My Favorite Way to Start Trip
24 августа 2023 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ☀️ 100 °F
O
24 августа 2023 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ☀️ 99 °F
O'Hare Departure #1
24 августа 2023 г., Соединенные Штаты ⋅ ☀️ 99 °F
Ready to board our flight to Paris. Dan's eager to start the trip with some wine on this flight. I got an early start ....
ПутешественникFinally got on the App! I had some issues with my password.
ПутешественникI hope you use this spp when you go to Greece. It's great!
Paris Arrival
25 августа 2023 г., Франция ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F
We've arrived in France, had coffee (very important to our survival), and are now ready to explore Paris!
ПутешественникSo happy you arrived safely! Can’t wait to see what you guys have planned.
Notre Dame Cathedral
25 августа 2023 г., Франция ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F
Visiting the cathedral, outside only. At least the front of it doesn't look bad. As you can see from the side view, they still have lots to do to repair the roof. They expect to have it completed inЧитать далее
ПутешественникWe didn’t get a chance to go inside this cathedral for some reason. Glad to know the repairs will be done soon!
Refueling
25 августа 2023 г., Франция ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F
A snack to hold us until dinner then the most needed thing of all.... sleep!
We had to pick a place that coordinated with Kathy's outfit.
Afternoon in Paris
25 августа 2023 г., Франция ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F
I visited the Musee d'Orsay this afternoon while Dan went for a walk. This building used to be a train station and was changed into a museum for the 1900 World Exposition. It has a lot ofЧитать далее
ПутешественникWe took the boys to that museum. They recognized a painting that Mrs.Ryder had a replica of in her piano studio!
Paris Hotel
26 августа 2023 г., Франция ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F
We stayed in the 6th arrodisement of Paris in a hotel built in the 17th century. It was, at times, a private residence (our room was part of the family's sitting area). It was also a convent for nuns.
Chartes Cathedral
26 августа 2023 г., Франция ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F
Construction began in 1194 after a fire destroyed much of the previous cathedral. It was consecrated in 1260. All of the stained glass is original.
ПутешественникWe’ve toured this cathedral as well. The stained glass was magnificent!!
ПутешественникI'm so glad you got to see it too! [ agree that the stained glass really is incredible!!
ПутешественникLast night, “60 Minutes” had a segment about the restoration of the cathedral. So interesting!! But sad to learn that the lead architect died on a hiking trip 10 days ago.
ПутешественникJust looked up the news article about the architect's death. I hadn't heard about that. Thanks for letting me know.
Veil of the Virgin Mary
26 августа 2023 г., Франция ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F
This veil is purported to have been worn by the Blessed Virgin. It has survived 2 fires which destroyed cathedrals peviously built on this site.
Chateau de Saint Paterne
26 августа 2023 г., Франция ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F
We're staying at the Chateau de Saint Paterne located in the Perche region of France. The chateau was built in the 15th century. No, we don't have the entire chateau to ourselves --- just one room,Читать далее
ПутешественникThanks, Ruth. I don't know about deserving it but we are enjoying the experience!
Le Mans 24 Hour Race
27 августа 2023 г., Франция ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F
After seeing Ford vs Ferrari, I had to visit the Le Mans racetrack and museum. This car was from the first race in 1923. It did NOT win. We saw lots of other cars which did win over the years.
ПутешественникThe maximum speed was 90 km/ hour so about 55 mph. I guess that's pretty good for back then!
Rainy Start
28 августа 2023 г., Франция ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F
A cold and rainy morning. :-( We were supposed to go for a bike ride all day. We've swapped today's itinerary for Wednesday's, so let hope for better weather then.
Chateau D'Azay-le-Rideau
28 августа 2023 г., Франция ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F
Toured this Renaissace castle. Dan wouldn't mind living here. Not for me!
ПутешественникDid they allow any pictures of the inside? Did they give a lot of history about the building?
