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France June 2024France June 2024
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Actual full week off work Read more

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Backpacking, Self discovery, Solo travel, Train, Vacation
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  • TravelerFrance June 2024

    Overnight in Paris

    June 11, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    First Day. Up before 6 to feed meowing cat and fit in a morning's work. Done by 11.15 and then a leisurely packing (had to jettison one blouse and one dress as, despite not bringing my laptop, ai was struggling to fit everything in the backpack) before heading off for the 2.30 train to London.

    Very smooth journey, with no issues or delays. Tube to St Pancras. Picked up some food at M&S and then through check-in. Quite busy, but nothing on what it will be, presumably, once the fingerprint requirements come in in the autumn. Found a seat and waited less than an hour until boarding.

    Table and window seat amd no-one next to me - bonus! Spent most of the time reading and only dozed a little bit. Didn't listen to any of the podcasts or music I had downloaded.

    Arrived Gare du Nord l just before 9.30 and it's still light. This time, I found the hotel very easily. It's a nice little hotel directly opposite the train station and with more character than my frequent Ibis hotels.

    I need to leave about 8.30 to get the metro to Paris Austerlitz in the morning, ready for a trip across France. Looking forward to a train route I've not done before, though it looks like I will be in for a week of rain, so maybe I should have gone south again!    Read more

  • TravelerFrance June 2024

    Paris to St Nazaire on the train

    June 12, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    Last month's trip, I paid the additional reservation fee to get the fast train to (and from) the South of France. Because I was working while away and needed to not lose two whole days travelling. I even worked on the train on the way back.

    This time, I am not working, and I also wanted to use the interrail pass 'properly', so I made my way across the country on TERs. It only meant two changes. Plus, I got to pick my seat, rather than being put in a specific one.

    It was a pleasant journey, most of which I spent reading, but I did take some time to stare out the window at the beautiful greenery, and (something that always fascinates me) watching the house architecture change along the way. And listened to one podcast.

    I changed in Orleans and Nantes. Nantes was a fairly quick change, but I had almost an hour in Orleans, so took a quick wander (see separate footprint).

    I highly recommend using TERs if you have an interrail pass and the time. You can take in the scenery more and you get to see more stations and little glimpses of towns along your way.    Read more

  • TravelerFrance June 2024

    Pitstop in (old) Orleans

    June 12, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    One of the nice things about changing trains in a few places, is that you get brief glimpses of places you've not seen before. Now, the area next to a railway isn't always the nicest part, so I wouldn't let it put you off necessarily. But... sometimes it will draw you in and persuade you that you should come back and visit properly some time.

    Orleans looked lovely to me. Lots of big old buildings with beautiful doors (evocative of Paris, perhaps). I am so glad that I had half an hour to wander round, and I think Orleans goes on my list of places I'd like to stay for a few days to explore properly.    Read more

  • TravelerFrance June 2024

    Arrival in St Nazaire

    June 12, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    And then I got to St Nazaire. I have not explored much yet. The walk from the station passed what seemed like a lot of building work. And I didn't spot any small winding streets. I was feeling a little sad that I wasn't in the south again (I do think the South of France is 'my place'), but once I had settled in the flat and was able to go down to the sea front, I felt better, as it looks like they have done a lot of work to make a lovely oceanfront walkway, which I will be exploring Thursday morning.

    The other thing is that there is supposed to be a lot of street art here (and I did spot a few on my walk from the station and then later to the supermarket).

    I am also planning to make use of the days left on my pass and take some day trips - probably to Nantes, Rennes and Le Croisic (which I think might tick my little winding street needs).

    I had been eating such a lot of junk food ok the journey, that I was grateful to be able to have a lot of salad. Plus, of course, baguette and salty butter (and a bit of cheese).

    And I had a lovely bath and read some more. Had a nice long phone call with Chris. And then watched a little bit of TV and drew in my sketchbook.    Read more

  • TravelerFrance June 2024

    Walking the beachfront

    June 13, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Today, I indulged in a bit of a lie-in, and then took a walk along the seafront. I saw quite a few nice historic old buildings and the wind was refreshing and bracing. I found two nice parks to wamder through.

    I also walked back a fair bit in the actual sea, splashing along with my sandals in my hands.

    Then I visited the bakers at the end of the street and picked up a baguette and a tarte aux fraises.

    I spent the afternoon and evening in the flat indulging in reading (finished my book), a nap and, after a dinner of pasta, a couple of episodes of Bridgerton.

    Tomorrow, I am planning to go to Nantes and do some of walking along the river, wandering the botanical gardens, looking round the castle museum and wandering the art museum - depending on the weather.    Read more

  • TravelerFrance June 2024

    Day in bed

    June 14, 2024 in France ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    Did not make it to Nantes today. Body had a bad reaction to something (I suspect it was the cream on the strawberry tart - 50% of the time I have whipped cream these days it disagrees with me, so I should really just give it up entirely) instead which meant I spent most of the night with an awful headache and ended up throwing up at 4am, which meant I felt a bit better, but not much, so I was asleep for the bulk of the day.

    Feeling almost OK now and have eaten with no dire consequences, so I took an evening stroll to find some of the street art and get some sea air. Only 4000 steps, but am very glad I did it.

    Going to watch an episode of Bridgerton and then see if I can get to sleep despite all the sleep I had in the day and try to get up early to go to Rennes. And will push Nantes to Sunday or Monday    Read more

  • TravelerFrance June 2024
    2

    Art in Nantes

    June 16, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Went to the Musée des Artes, which was wonderful. And then spotted quite a bit of street art while wandering around.

  • TravelerFrance June 2024

    Nantes

    June 16, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Really liked Nantes. To the point where I was regretting not booking a week there instead of here. Or maybe half a week in Nantes and half in Rennes would have been cool.

    However, that's just a lesson learned. I really like visiting cities, and the sea is helpful too. And really vibrant places. With art. And old buildings and narrow streets are good.

    So Antibes and St Ives aren't cities, but they have the sea and the vibrancy and the art and the narrow streets and old buildings.

    St Nazaire has the sea and a few old buildings, but not hugely vibrant that I have seen. A bit down at the sea front and I think possibly the modern open mall that I wandered through on my way back from the station (where everything was closed today) might be a vibrant area, but also not my sort of area.    Read more

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