Great start - looking forward to more!

Great to see an Aussie trip report at last. Fair dinkum!

Thanks for your encouragement - I will work on the next instalment and try to upload some photos. Now that will be an interesting task for me!

A word about our apartment. I so wanted to stay in an apartment whilst in Paris but having never done so before I was a little apprehensive and spent many late nights trawling the internet and reading reviews of apartments. Let me say that we stayed in a wonderful apartment in the 5th. The owner was a so easy to deal with and we emailed back and forward with her answering all my questions and giving lots of advise, with such friendliness. The apartment was her home for 20 years and we felt so comfortable staying there with a great equipped kitchen , excellent appliances and lots of room. We would listen to Paris Jazz on FM gazing out over our little balconies into the warm Paris night listening to her sounds and sipping on a delicious wine. Mmm I’m in heaven.

Next day we headed off for Montmartre, stopped off at a ‘dodgy’ sports cafe for coffee and .5e loo stop. Met our ‘Paris Greeter” guide Sophie – an Aussie living in Paris 3 years. I booked ‘Paris Greeter’ through information supplied on Fodors and I highly recommended it. We started our tour walking through the colourful North African area, past lots of wig shops, sewing shops specialising in wedding dresses and some wonderful smelling food tantalising our taste buds. After many stairs we were staring at the magnificent and grand Sacre Coeur.
We spent 3 hours walking the area from little backstreets to the decadent patisserie shops, whilst Sophie told us the history and tales of the area finishing with a coffee in the ‘Amelie’ cafe. This personal tour was special and the only payment Sophie would accept was a friendly coffee.

We ate at a cute little restaurant La Midinette and whilst trying to decide (using our basic French) what to eat, a handsome young Frenchman eating at the next table helped us with our choices. He was very friendly and full of lots of interesting conversation about Paris, the people, the world. DH had poullet, me steak and dessert was the biggest raspberries I had ever seen (my mission in France was to eat as many red berries that I could). We chatted with the handsome Frenchman with blue eyes from Marseille, now living in Paris and as he left he said Bonjour and enjoy. Much to our surprise the waitress brought over 2 servings of coffee, chocolate ganche and chantilly cream and said “with compliments from the young man” she seemed very impressed and so were we – how nice! I am not a coffee drinker but I made sure I drank that one! How special was that encounter.

That afternoon we went home via the Luxembourg Gardens and spent our first of many interludes at the gardens, we considered it our local park and loved walking or sitting on the green seats soaking up the Parisian atmosphere.

I'm totally gripped by your story aussie_10 and can't wait until you get to Provence - the subject of my trip planning. Thanks for your great report.

I love trip reports and yours is off to a grand start..I am anxiously awaiting my trip in May and reading your beginning has me rushing out to get my "french phrase book" TODAY!

Time flies...

tx for sharing
FP

Oooh, this sounds like a good one.

Would you mind sharing a link to the apartment?

Ooh la la! Fab report! Keep it coming. More bits about the handsome Frenchmen would be good too .

Great report and I too would love to see the link to your apartment.

Please post a link to "your" apartmnet on the Paris apartment threat so future travelers can consider it as well.
http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/paris-apartment-thread.cfm

Thank you for your comments. I wasn't sure whether it is too long winded, I have left lots out also. But I have enjoyed reading OP trips reports and I felt I owed it to everyone that had given me help and advice along the way. We went last week in Sept til 3 weeks in Oct and the weather could not have been any more perfect.

uklisa - Provence is coming
flowerpower - my DH & I took French lessons for a semester at our local Uni, which really helped. My DH was much better than me because he always practised and did his homework straight away while fresh in his mind. I on the other hand always seemed to be doing my homework the night before lessons ugh! Knowing some language did help and I think people were much more obliging because we tried especially DH.

Judyrem - if I had only been 20 years younger, my DH says I swooned anyway. Wish I had a daughter. we talked to him throughout the meal for over and hour. He not only was gorgeous to look at, he was charming and intelligent. Did I mention swooning!

Nikki - we loved our apartment. On a recent thread a poster had a bad experience with an apartment and I know it is risk. Our Parisian adventure hinged on a great apartment especially as I was booking for friends too.Throughout all dealings I had a good feeling and the owner was always so friendly and helpful. I am almost hesitant to recommend because I would like to keep it to myself but that would be unfair. All amenities are in excellent condition rooms were spacious, comfortable, it felt like a home and we loved "coming home" each day to our apartment.

Here is the link
http://www.vrbo.com/196919

OOh la la.....ah Paris....and her gorgeous men.

Each morning I wake at 3.30am (must be the jet lag) and whilst the rest of our apartment sleeps I make a hot cup of tea and step out onto the balcony and take in the sights and sounds of Paris waking up in the mornings, it is a truly special experience for me.

We head off to Trocadero for the grand view to the Eiffel Tower (avoiding the ‘lookie lookie men with their trinkets). Walked Rue Klebber to Arc de Triumph up the 256 stairs, as the lifts weren’t working today, for the panoramic view of the 12 avenues and what a view. Walked down the Champs Elyssee to Place de la Concorde through the 1st & 2nd towards the 3rd & 4th arr., discovered rue Montorgueil – lots of food shops, boulangeries, patisseries and fromage shops, we were in food heaven! After satisfying our hunger we walked on to the Pompidou centre and enjoyed the view and ambiance.

We continued on through the Jewish area, intrigued by the stalls with lemons and sugar cane(?) as far as the Bastille. I have read Fodorites talking about Bofinger and found the restaurant and checked out the menu, but as we were looking at it in the window a nice older couple chatted with us and recommended Petite Bofinger across the road. We decided to eat there and thoroughly enjoyed our 3 course 25e meal of mussels, fois gras, carnard, a crème brulee to die for (I had to resist scraping my finger around the inside of the bowl!) and a half bottle of wine each, wonderful.

