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Giorno 13
sabato 15 aprile 2023 12:15
☁️ 9 °C
Altitudine: 49 m
Francia Place Saint-Michel 48.853718, 2.34411248°51’13” N 2°20’39” E
Wafflesand crepes Paris style
15 aprile 2023, Francia ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C
I talked Doug into grabbing some lunch before heading to our next tour. Under the Notre Dame hotel across from the Cathedral that I stayed in last December, there is a waffle and crepe house that I wanted to try. So, in we went and luckily we got a table quickly as they were getting very busy with the lunch crowd.
This vintage looking diner serves fresh made milkshakes, and all kinds of waffles and crepes.
Doug ordered a goat cheese, sauteed leeks, walnuts and acaia honey waffle, while I ordered a salted caramel and praline crepe. Both were delicious! Washed down with a mango milkshake, we left the shop with wonderful memories on our tongue.
France is famous for its food and it did not disappoint us during this meal!Leggi altro
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Giorno 13
sabato 15 aprile 2023 13:30
☁️ 10 °C
Altitudine: 47 m
Francia Palais de Justice de Paris 48.856078, 2.34497548°51’22” N 2°20’42” E
Sainte Chapelle
15 aprile 2023, Francia ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C
In early December 2022, I visited Sainte Chapelle after completing my Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Now I got to bring my Douglas to this beautiful church that was originally used only by the Royal family. Sainte Chapelle used to house the religious relics brought back from the Crusades, such as the Crown of thorns.
This church is no longer used for religious services, but it is famous for its tall stained glass windows.
The lower level of the building has arched ceilings decorated in blue with tiny fleurs de lis scattered across them like stars. The ceilings are supported by decorated columns in shades of blue and red. Again the columns are decorated with the fleurs de lis and crowns.
Upstairs, reached by narrow circular stone steps, is a high, open room filled with blue light due to the walls being lined with tall stained glass windows. Each window depicts a story from the Bible and it would be possible to sit in this room for days studying these glass panels.
At the end of the room above the very high wooden doors, there is a beautiful stained glass rose window. The senses are almost overwhelmed by the colours, the pictures and the emotions this room evokes in the visitor. My heart fills with happiness to have been able to share this place with Doug.Leggi altro
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Giorno 13
sabato 15 aprile 2023 14:30
☁️ 11 °C
Altitudine: 51 m
Francia Cité Island 48.856202, 2.34464348°51’22” N 2°20’41” E
Le Conciergerie
15 aprile 2023, Francia ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C
Next we visited the Conciergerie which used to be a gaol and once housed Marie Antoinette before she was beheaded. Now it is the Palais de Justice or Palace of Justice and has police officers working out of it.
The museum is in the basement of this grand building that looks like a castle. Imagine my surprise when I expected to see displays about the gaol system and its prisoners, but instead found a museum dedicated to French food!
We were able to see the dishes used to feed Queen Elizabeth ii in 1957, when she visited France for the first time. We learned that the French never talk business or politics without first eating together, which makes a lot of sense to me.Leggi altro
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Giorno 13
sabato 15 aprile 2023 19:00
⛅ 14 °C
Altitudine: 38 m
Francia Centre sportif Emile Anthoine 48.855272, 2.29428348°51’19” N 2°17’39” E
Escargot anyone?
15 aprile 2023, Francia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
After a day of sightseeing, we returned to our hotel for our next Gate 1 tour orientation meeting. Our new tour director is Simeon, a Frenchman from the south of France. We have 28 people on this part of our trip and they're all American. We briefly introduced each other and got a quick overview of our next two weeks. Simeon gave us tickets to the boat cruise on the Seine and sent us off on our own to see Paris.
We joined with our friends and decided to have supper together before heading to the boat since we wanted to sail during sunset. So we found a restaurant close to the Eiffel tower and sampled escargot and a pepperoni pizza.