ПутешественникThey allowed pictures of the interior but I didn't take any. Dan took some on his SLR camera. During the French revolution, all of these chateaus were sacked. This one is sparsely decorated now with furniture donated from museums. Construction of this chateau started in 1511 by Gilles Berthelot. In 1527, he had fallen out of favor with the new king, Francis I, and was executed, leaving the chateau unfinished. Restorations were undertaken throughout the centuries after that.
Loire Valley Vineyards
28 августа 2023 г., Франция ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F
We're driving through the Loire Valley today. Lots of vineyards! I can hardly wait to stop in Chinon and have a glass of wine with lunch!
Chinon
28 августа 2023 г., Франция ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F
Yay! We arrived in Chinon for a late lunch and I enjoyed a local rosé with quiche. Chinon is charming --- buildings dating from the 15th century and cobbled streets. It is also historicallyЧитать далее
ПутешественникSo much history! Great pic of you two! Would love to taste that drink!
Joan of Arc in Chinon
28 августа 2023 г., Франция ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F
Joan of Arc was here in 1429. Dan was here to greet her!
Gardens at Villandry
28 августа 2023 г., Франция ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F
Catch-up by Dan
28 августа 2023 г., Франция ⋅ 🌙 61 °F
The first photo is taken at a museum of French emigrants to "New France", which is now Quebec. I am pointing to my great, great, great.... grandfather's name, Jean Royer, who left France in theЧитать далее
ПутешественникYou guys are killing me with the comments 😂🛏️. How cool is that village tho!? Do you have any more pictures of the actual village?
ПутешественникI think Dan has more photos on his SLR camera. The village was pretty nice. We found a sign advertising "Royer Garage." Wonder if this Royer is distantly related to Dan.
Addendum
28 августа 2023 г., Франция ⋅ 🌙 61 °F
I forgot to note that the photo of Kathy is after she just set the record for red headed women at Le Mans, which is why her hair looks a little wind blown.
Le Clos Luce
29 августа 2023 г., Франция ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F
We visited the last home of Leonardo da Vinci in Amboise. He came here at the invitation of the king, Francis I, to study anatomy. In Italy he was prohibited from working on cadavers so was limited inЧитать далее
Private Winetasting
29 августа 2023 г., Франция ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F
We had a private winetasting with a sommelier. For this event, he took us down to the tunnels that connected Clos Luce with the king's castle. Leonardo da Vinci and Francis I used to meet down here.Читать далее
ПутешественникUncle Dan, how did you find all of these sites and tours to do? Did someone recommend them or did you research on your own?
ПутешественникKimberly, we are very happy with them and would recommend them if you ever want to do a driving tour of France. By the way, France is one of the easiest foreign countries to drive in as long as 1) you can handle roundabouts (they are easy) 2) you never, ever speed. There are automatic speed traps everywhere. People have returned to the States and received thousands of dollars of tickets without ever knowing they were speeding. Charged against the credit card they used to rent the car. But drivers are actually very patient. After 4 days of driving I have yet to hear a horn blow.
ПутешественникDan told me I should answer this question while he researches restaurants. He found an agency called "France Just For You". They custom design trips for people visiting France based on their interests. It's great because they make all the arrangements so you can just sit back and enjoy the experiences.
Chenonceau Purchase
29 августа 2023 г., Франция ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F
This chateau has been owned by 7 women. Kathy decided to make it 8 and purchased it today. It has been recently updated so we don't have to worry about decorating.
ПутешественникOh, be sure to note that it is built right over the Cher River. Pretty cool!
Blois
30 августа 2023 г., Франция ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F
So, the plan for today was to drive to Blois, pick up some bikes and ride to Le Chateau de Chambord stopping for a picnic lunch at a scenic spot in the Loire Valley along the way. Included in the bikeЧитать далее
ПутешественникOh, no! You were so excited about this experience! Good pivot though. Luckily, France is fun no matter what you do!
Castle Furniture
30 августа 2023 г., Франция ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F
This is the king's bedroom. It is not is his actual bed, but one representative of the period. Because the royal court moved around so much their furniture was made to be portable. The bed is heldЧитать далее
ПутешественникGreat way to start your trip. Enjoy