My DH & I have been to Paris before, 25 years ago when we were too young to fully appreciate her magical charms, on a camping tour, and I always wanted to go back and just wander the streets and little laneways to soak up the atmosphere, so this was the mission of this trip – to feel the city.

Next day off to Opera House and then on to Galleries La Fayette. What a beautiful department store, we caught the lift to the top floors and viewed the magnificence of the dome, not to mention the amazing array of beautiful items for sale. I saw shoes in styles that go way beyond anything I have ever seen before; I dare not try them on for lusting after them for the rest of my stay.

Metro to Eiffle Tower, on my list of things to do whilst in Paris was to have a picnic in the park underneath the Eiffel Tower. A scrumptious lunch of crusty baguettes and the obligatory patisserie, lying on a bed of lush grass, whilst gazing up at the magnificent tower. We had not planned to go up the tower again but hey no queues! So of course the lure was too strong. We were blessed with warm sunny weather for all of our stay in Paris so the views were outstanding.

Stopped at a Franco prix on the way home and purchased cheap Province Rose & beer, France has outstanding wines but awful beer. Ugh! A Rotisserie chicken for dinner and pommes – they can’t be good for the waist line.
A delicious meal at our apartment and then out for our Night cruise on the Seine – Bateaux les Vedettes - (I had read on Fodors if you booked this online you could get a 8euro discount, so we did and printed the pass up on our computer in our apartment).

Paris illuminated at night is quite spectacular, the buildings take on an ethereal quality in their yellow glow. The night breeze whispered around our ears and of course the Eiffel Tower stole the show.

What a treat to read your trip report on a cold January day! I can't wait for more. I am especially interested in the logistics of your traveling with a group of 6 adults in Provence and the Dordogne.

How fantastic to stay in a country for a month! Great report so far and bought back memories of Galleries La Fayette department store which reminded me more of a cathedral or similar. Last time I was in Paris, it was just for three days and there was a transport strike. I only got in one day sightseeing where we were ripped off and stranded by the driver our hotel had arranged. I was a bit cheesed off with Paris that trip but you make me want to try again to get back there!

Hi Kansas & Kerryajs1

We originally thought to have one car/van to fit all six, but soon realised it would have to be a big one, especially to fit all our luggage. I did ask Fodorites the question and after some deliberation we decided on 2 cars. It did not cost much more than the one van.
Main reason was: we in Australia drive on the other side of the road, that combined with unfamiliar roads and especially narrow little roads which we used most of the times.
Also the factor that if we all didn't want to do the same thing each day we had the freedom of 2 cars. We were very happy with our decision especially on some of those windy tiny roads meeting trucks, buses etc.
We leased Renaults, a Kangoo which amply fit 4 adults/luggage and a sporty little Megane. Sometimes at night if only going a little distance we would all squeeze in to the Kangoo.

Kerryajs1 I'm sorry your last stay in Paris was a little disappointing. As it is such a long way for us to travel to Paris I was glad that we had no hiccups. Everything was just wonderful and just reliving these moments make me long to go back.

Each morning the guys would do the warm croissant run and on this particular morning we needed more fruit so we sent them to Rue Mouffetard. My hubby had diligently been learning to speak French for the past 6 months, and was very proud of his efforts in conversing with the local shop keepers etc. but our friend struggled with the language. He wanted to buy some bananas from a local vender and indicated to the vender that he wanted 3. The vender indicated a big NO and our friend could not understand why, hubby came along and tried to help out to no avail, the vendor was not going to sell the bananas. DH finally realised that the store did not open until later. They asked what time did he open and he replied never! Never! says our friend, Frenchman says loudly never!!, never!? repeats friend. Meanwhile Frenchman is almost red with rage. By this time my DH realised that he was quite angrily saying ‘neuf heure’, meaning 9am (it was only 8am) Needless to say we had no bananas that morning and never assumed normal opening hours again. We actually found the French very friendly, kind and patient with our limited grasp of the language.

Our last day in Paris was spent meandering through the streets, soaking up the atmosphere, people watching, sampling the local fare and gazing one last time along the Seine. sigh A stop at the Bertillon ice cream shop, some more fresh raspberries, a stop at a beautiful chocolatier and one more walk through the Luxembourg gardens. Parisians dress very stylishly, even the little preschoolers were so cute in their little jackets. The teenagers seemed to have a uniform of black clothes consisting of skinny jeans, jackets and ballet flats. Dinner tonight around St Michel more delicious food, good wine and crème brulee! Or was it panna cotta this time. I am so not ready to say goodbye to Paris and our beautiful Paris apartment.

Just a small sample of some of our Paris photos, we did take a lot.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/creativeapps/slideShow/Main.jsp?token=904536659112%3A871039070

Up early to say goodbye to our lovely apartment ordered a large taxi to go to Gare de Lyon, but a small one arrived with his boot half full of junk. There was no way it would fit 4 of us and our luggage so we sent our friends off ahead and we wandered down the road and managed to flag one down. Had a little language barrier moment when DH said we were going to Avignon in his best aussie accent, our driver thought he said Avion meaning the airport, so once that was sorted we had a quick ride to the train station to meet up with our other Aussie couple and catch our TGV train to Avignon. Our taxi trip cost 8.5euros our friends cost 20euros from the same place, go figure.

Again through assistance on Fodors I was able to purchase us 6 first class PREM tickets on the TGV for 40euro each. So much cheaper than any Australian travel agent. Thank you Fodors. We had arranged to meet our friends and the 3rd Aussie couple under the big train screen, not realising that there were 2 large screens at Gare de Lyon. One in the yellow area and one in the blue, I had seen Kerouac's photos. That caused a little hiccup but once sorted we sat down for a cuppa at Le Train Blue cafe.