The escargots were served traditional style which means they're still in their shells. Using a type of tongs to hold the escargot shell, a tiny two pronged fork is used to find the meat and pry it out. The snails were cooked in butter and garlic and were good, but had a slight fishy or swampy taste.
So today, we had waffles, crepes and now escargots. That's pretty authentic Parisian culture!Leggi altro
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Giorno 13
sabato 15 aprile 2023 20:00
☀️ 13 °C
Altitudine: 33 m
Francia Centre sportif Emile Anthoine 48.856461, 2.2889748°51’23” N 2°17’20” E
Sunset cruise on the Seine
15 aprile 2023, Francia ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
Full of escargots, we walked past the Eiffel tower, crossed the street and descended the steps to the river cruise dock where we caught the 8:00 pm boat. Sunset was slated for 8:40 pm, so the timing was perfect.
We sailed past bridges and iconic buildings as our day turned into evening and the scenery was bathed in hues of pink and orange before slipping into darkness. Lights started twinkling on either side of the river and the boats themselves became ornaments on a shimmering ribbon of water.
Of course, the brightest star in the sky was the golden Eiffel tower who shone like a beacon in the night, calling to us like the sirens to the sailors of old. She cast out her blue search light inviting us to come be her guest and to put her service to the test. I could picture this tower singing just like animated furniture and dishes did in "Beauty and the Beast".
I think the romanticism of Paris is rubbing off on me!Leggi altro
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Giorno 13
sabato 15 aprile 2023 22:30
🌙 10 °C
Altitudine: 30 m
Francia Pont de Bir-Hakeim 48.854784, 2.28821148°51’17” N 2°17’18” E
The Eiffel tower at night
15 aprile 2023, Francia ⋅ 🌙 10 °C
In order to get our tickets for the Eiffel tower that let us use the elevator and would take us to the second floor and the summit, I had to book in February, and when I finally got through, there was only one time slot on April 15th left - at 10:30 pm. So we headed through security and entered the grounds where we found the lineup for the elevator easily. Thank goodness it's not the busy season yet because we would have been in a much longer line and would have waited much longer.
The elevator to the second floor is a double decker model that can take about 50 people at a time up through the leg of the tower, past the first floor that bears the names of all the people who were part of creating the Eiffel tower except for the one woman mathematician who was not seen as important enough to include, to the second platform.
We walked over to the elevator to the summit and spent about half an hour in the lineup for this lift. Night was settling in and the wind was increasing so we donned our touques, gloves and jackets in preparation for the weather at the top of Paris.
The lights of the city spread out below us as we walked around the third level of the tower. We could see the Arc de Triumph, Les Invalides and even Sacre Coeur lit up below us. The Seine River glistened like a sinuous snake and we could just make out the lights of the boats traveling her length. Since there was WiFi on the tower, I WhatsApp called my Mom to share a bit of the view with her. But it was a short call because all too soon we had to return to our elevator and descend to the ground beneath the Eiffel tower's skirts again.
What an experience! Who would have thought that the little farm girl from Manitoba would one day stand outside Gustave Eiffel's office on the third level of the tower?Leggi altro
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Giorno 14
domenica 16 aprile 2023 11:00
☁️ 10 °C
Altitudine: 77 m
Francia Catacombs of Paris 48.833749, 2.33229648°50’1” N 2°19’56” E
The Catacombs
16 aprile 2023, Francia ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C
After our late night at the Eiffel tower yesterday, we were glad we could sleep in a bit this morning. Our tickets for the Catacombs had an entry time of 11:00 am, and we had instructions to get there by the M6 metro towards Nation. So I took advantage of our spare time and washed out some clothing in our bathroom sink. With wet clothes hanging throughout our hotel room, headed off to see the dead.
Getting tickets to the Catacombs proved very challenging. Through the Catacombs internet site, tickets are only available to purchase a maximum of 7 days in advance due to a high fraudulent problem. So I waited until 7 days ahead and voila! No tickets were available for the day I wanted to attend. It was so frustrating! I ended up paying more money to buy tickets through a tour group but at least I got some!
