http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Poitou-Charentes/blog-449675.html Bon soir This is our last day in Paris for a bit we'll be back on Monday. Today we went strolling around the Montmartre area today. Alot of sex shops and I mean a lot. But other than that it was nice qauint side streets little shops cafes pubs there seems to be a rather large number of Irish Pubs here none of which we have ventured into. This nice little stroll the guy at the front de http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Ile-de-France/Paris/blog-449481.html Les Bordes October 30th 2009When I first arrived I woke to the soft sounds of the curlews chattering in the trees opposite. The next sounds are the voices of our near neighbours. Madame has stentorian tones that echo around the neighbourhood. She waters her pot plants at midnight and cossets two large caged birds that hold great fascination for the many local cats who admire them with longi http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Midi-Pyr-n-es/Ariege/blog-449450.html I love Paris Well i love all of France. I do wish i could speak french and soon i will but for now i can only admire this city. I have been here a week already and it has flown by so quickly We have walked a million miles. Our first day was Jessie's birthday and we went out for lunch. Then walked up to Sacre Couer. It is only a 5 minute walk from our apartment. It is so pretty from the outside. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Ile-de-France/Paris/blog-449428.html