What a wonderful train system, great seats smooth trip and so quick. We were a little taken aback when we saw many passengers walking their little dogs through the carriage. We have since heard that some passengers purchase a seat for their dog.

Will continue on to Provence.....

oops sorry the link to the photos was wrong here is the correct one.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/creativeapps/slideShow/Main.jsp?albumId=903319559112&ownerId=415354339112

Great report! The Paris you visited sounds much nicer than the Paris I am living in during this dreary January.

Kerouac - We are having a sweltering summer here in Australia. I have seen the extreme weather you are experiencing on the news.

But I have also seen the beautiful photos taken by you of Paris in all seasons. I love them and wont hear a bad word about her.

aussie_10,

Great report!

I enjoyed a meal at Petit Bofinger a couple years ago...at 10pm we walked in and the place was packed to the gills. We were told to wait a few minutes and they would seat us. As we stood squished in the bar area I was amazed at the food coming out of the tiny kitchen. I'm not sure if I was more amazed at the delicious food or the miniscule size of the kitchen!

Late getting in on this you have probably received plenty of advice. I was in Burgundy last April and the Dordogne three years ago. Do not miss Rocamadour. Get a list of market days especially in the Dordogne we hit a different one almost every day. We visited Font Du Game to see prehistoric cave paintings (small cave) but some of the best preserved cave paintings the public can still visit. If you are still heading South Conques east of Cahors (windy roads to get there) has the best medeval gold outside of a major museum. And also in this area is the lovely hillside town in the Lot is Saint Cirq Lapopie a great place for taking photos.
Sorry if I am repeating what others have already suggested. Have a safe trip

I will just mention this in passing, even though it has no direct relation to anything that has gone before. I have always thought "Sunday morning -- no problem -- I can find a street market in one of the at least medium-sized cities." And I never ever find a Sunday street market in the provinces for some reason. In Paris, there are 20 or 30 of them and at least as many in the suburbs. In the provinces.... nothing that I have ever found.

Hi Aussie, we've shopped at the fruit stall at Rue Mouffetard too. An English chap served us and chatted for some time. He was gobsmacked when I told him how long the flying time was to get to Paris. We also added to the waist line with a rotisserie chicken and pommes dinner. However, we walked and
walked and walked so I don't think we did too much damage.

I'm glad you enjoyed your apartment. We stayed in one just near the Luxembourg RER stop and would catch the 27 bus from there to Rue Mouffetard to stock up on provisions. We were lucky enough to experience evening open air concerts in Jardin du Luxembourg while we were in Paris. We didn't have tickets, but we could open our balcony doors and the Tales of Hoffman would drift in. It was divine!

I'm glad you went to the Dordogne, I don't think it's experienced by too many Aussie travellers. We met up with Sydney friends in Albas, in The Lot, which is just a little north of the Dordogne. It's sooo beautiful!! I'm looking to reading your impressions of the area.

Looking forward to the next installment, Cathie (from Sydney)!!

We had leased 2 Renault cars back in Australia and were very happy with our cars. One a Diesel Kangoo and the other a petrol Megane. Armed with a TomTom – now I’m a map person but it was one of the other guy’s new toy –one day I could have stomped on it, but that’s another story. We made our way (on the wrong side of the road) to Buoux our home for the next 2 weeks.

Here are some quotes I like on ways to travel:

Lao Tsu says, “A good traveller has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.”

And we can even use a quote by Yogi Berra, “If you come to a fork in the road, take it.”
A more contemporary figure is Mark Twain. He said, “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

There are travel quotes on why you should travel:

St. Augustine said, “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.”

I love to travel, hey I even love reading about other people’s travels. But I’m a planner, so on this trip I tried to do lots of research first, gathered information and then tried to take a step back and go with the flow, hence the quotes. I wanted to meander, to take that other road sometimes, take a breath, listen, and savour, I’m in France.

Sidebar: When planning our trip to France we decided that we wanted to stay in an apartment in Paris, a country farmhouse in Provence and a townhouse in Sarlat, to get an all round experience. One of our prerequisites would be for each couple to have their own bedroom and bathroom. That was important for people that would be travelling together for 4 weeks, your own space. In fact we met many people who were amazed we were still happy and talking to each other after 4 weeks.

When firstly researching The Luberon I had never heard of Buoux. We loved our stay in Buoux. Our 17thC stone farmhouse was built on the side of a hill overlooking a magnificent valley reaching up to the Grand Luberon with the Buoux Fort on the other side. Our property was in an olive grove with almond trees and 2 resident horses. Very spacious and plenty of character with stone walls and a country chic feeling to it that the owner was very proud of. After navigating the narrow roads we decided to have dinner at our local restaurant. Now Buoux has a population of 110 people, no stores but has 3 very fine restaurants and we ate in all 3!

Dinner tonight at L’etape du promenade – little place, friendly owner, tasty salads, the biggest and best omelettes I have ever seen and tasted. I had the fromage omelette with lots of Roquefort cheese and apple tart for desert and of course we shared some great pichets of wine. We have good wine in Australia but the French wine is so easy to drink. Before going to bed I gazed out our windows in the pitch black, at the carpet of stars in the sky (they are so much brighter with now artificial lights) and said to my husband “did you hear that? No says he, that’s right I say, not a single sound” mmm I slept well that night.

It’s Sunday in Provence so it must be market day! We gathered our pretty French baskets and headed off to Coustellet via Bonnieux, down through the pretty hills and fertile patchwork of fields. Coustellet market was busy; we purchased vegies, pears and lasagne for dinner. Bought Paella made in the biggest wok I had ever seen, supplemented with scrummy baguettes. Back home through the winding roads to Maison de Marrenon and then out for a walk enjoying our beautiful aspect finishing with Rose and cheese on our deck.