We weren't sure how busy the metro would be or how long it would take us to reach our destination, so we left early enough to be sure to reach our entry point for the Catacombs, even if we got lost, which was a very real possibility. As a result, we were about half an hour early and found a bench in a nearby park to wait for our turn to enter.
Wearing our audio guides, we climbed down circular stone steps into the abandoned quarries of old and entered a narrow tunnel that led us even deeper into the earth. We learned that these quarries were made by mining limestone and those stones were used to build the palaces and the Cathedral of Paris.
Unfortunately, the quarries started collapsing and simultaneously the cemeteries were literally overflowing and causing disease, so finally a plan was made to shore up the tunnels and create the Catacombs.
It was both eerie and intriguing to walk among the bones of those who died centuries ago. Skulls stacked amongst the femurs seemed to gaze back at us as we strolled by. They probably share stories each night about the funny tourists that come to stare at them and how weirdly they dress now.Leggi altro
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Giorno 14
domenica 16 aprile 2023 13:30
☁️ 13 °C
Altitudine: 76 m
Francia Arc de Triomphe 48.87379, 2.29502548°52’26” N 2°17’42” E
The Arc de Triomphe
16 aprile 2023, Francia ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
When we first arrived in Paris, we stopped at the Arc de Triomphe for photos, but today we decided to go right up to the top of the arch. We took the M6 metro from the Catacombs stop to L'etoille station which is where the Arc de Triomphe is located. Here, the metro attached to the underpass that takes pedestrians under the huge and extremely busy traffic circle that surrounds the Arc. We popped up like groundhogs right beside the foot of the Arc and joined the lineup for the security check.
While we waited in line, we took turns visiting the eternal flame underneath the Arc that burns for the soldiers list in wars. Wreaths surrounded the flames and people were very respectful here.
There's a very small elevator at the Arc that is reserved for pregnant women and people with health issues so they don't have to climb the 284 steps to the rooftop. Doug was so thankful for this elevator after the stairs at the Catacombs.
From the top of the Arc, the city of Paris spread out before us like the spokes of a wagon wheel. The Champs Elysees, lined with its expensive shops such as Luis Vuitton and Christian Dior, stretched all the way down to the Place de la Concorde.
What a view!Leggi altro
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Giorno 14
domenica 16 aprile 2023 17:00
☁️ 15 °C
Altitudine: 130 m
Francia Sacré-Cœur Basilica 48.887279, 2.34309448°53’14” N 2°20’35” E
Montmartre, Sacre Coeur
16 aprile 2023, Francia ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
Tonight we were driven to Montmartre where the Basilica Sacre Coeur is found. The area around the church is filled with artists and this was the place where impressionism was born. Monet, Gauguin and Van Gogh, to mention a few, were some of the artists who lived in this area and started changing the face of the art world in their day.
But at the top of the hill, stood the gleaming white Sacre Coeur Basilica. This is the site of the defeat of the French in the Franco-Prussian war where Napoleon III was captured. The defeat was attributed to the moral decline of the people since the French Revolution so the solution was to build a church dedicated to the sacred heart of Jesus.
This history also explains why the red light district is spread all around the feet of the Basilica.
The Basilica is accessed by climbing 300 steps and there is no elevator here! But instead, we lined up for the funicular that would whisk us to the top of the hill in no time. While we waited in line for the funicular, I noticed a hat shop nearby. I think I raised Doug's anxiety levels a little, but I bought a cute black beret with a veil, and still caught my ride!