Hi Cathie from Sydney Happy Austalia Day! I have enjoyed reading your reports.

Sorry I missed your post must have been posting my next trip instalment at the same time.

We were literally 2 minutes from Rue Mouffetard and I loved shopping amongst the fresh food vendors. Our apartment was on the 6th floor negotiated by the tinniest of elevators and in the afternoons sometimes we could here a pianist practicing nearby it was lovely to hear the melodious sounds wafting up.

Loved Jardin du Luxembourg.

Yes most Aussies had never heard of The Dordogne, it was only through Fodors that we decided to go there with the help of other peoples trip reports and postings. We did use St Dudley's Provence & Dordogne suggestions and many more Fodorites.

<<And I never ever find a Sunday street market in the provinces for some reason. In Paris, there are 20 or 30 of them and at least as many in the suburbs. In the provinces.... nothing that I have ever found.>>

Must be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Off the top of my head, here are Sunday markets I can think of in just three areas:

Dordogne:
St-Cyprien
Issigeac
Rouffignac
St-Geniès

Provence:
Ile-sur-la-Sorgue
Avignon
Coustellet
Sarrians
Mormoiron

Lot:
Labastide-Murat
Montcuq

Oh, and Libourne and Biarritz and St-Saturnin and Bouscat.....

NEVER=neuf heur I speak a little french, but can't understand much of anything they say to me. That just tickled me. Loving your report.

I just returned from South America and am finishing up my trip report. What a joy to read yours! I have traveled in France many times including multiple weeks in Paris and Nice and port visits to Marseilles (Aix on one visit and LeBeaux and Arles on another), Villefranche(I love Nice!), and Le Havre, travels in Brittany, a memorable visit to La Rochelle and time in the Dordogne. I have a friend who does tours in Provence (met on our second port visit to Marseilles). If you'd like to be in contact with her and perhaps spend a day in her company,let me know. She's a delightful person, speaks fluent English and has a wealth of historical knowledge.

Right now I'm helping some friends plan a trip to France and am finding your report to be very helpful, so thanks again for the hard work you are putting into such detailed and delightful entries.

Hi wiselindag, thanks for your encouragement. It sounds like you have visited many great places in France. We are back home now but I would love to explore the country so much more. Our wonderful holiday just wetted my appetite.

Our trip was over 12 months in planning and as I did all the bookings for everyone I felt a huge sense of responsibility that everything go well.

We often comment that we were blessed as everything went to plan and even the unplanned things went well. We had an absolutely fabulous time and many fine memories.

I too now find myself being a consultant for friends but I love all aspects of travel so love to share in evryones travels and experiences.

I am now working on my next trip report segment so hopefully more to come soon

Great report on three of my favorite areas.

NEVER=neuf heure.....moi aussi....

Next day we headed down a narrow winding road to Lourmarin our 4 friends were in the lead car and almost came a croppa (aussie slang for mishap) rounding a corner to be greeted by a huge tourist bus. All the bells and sirens sounded in the car as the bus came within millimetres of squashing the car – did I mention these roads are narrow, with vast drop offs, we were thanking our lucky stars we did not hire a large van.

Another snippet of info that I gleaned from Fodors was to purchase the book 'Provence Byways' which is an excellent guide to Provence especially the Luberon, it has great driving tours and today we were doing ‘The Pays d’Aigues Loop – Lourmarin, Vaugines, Curcuron, Ansouis.

Lourmarin is a glamorous village, lots of galleries and boutiques. Had a morning coffee at cafe Gaby and watched the visitors ambling by. We wandered the lovely laneways with homes with blue and mauve shutters, decorative wooden doors and colourful window boxes with cascades of flowers and vines finishing off a perfect picture. We decided that Lourmarin was a ‘cat’ village, lots of them lounging lazily on windowsills.
Next stop was the small village of Vaugines tucked up tight against the flanks of the Grand Luberon. We parked under the giant plane trees beside a little running stream and wandered through the Romanesque church and graveyard. We wandered up to the deserted town centre and were impressed by the moss covered fountain which drips water through the moss. I’m sure the residents were enjoying their midday dinner as our sense of smell was tantalised by delicious aromas wafting from open cute curtained windows.

Next village on route was Curcuron; we parked in the shade of the 200 year old plane trees that ring a large spring fed pond. We made our way to the six headed fountain and picturesque clock tower walking past intricate doorways and windows. The church here had a beautiful violet marble pulpit. We had a late lunch at a little bar & restaurant with a very friendly owner who on realising we were Aussies told us tales of an Aussie rocker (Jimmie Barnes for those aussies reading this) who set up residence locally and frequented his bar often. We and the other diners were serenaded or should I say blasted by aussie rock music throughout our delicious meal accompanied by the standard pichet or two of wine.

Drove on to our last village of the day, Ansouis classified as ‘one of the most beautiful villages of France’. It is a small, pretty village spiralling up a hill, on top of that hill is an imposing chateau with 360 views. Ansouis is a serene village, well preserved as it is a Catholic town and remained unscathed during the wars of religion.

Next day our destination was Cassis. After rounding a couple of roundabouts several times to get the correct exit we hit the Auto route with assistance from TomTom and before too long we were looking down at the spectacular view of Cassis with the Mediterranean shimmering in the distance. It was a bustling town with a picturesque harbour with coloured residences lining the harbourside; it was nice to inhale the sea air. Purchased tickets for the Calanques tour, sea was a little rough. DH & I and a lovely young Russian couple were the only ones to brave the front of the boat, we got absolutely soaked but it was a beautiful day, the Mediterranean water was warm and we had lots of good laughs and interesting conversation with the young couple – she was a famous television presenter in Moscow. It’s always interesting meeting fellow travellers. A final swim in the warm sea and home to a home cooked meal of ratatouie, potatoes and spicy sausage, raspberry tart and of course French wine. (Whilst shopping in a large supermarket in Apt we were amazed by the size of the huge wine barn attached to the store with a walls and walls of every flavour and variety of wine one could imagine and soo cheap, we purchased many and were not disappointed – all good).

Next day was a visit to our closest village, 8 km away, and a pretty drive past lavender fields to the perched village of Saignon. Saignon was a fortress built to protect the larger town of Apt in years gone by. Was disappointed the famous boulangerie owned by Christine Thomas was closed but we climbed to the top of the old towers and was rewarded with a dazzling view of the valley below and the white top of Mt Ventoux in the distance. Next stop the town of Apt, wandered the streets sampled tasty patisseries and glace fruit – Apt is famous for glace fruit.

An afternoon of swimming in our pool, gathering almonds to crack open and relaxing. We love coming home from our days outing and relaxing on our outdoor area and soaking up the quite Luberon mountains. At night it is pitch black and sooo quite, it is really quite beautiful.

When we first arrived at our 17thC farmhouse the owner and his wife we away, they also live on the property. They arrived back a few days later. Our first glimpse of him was when he rode along the laneway to our house on a bicycle to greet us. He was a very dapper Frenchman around 60ish astride his bike in a blue lacoste chambray collared shirt, canvas coloured trousers and comfortable leather loafers. He had a wonderful French accent, wide friendly smile and became a very friendly host. He was accompanied by his dog whom we discovered later was a very valuable truffle dog. We originally knew her as Caramel who liked to sneak into our kitchen and steal chocolate.

Croissants for breakfast and off to Roussillon via Bonnieux. Ist stop Le Pont Julien a 2000 year old Roman bridge. The pont is the only bridge that survives from the Via Domitia, a major Roman road that linked Roman Italy with its provinces in France. We walked below it to admire its incredible Roman architecture.

We crossed the busy N 900 climbed the other side of the valley to Roussillon and was immediately taken with the beautiful russet tones of the buildings perched atop of cliffs of red, yellow and orange. The town is unique in its colours and we loved the area around the Marie and the great views over the surrounding countryside.

Next we headed in the direction of Gordes, our TomTom took us into Gordes via the backstreets and straight to the centre of the village. We had read of the beautiful views of Gordes leading up to the village so we drove straight out and approached the village from the opposite direstion and was well rewarded with a spectacular view of the perched village from the best vantage point. Gordes is a big rich village with lovely homes and some nice shops, it was quite popular and one of the more busy villages we had been to.

Returned home and had some nice Rose sparkly on our terrace before dinner at home, Coq au Vin by candlelight. A few days earlier we had called at Cotes de Luberon winery co-op for some wine tasting and purchases. There we met 4 French ladies push biking around and sampling the local wines. They must had been to quite a few that day as they were very merry and friendly and we were amazed that they could mount their bikes and peddle off with their purchases stashed in their saddle bags. Wished we had purchased more wines that day as they were delicious.

aussie...

You are bringing back great memories for me. I was in Roussillon in 2008 and while there I saw the most spectacular sunset I have ever seen!

LowCountryIslander

Yes we loved Roussillon we almost stayed there but the gite only had 1 bathroom and we thought that would be too hard for 6 people and two weeks. Loved the building's colours and beautifully decorated windows, curtains and window boxes.

A sunset would be spectacular

Thanks for reading my trip report it is nice to recount our wonderful holiday, its just fitting it in with work etc. and I thought I owed it to the many people who helped with our planning. I wasn't sure whether people had got bored with it by now and had stopped reading.

regards aussie

Don't stop Aussie. It's a great read and those of us who are still in the planning phase really appreciate the information and insights. Thank you. Lisa

LOL 1 bathroom for 6 people for 2 weeks - no thank you!! I think you made a god decision to stay elsewhere.

Still loving your report......

We each had a great bathroom, ours had a toilet that was inside a stone wall enclave type cave. Our shower was over the bath and because we were downstairs the roof was in a curved like cave look. I am tall so everytime I washed my hair I scraped my knuckles on the stone roof. But we loved our accommodation it was clean spacious and well presented.

Still working on my trip report... just waylaid by inconveniences such as work, ugh.

My apologies I will try hard to finish this report over the next few days...............and put some photos in

Every day we have been out exploring the villages and countryside. It’s Friday so DH, GF & I visited the Lourmain village market and had a great morning sampling the many cheese, tapenades, salamis and breads, not to mention the good shopping. My GF is always a good shopper and DH was happy because once the vendors knew he was an Aussie they were very friendly he was given lots of free samples. We met some great characters especially the sausage man who had vast varieties of every imaginable type of sausage, mmm... tasty too. My GF was keen to sample the nutella crepes from the skilful lady who could whip them up in no time; we were then stalked by a friendly dog who drooled until we gave him a sample. The market in Lourmain had many stalls that we did not see anywhere else and the quality of the merchandise was excellent. I purchased a beautiful tablecloth, some great jewellery and some good ceramics, not to mention tasty food items. We sat down and had a cool beer and wine in the main square and watched the busy market trade before heading back home to nibbles by the pool. Weather still purrfect!!

Dinner tonight was at another local Buoux restaurant ‘Auberge des Sequins’. We drove down past the road to the Buoux Fort and headed along a dark gravel road seemingly to nowhere, and voila! A restaurant appears. The clientele were mainly European we were the only English speakers. Entree was a plate of various dips, vegies and interesting tempters. Mains consisted of 4 choices, duck, beef, lamb and fish. Deserts crème caramel, citron tart, chocolate ganache or banana crumble. Food was tasty and local ambience the restaurant was run by a friendly young couple and had a large clientele of rock climbers who stayed at the nearby hotel.