At the hilltop, we wound our way around restaurants and artists drawing portraits until we came to the church itself. We lined up and were two of the few from our group who managed to get inside the church in the free time our guide allotted. A mass was underway, so we took some pictures and circled behind the altar looking at the art. The depiction of Jesus above the altar was white and gold set into a blue background and was absolutely beautiful! The church felt tranquil compared to the hustle and bustle outside and I would have liked to stay longer, but we rushed back to our group.Leggi altro
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Giorno 14
domenica 16 aprile 2023 19:00
⛅ 15 °C
Altitudine: 132 m
Francia Eglise Saint-Pierre-de-Montmartre 48.886711, 2.34157148°53’12” N 2°20’30” E
Illuminations Tour with wine
16 aprile 2023, Francia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
We finished up our visit to Montmartre with a meal at La Bonne Franchette, a restaurant near the foot of the church. To start our dinner, we were served Kir, which is a blackcurrant liqueur mixed with white wine, and then we had a choice of escargots or onion soup. Both dishes were delicious and then we had a choice between beef, chicken or fish. Doug and I both selected the beef, which melted in our mouths like butter. It wasn't beef bourguignon, but it did have a wine sauce over the beef.
Dessert was a whipped cream with fruit concoction and it was wonderful. I ate mine and then finished Doug's as well!
On our way back to our bus, Doug and I chose to take the 300 steps to the bottom instead of the funicular. At the bottom, Doug posed as if he had fallen down all the steps from the top of Montmartre, just like Jon Wick did in his latest movie that we watched just before this trip. I'm sure people were probably wondering what he was doing as he lay on the ground at the base of the stairs!
As we walked to the bus, we got one last view of Sacre Coeur wrapped in a velvety navy blue sky.Leggi altro
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Giorno 15
lunedì 17 aprile 2023 11:00
☁️ 11 °C
Altitudine: 90 m
Francia Épernay 49.042566, 3.95286649°2’33” N 3°57’10” E
Champagne
17 aprile 2023, Francia ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C
This morning we said goodbye to Paris and headed east to the Champagne region. The soil, weather and growing season creates grapes and wine that makes champagne or sparkling wine. Champagne results because the grapes have to be picked before the frost and then it continues to ferment in the bottles creating carbon dioxide which causes the fizz. This can cause some bottles to blow their corks and the wine is wasted.
We traveled through an area where battles raged in WWI and WWII, which now looks like farming fields except when we came to large graveyards for the fallen soldiers. These areas reminded us of the devastation that this area suffered, and when we entered Eparnay, we also saw bullet holes scarring the outside of the churches.
We visited the Nicholas Fouette winery, a cooperative that produces award winning champagne. We learned how the wines are made and we finished up the tour with champagne tasting. Since I don't drink, Doug gets double samples.Leggi altro
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Giorno 15
lunedì 17 aprile 2023 17:00
☁️ 13 °C
Altitudine: 251 m
Francia Hôtel de Ville 47.321586, 5.0414747°19’18” N 5°2’29” E
Dijon
17 aprile 2023, Francia ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
After a day of driving, we arrived at Dijon, home of the tasty mustard that I like to cook with. Here we took a walking tour around the historic city centre following our local guide and the metal owl plaques on the street as we passed through a stone gate that looked like a miniature Arc de Triomphe.
Fountains and parks dotted the area and we saw a square with a vintage merry go round dedicated to Gustave Eiffel as he was born here. Many original buildings exist here and some sport the coloured Burgundy glazed tiles which look like quilt blocks to me.
This area is also home to Kir, the black current liqueur, and to celebrate this heritage, the city has painted their buses, trains and rental bikes a deep pink like the juice of this berry.Leggi altro
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Giorno 15
lunedì 17 aprile 2023 19:00
Altitudine: 251 m
Francia Hôtel de Ville 47.321605, 5.041547°19’18” N 5°2’29” E
Dijon mustard tasting
17 aprile 2023, Francia
Once our guided tour was finished, Doug and I circled back to see some spots more closely. We touched the ancient stone owl on the cathedral with our left hand to get our wish, and then we went into a centuries old mustard shop. Here we were able to taste some of the Dijon mustards and we bought two flavours to bring home.
We also stopped into a bread shop where the bread was in the shapes of fish and chickens. This bread is baked with seasonings in it specific to this area, but they didn't have any taste tests.