We awoke to a rolling mist in the valley; we couldn’t see 10 feet in front of us, very eerie. Today we went to L'isle de la Sorgue which is the biggest local market and it is huge! Everything from fruit, vegies, cheese, bread, trinkets, pottery, clothes, shoes, materials, antiques, and the list goes on. Foods and produce were displayed beautifully in colourful displays that tempted the most hardened shopper. The crowds were large but the setting by the river on a picturesque sunny day, created a happy festive day. We all had a prosperous morning.

Next stop Fountains-de-Vaucluse which is the largest underground spring in the world it’s a spectacular setting for a lovely village beside a roaring river of crystal clear water and lush vegetation and sheer limestone cliffs. The sun shimmering through the trees exuded a colourful glow of yellows and greens in the trees matched by glistening water that we could see through all the way to the bottom. As it is Sunday there were lots of French people out and about for a stroll with families and friends. I love watching and listening to them. Their voices are quite melodious and they are very fashionable, a little scarf here, a nice belt there and lovely shoes, even if you have to walk over cobblestones.

We then moved on to yet another little old village and wondered where everyone was until we came across lots of locals playing in a very big Boules (Bocce) tournament. It was fun watching the locals interacting with each other. We were just itching to play but of course tourists are not invited it is serious business! What we noticed in these villages were the beautiful curtains that always have flowers or scenes embroidered or woven into the design, but with a see through effect. I shall try and post some more pictures.

Next day early start and set TomTom for Pont du Gard, travelled via Avignon and the magnificent Rhone River. The Pont du Gard built by the Romans in 38 BC, is a 3 story bridge, the top tier was an aqueduct that supplied water to Nimes for 500 years. It is so well preserved and a magnificent feat of engineering, it’s hard to imagine its age. We were very impressed with how grand it stands and how solid it still seems, we viewed it from many angles and were over awed. They were clever people the ancient Romans.

We drove through the fertile Rhone valley (what a huge river!) on to Arles which resembled a mini Rome. Scattered around the narrow streets are relics of a lost empire and a huge colosseum, Les Arenes, dominating the town. We enjoy a few hours of sightseeing in the Romanesque town.

Can't believe I missed this great report in January. Keep it coming Aussie - loving it - agree my three favourite areas. Thanks for all the info, Schnauzer

Very enjoyable and how wonderful to have a month! More, please.

schnauzer thanks for you comments
I have just read your trip report of your stay in Paris I'm envious

TDudette - are you going back to France? I so want to go back its like a magnet. We thought our next big trip would be somewhere else but I think I will have to find some room for more France.

If only the airfares wern't sooo expensive and hours flying so long

Working on more trip report

Regards aussie

Hopefully March 8-22 to Menton, Lyon and London. We want to slip over to Genoa and some of the Italian Riviera towns so chose Menton as a good border town.

Italy was our first magnet, although we've been back to France several times so do understand its siren call. Because of Italy and France, we haven't seen the U.S. much. The price and inconvenience of air travel will be deal killers for us pretty soon.

Looking forward to more of your report!

Yes Italy was my next magnet wanted to do Cinque Terre. Have been to Italy when young and did a tour of the major highlights would like to go back and do the smaller villages and countryside.

Also want to go to Ireland, mmm have to work out a way to combine it all with time to savour and not rush

Today we all decided take a walk around our local hillside. Followed the rocky path to the bottom of the valley, as we were walking we could hear voices along the track and were overtaken by some very fit older European hikers who were hiking a different track each day. At the base of the valley we emerged at the restaurant that we had driven to the other night, had a coffee break followed by an impromptu game of boules in the gravel car park (they had a set lying around and we couldn’t resist trying out our skills – or lack thereof) we then walked on to the Fort of Buoux. Quite a steep walk back up the other side of the valley to the Fort and paid our 3euro entrance fee, collected by a little of old lady who obviously lived in the only house on the hillside – she had a great array of pot plants.

The Fort is spread over a very large steep site and it involved some climbing. It is amazing to think that people lived up there and fought off the invaders. The climb was worthwhile and the views wonderful. We could see across our valley but from the other side, so a completely different perspective. It was a clear day so the view of Mt Ventoux was excellent too. There is a lot of restoration happening (workers were working on the little church that day – it would be very difficult hauling equipment and materials up to the site). We met a couple up the top savouring the view and eating their lunch. My stomach groaned as we hadn’t planned to walk so far that day so we did not pack lunch – it was just that once we started the walk, we were enticed to go further as the area was so interesting, the air was fresh, the day sunny and warm.

A long walk home was rewarded with a late lunch of cheeses, sausage, tomatoes and crackers. Tonight dinner was at Auberge de la Loube in Buoux. DH in his best French phoned the restaurant and left a message on the answering machine to book a table for sept heure. So we all piled in the Kangoo and drove the short distance to dinner. When we arrived the restaurant seemed to be closed so DH & Friend went in search of someone. They came across a dishevelled Frenchman who quite abruptly told them the restaurant was closed when DH mentioned the phone booking our Frenchman yelled NO, no sept heuer, huit heure. DH then asked in his best French could we have a drink, no says Frenchman, no glasses, no matter what DH tried we weren’t going to get in until 8pm. So we drove the few minutes back home and had a couple of drinks to wait.

With a little apprehension we go back to the restaurant for 8pm. When we arrived the only person in sight was another man tucking into a meal in the outside area (he later became the gopher, assistant and chief washer up – we think he was working for his dinner). We were shown in to a large room with a crackling fire, by the French man DH met earlier, who turned out to be Maurice the owner. What can I say he turned out to be a most charming host. The room was full of horse memorabilia, photos, paintings, riding equipment, horse busts, everything horsey you could imagine. We showed an interest in his collection and he warmed to us being our wine waiter, menu interpreter, order taker, photo taker and best of all chef. Such a delicious meal, we were the only people in the restaurant and had Maurice’s undivided attention. He chatted about food, wine and of courses, joined in our photos and was positively charming.

Entree was the famous ‘basket’ of 16 different dishes. Each dish had a unique flavour and tantalised our taste buds, and had our lips smacking.
The mains we had were lamb, cod with scallops, tripe and hare, accompanied by several different varieties of excellent wine. I love that you can purchase half bottles of wine something that we don’t have in Australia – so we could each choose our own desired drop. For desert Maurice gave us each our own special plate with raspberries, apple tart, walnut ice cream, meringue, shaved chocolate and crème anglaise, all presented with artistic flair. We were happily sated with food and wine and then Maurice said had something special to show us.

Maurice led us by lamp light along a path to a large shed. He slid back the door and showed us his prized possessions. A shed full of American sulkies, all fastidiously restored to their former grandeur. They had all the little trimmings, top hats, blankets, gloves etc carefully draped across the beautiful seats. He had 14 in all and we were all so impressed and amazed at their beauty that we didn’t even think to take a photo, they were exquisite! Maurice was so obviously so proud as he told of their history and how he had painstakingly restored them. It was a special ending to a remarkable evening.

How cool.

aussi_10

There is something about France, isn't there? Could be the water; could be the the language and culture, the laissez-faire attitude to life or is it just the wine?

aussie, I hope you are already thinking when you will go back, perhaps to revisit some of the sites or to explore new ones. We spent 6 months travelling in France in 2008, like you, all the way from downunder. We travelled with our then 3-year old toddler, a different kind of journey. We were forced to be slow travellers but that way, we got to experience France beyond being your usual tourists, but like pretend locals, especially in villages where we stayed for a substantial period.

And we must have crossed path, perhaps at the Lourmarin Friday market or Sunday at Coustellet! We returned last year for 2 months, between mid-August to mid-October. The weather as you know was glorious.

We leased the Kangoo the year before and once again leased a Partner Teppee, a Peugeot equivalent to the Kangoo, for our most recent trip. I wanted to bring it home! Pity neither is imported into Australia, a great touring car!

Your trip report brings back fond memories of our own sojourn - familiar experiences and familiar sights! I look forward to reading further instalments and your journey back up north to the Dordogne.

hoo roo!

s

I am loving this!

fantastic report aussi_10! bringing this report with me on our tour of paris and provence in april 2010.

Marking to read later. Great report.

Am still working on the next instalment, which will be the last of Provence, trying to get the photos up.

I have enjoyed many trip reports here and love to share our experiences. Feel it my duty to pass on any information I can.

jamikins I enjoyed your photos of your live report from Paris.

Wow 6 months and then another 2 I'm soo envious swagman, maybe we did cross paths at the markets, loved those markets. France lived up to all my expectations and much more. It was just the best of holidays.

aussie--
We are trying to decide between gites in Saignon and Buoux. What do you recommend?

ChrisS

Yes we looked at Saignon also because an expat Australian owns a place there. But in the end the rental was not big enough for the 6 of us. We checked out the place at Saignon and liked the location. It is a nice quiet village with great views and has a few more shops than Buoux, plus the bakery run by Christine Thomas, which was not opened the day we were there.

Buoux is about 8 mins away with a different outlook. There are no shops in Buoux so if you were looking at fresh pastries for breakfast, it would be a little further to go.

When we first arrived in Buoux we wondered whether it was too rural(not that any where there is far away) but in the end we loved wandering home to our little piece of heaven and our rural aspect. Not to mention the 3 great restaurants which we went to.

Where in Buoux is the property?

DH & I went almond gathering (we have almond trees on our estate) it was fun until the broom I was throwing up into the trees to knock them down got caught and nearly knocked us out when it finally fell down again after much shaking. We add the almonds to our salad made out of local produce. Needless to say we have been eating well, well too well. But best bargain of all is the cheap wines at the supermarket!

Bonnieux is a 10 minute drive from our farmhouse and a road we know so well by now. We round the corner and are greeted with a stunning profile view of the village overlooking the countryside. Bonnieux is a nice village to walk around, with steep narrow streets and great views. We hike to the church at the top of the hill to a vista point that has an orientation table pointing out various places across the valley to the Vaucluse Mountains. We drive on to the village of Menerbes of Peter Mayle fame – it is a quiet medieval village, looking over the patchwork landscape below. We were a little underwhelmed by Menerbes and so moved on to Lacoste which is also a quiet village – probably we are almost villaged out. - has any one seen the Russell Crowe movie ‘A Good Year’ supposedly set in Menerbes ( but not really). It didn’t get rave reviews but I loved it for the look at rural Provence and the ways of the French people, I liked it for the beautiful countryside also. - We stop at Café de la France and its spectacular overhanging terrace and enjoy a beer, wine or coffee and are entertained by a group of middle aged ladies resting after a gruelling bike ride. They are lamenting that they have ridden 50k today and still have 15 more before they meet their final night’s destination. We pass them later riding through the pretty road out of town, some of them far behind the group and we are glad that we are in our trusty Renaults. Although each day we have done soo much walking and climbing that all our eating and drinking of fine French fare hasn’t seemed to increase the waistlines too much. We stop off at a local winery on our way home, where we have to toss a stick to an eager dog ten times before he will let us into the tasting room.

The next morning was spent packing and cleaning up for our departure the next day for Sarlat. I enjoyed a final shower in our bathroom cave where I have to duck my head when washing my hair for fear of scraping my knuckles on the curved stone roof. But I loved this bathroom, loved my French chic bedroom with the thick stone walls and window looking out over the valley offering a beautiful sunrise each morning – did I mention we had fantastic weather, sunny every day for 2 weeks in Provence. Couldn’t ask for more!