Next we stopped in a medieval building selling macaroons and picked out 5 flavours. Chocolate, hazelnut, black current, pistachio and almond macaroons nestled in our package to be sampled later.
On our way back to the hotel, we dropped into a bookshop and selected two Tintin books and two Asterix and Obelix books to take home to our grandchildren. I wanted to introduce these iconic French characters to our next generation of readers.Leggi altro
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Giorno 16
martedì 18 aprile 2023 08:30
☁️ 7 °C
Altitudine: 222 m
Francia Beaune 47.023912, 4.83804347°1’26” N 4°50’17” E
Beaune
18 aprile 2023, Francia ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C
We left our hotel in Dijon by 8:30 am and headed towards Lyon. In the late morning, we arrived at Beaune which is located deep within wine country. Our bus had been following the "Route de Grand Cru" which is talking about the best wines in the world and the fields around us were filled with grape vines just getting their spring start.
We followed Simeon through this town as it was waking up for the day with croissants, fresh breads and pastries in the windows.Leggi altro
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Giorno 16
martedì 18 aprile 2023 11:00
☁️ 11 °C
Altitudine: 222 m
Francia Beaune 47.023906, 4.83847°1’26” N 4°50’17” E
Marche au Vins, Beaune
18 aprile 2023, Francia ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C
At a private wine cellar named Marche au Vins, we received an explanation about this great wine area. Bottles of wine from here are sold as some of the most expensive wine in the world. Most of the wine are reds, but there are some plots producing white wine as well. Doug got to sample a white wine, a 2018 red wine ($35 euros per bottle) and a 2016 red wine ($79 euros per bottle).
Doug and Margaret bought a:2018 bottle to share at lunch and we ate our sandwiches in the town square while basking in the sun.
Unfortunately, by the time I checked the museum out, it was too late to go in before we had to meet our tour host again and we missed seeing the beautiful painted panels that are found inside Beaune's Hotel Dieu.Leggi altro
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Giorno 16
martedì 18 aprile 2023 16:00
⛅ 16 °C
Altitudine: 297 m
Francia Notre-Dame de Fourvière 45.763084, 4.8217545°45’47” N 4°49’18” E
Basilica of Fourviere, Lyon
18 aprile 2023, Francia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Lyon was first founded by the Romans high on a hill overlooking the Rhine and Daune rivers. As we climbed the hill in our bus, we passed some Roman ruins and an amphitheater before coming to the Basilica of Fouviere. This church was built after Mary answered the people's prayers to stop the Prussians from conquering them and the church was funded completely by private donations.
Inside, the building is very decorated even down to the tiles on the floor. Mosaics cover the walls and ceiling, and even the candles are available in multi colours.
We took a quick turn through the crypt where Mary appears as the black Madonna and then we had to head back to the bus. This was a quick stop, but I'm glad we got to see this beautiful place.Leggi altro
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Giorno 16
martedì 18 aprile 2023 17:00
☀️ 17 °C
Altitudine: 182 m
Francia Eglise Sainte-Croix 45.761414, 4.82733745°45’41” N 4°49’38” E
Cathedral Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Lyon
18 aprile 2023, Francia ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
Late afternoon brought us to the Saint Jean the Baptist Cathedral in Lyon, where I found my familiar Camino scallop shell on the sidewalk. Many pilgrims start their walking their Camino de Santiago in Lyon instead of Saint Jean Pied de Porte where I started.
The Cathedral is surrounded by narrow streets of cafes and shops selling everything from puppets, to waffles, to crepes and art. These three main streets are built parallel to each other and parallel to the river Saone. In order to access the different streets, small "traboules" or secret passageways were built throughout the old city. There are about 400 of these crossings, but only about 40 are open to the public. These passages became an important tool for the French Resistance during WWII. We walked through one such shortcut to reach the Cathedral.
Inside the church, the altar was bathed in blue light from stained glass windows and reminded me of some of the Cathedrals on my pilgrimage. Even the rose window brought back thoughts and emotions from my walk.
How lovely it was to sit a moment in my memories.Leggi altro
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Giorno 17
mercoledì 19 aprile 2023 11:00
☀️ 19 °C
Altitudine: 209 m
Francia Place des Cardeurs 43.529848, 5.44747443°31’47” N 5°26’51” E
Aix-en-Provence
19 aprile 2023, Francia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
This morning we boarded our bus at 8:00 am and headed south to Aix-en-Provence, which is an area known for lavender fields, fields of fresh produce, ratatouille and almonds. It is also famous for being the home of Cezanne, one of the impressionist painters who changed the world with their new techniques in painting.
Once in town, we walked to the historic center where every square seems to have a fountain. Here we visited the Cathedral which was partly in a romanesque style and partly gothic. I particularly liked one stained glass window depicting Mary and Joseph with baby Jesus traveling by donkey.
Doug and I bought a lavender soap to take home and then enjoyed a tapas of feta cheese in a light pastry with basil and dried fruits and nuts in honey. Practicing my French, I managed to order Doug a full bodied beer that he enjoyed while I had a Coca Cola zero.
As we were returning to our host, we saw a bright red vintage motorcycle parked in the square that really got Doug's attention. I looked around and found the owner. Between my rusty French and his patience, I learned that it was an Italian bike from 1936 and that there were only a handful made. It was Italia Gucci. I've always known Doug loves redheads, and maybe I should be worried because he certainly fell in love with this bright red Italian lady!Leggi altro
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Giorno 17
mercoledì 19 aprile 2023 14:45
☀️ 17 °C
Altitudine: 701 m
Francia Plan-dAups-Sainte-Baume 43.329356, 5.71462243°19’46” N 5°42’53” E
Mary Magdalene at St. Baume
19 aprile 2023, Francia ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
As we continued on our trip, we passed by the municipality of Plan-d'Aups-Sainte-Baume, which became the sanctuary of Mary Magdalene in France. She traveled here by boat and evangelized the area, and lived out her life in a cave here. She's buried in the Catholic Church here.Leggi altro
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Giorno 17
mercoledì 19 aprile 2023 16:30
⛅ 20 °C
Altitudine: 335 m
Francia Grasse 43.657042, 6.92078343°39’25” N 6°55’15” E
Fragonard perfume factory, Grasse
19 aprile 2023, Francia ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
On our way to Juan les Pins, Antibes, we made a stop at the town of Grasse to visit the Fragonard perfume factory. We learned a bit about making fragrances, such as it takes one tonne of flowers to make one litre of essential oil. For more subtle fragrances, it can take up to three and a half tonnes of flowers to make the litre of oil. We also learned that perfume makers have 13 years of schooling before graduation, but then they are called " the nose". Their worktable of essential oils arranged in tiers of scent families are called "pianos" and each fragrance is called a "note".
This factory makes perfume, l'eau de toilette, soaps and cosmetics, all of which we were introduced to at the end of the tour. We were invited to smell several samples of scents from citrus based, to floral and also musky notes before being encouraged to buy some bottles to bring home.
Sweet Douglas selected 5 l'eau de toilette scents for the important women in his life as he thought this was a special gift he could share with them from France.Leggi altro
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Giorno 18
giovedì 20 aprile 2023 09:00
☀️ 14 °C
Altitudine: 173 m
Francia Saint-Paul-de-Vence 43.697978, 7.1216343°41’53” N 7°7’18” E
St. Paul de Vence, the walled city
20 aprile 2023, Francia ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C
We traveled about an hour from Juan les Pins to St. Paul de Vence, which is a fortified city high up in the hills on the edge of the Alps. In medieval times, this city was on the border between what was an Italian kingdom and French lands, so it was necessary to be protected. When France helped fight the war that united the kingdoms into the country of Italy, this area was gifted to France in gratitude. But as one shopkeeper said, we're supposed to speak French but even now, we really don't.
This city has maintained its city walls, and inside it has narrow, winding cobblestone streets and buildings straight out of a Fairytale. We visited the church which was Romanesque and admired the art housed there. We meandered through the streets and shops and bought Doug a knife whose handle was in the shape of a Marc Chagall mermaid and was carved from 500 year old oak beam that used to support the bells of the church.Leggi altro
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Giorno 18
giovedì 20 aprile 2023 10:30
☀️ 16 °C
Altitudine: 160 m
Francia Saint-Paul-de-Vence 43.694781, 7.12340643°41’41” N 7°7’24” E
Saint-Paul-de-Vence, the city of Art
20 aprile 2023, Francia ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
Saint,-Psul-en-Vence was a haven for artists and in particular, Marc Chagall lived here and is now buried here. Art abounds within these walls and everywhere we looked there were paintings or sculptures to contemplate. Vivid colours popped from the stone buildings and brought this warm spring day to life.
I'm so glad we got to visit this special place and even one purple iris waited to share its beauty with me. Merci!Leggi altro
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Giorno 19
venerdì 21 aprile 2023 10:01
☁️ 16 °C
Altitudine: 26 m
Francia Ancien Collège de Cisterciens de Sénanque 43.949255, 4.80590143°56’57” N 4°48’21” E
Sur le Pont d'Avignon
21 aprile 2023, Francia ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
This morning I sang "Sur le pont d'Avignon, on l'a dance, on l'a dance. Sur le pont d'Avignon, on l'a dance tous le monde." to Doug as we left our hotel room. After hearing and singing that song for most of my life, I am finally going to see this famous bridge.
d'Avignon is known as the Pope's town because at one point in history the French Pope moved from Rome to d'Avignon to be safer. This was supposed to be a short term displacement, but it ended up being the home to seven Popes for over 50 years.
First we crossed the road to stand on the shore of the river and take pictures of what remains of the medieval bridge that used to span two different arms of the river. This was a major crossroads in those times and the bridge was used as a market to trade and buy goods.
Now only a section of the bridge remains, but I did get to see it!
There was so much to see in d'Avignon, from souvenir shops filled with lavender soaps and sachets, to linens in all shades and hues.Leggi altro
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Giorno 19
venerdì 21 aprile 2023 11:00
☁️ 18 °C
Altitudine: 53 m
Francia Notre-Dame-des-Doms d'Avignon 43.951486, 4.80775843°57’5” N 4°48’28” E
Palace of the Popes
21 aprile 2023, Francia ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
After a bit of an explanation about d'Avignon, our tour director, Simeon, left us to explore on our own in this walled city. After eating our sandwiches for lunch in the main square, Doug and I walked up to the Palais des Papes, or Popes' palace and took pictures. In front of the entrance was a sculpture of Jesus surrounded with grieving angels and a statue of Mary covered in gold adorned the top of the tower.
The door was closed to this building, so we walked to the gardens beside the huge palace and enjoyed strolling past the fountains and sculptures of this park. It had a great lookout spot for more bridge pictures and there were toy horse carts or strollers there that have probably entertained children for generations.Leggi altro
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Giorno 19
venerdì 21 aprile 2023 11:30
☁️ 18 °C
Altitudine: 35 m
Francia Ancien Collège de Cisterciens de Sénanque 43.950128, 4.80587943°57’0” N 4°48’21” E
Avignon
21 aprile 2023, Francia ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
Doug and I returned to the square where we had eaten lunch near the old fashioned merry-go-round and I bought a print of Avignon surrounded by lavender fields in bloom from an artist selling his wares.
We decided to explore some of the side streets of the old town where many shops, florists, bakeries and cafes were found.
This is the home of the Gauls, a Celtic people settled in this area in Roman times. In the bookstore, Asterix and Obelix books were seen and even an Asterix statue.Leggi altro
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