For lunch we head to Bonnieux for our farewell meal at Le Fournil. This was a highly praised restaurant by many Fodorites; it is carved into a rock cliff and faces a pretty square. Le Fournil is the perfect combination of great food, great setting, and a reasonable price. It's built into the rock on which Bonnieux sits and the interior is arty and interesting. The food is modern, mixing Provence with outside influences. Our expressive waiter led us to our choices and there were no disappointments. We started with a Rinquinquin (a peach wine starter drink) mmm yum! For starters I had pumpkin and mushroom soup, DH pork & ginger terrine. My main was veal and DH fish, for dessert we chose chocolate ganache and rhubarb pannacotta. The flavours were exquisite and the service excellent and we were glad we had chosen Le Fournil for our final meal in Provence.

It is our last day in Buoux can't believe how fast the 2 weeks have gone. We have traipsed all over the countryside, driven along country lanes flanked by fruit trees, grape vines or market gardens. It is true the saying “no road is a wrong road in Provence”. Walked and walked through winding cobblestone streets, tasted every kind of patisserie imaginable, sipped too many delicious wines and sampled such local delicacies as: duck, lamb, hare, fish, snails, beef and the list goes on!. We have met some lovely French people and fellow tourists, they could not be friendlier.

Our days have been peppered with amusing and warming one off moments that have made our stay here that much more memorable. We have loved coming home from a day of touring and relaxing on our patio overlooking our magnificent valley and the Luberon mountains, with only the sound of nature to soothe our tired souls. For our stay here we wanted to savour the experience and take pleasure in the little things – there is still so much more to see and do but we leave with very happy hearts. Provence has more than lived up to our expectations. We have lovely stories and memories to treasure, the two weeks just flew by and we are longing to return. DH's French has continued to improve and we all use him as interpreter when the conversation gets tough, he loves using his French language skills (with flavours of Aussie) and the locals like conversing with him.

Our French Renault cars have served us well and the guys are doing a good job driving on the right hand (or in Aussie terms ‘wrong’) side of the road and around the narrow winding laneways. Tomorrow is our long drive to our new destination of the medieval village of in Sarlat in the Dordogne.

A final game of French Monopoly before bed!

The narrower the road, the less obvious which is the wrong side!

kerouac, yes we did encounter some very narrow roads. I remember us having to pull in the side mirrors so that we could pass another car. All the time holding our breath.

I think the hardest part was the first few days getting use to the cars, their width and judging how close to the big drop off over the edge was!

aussie, you are awesome for reporting your trip. It is a great help in planning mine. I am travelling to Provence this summer but alas, for only 4 or 5 nights. We reserved in St Remy, but it sounds like the place (Buoux, I haven't looked it up yet) is NE of Remy (Apt area?). I hope we can make it this far around the northern Luberon with only 2 days in St remy. We are staying 2 days in Cassis, but it sounds like you did a day trip there from up north and still had time to visit the Calanques! Maybe we should stay longer in Provence and do that, or maybe move on towards the riviera. Oh, so many choices, so little time! (life is grand when these are the dilemmas we face)

soliera

Personally I would spend more time in Provence, either in the Alpilles or in the Luberon.

Cassis is easily accessible from St Remy, according to Google Map, it takes less than 90 minutes using the A7. Staying one night in Cassis is a good idea though, on top of sampling great seafood, you can also visit some of the calanques, the most beautiful is arguably En Vau. Be sure to dine at Nino's, expensive but great food and service.

Enjoy!

s

soliera

Yes Buoux is NE of St Remy. We did a day trip to Cassis and it took us about 1&1/2hours. We had a lovely day there weather was great. I would probably put more days in Provence.

Even with 2 weeks in Provence there was so much more to see, I will just have to go back wont I!

Lots of people stay in St Remy and love it. My suggestion is just enjoy as much as you can, Provence it is a beautiful part of France. Soak up the atmosphere and enjoy!

I'm sure once you have been there you will want to go back and see more, that is what happened to us.

Have a lovely time

Aussie, loving your very full, most interesting report. I remember a week in Provence - just not enough time; but incredibly beautiful towns and villages, landscapes, - and very friendly, helpful residents!

Looking forward to Dordogne as we are headed there in May, after a week In Paris.

FP

Hi flowerpower

Glad you liked the report, Dordogne is coming have been so busy with work. What an inconvenience!

When I write the report I try to make sure I have the information accuate.

Maybe this weekend

Will be waitin; not to worry - we do not leave until May!

Having been to Provence I enjoy remembering our great drives through the countryside and meeting the wonderful, friendly people,eating fabulous food and just wandering...ahhh

I wanted to go back -
but DH wanted to see Dordogne!
Can't wait for your thoughts,
FP

Swagman and Aussie, i just revisited this thread and thank you so much for replies. I am obviously not going to see much of Provence but as you say, will probably be back. We did book 2 nights in Cassis, at a hotel (Mahogany) w/ sea views, don't think we will regret this as the day we leave St Remy we will probably travel to Aix or somewhere in the region and not arrive to Cassis until sunset (I'm hoping), which only gives us one full day in the area and I am a sea lover and am crazy anticipating the calanques. We will leave the 2nd day for the eastern Riviera and I need help with that, will try to start a thread, not much written on that or I can't find. Sorry Aussie to take up time on your thread. Aurvoire?

Aussie,
We (at least I ) am missing your reporting! It has been so much fun reading; please take time and come back..

If anything dreadful has happened, I am sorry;
Just wanted you to know you were missed,

Moneyburns
(formerly Flowerpower - long story-changed name!)

Ah sorry moneyburns
All work and no play time makes a dull life, have half written next segment will post soon.

Have just returned from a travel expo and I think an African Safari is calling next year!............will have to save my bikkies.

But first things first I will finish the trip report.

Aussie, Africa is dear to my heart, so I will be happy to at least answer questions or lead you in a direction when (and you will) get confused and overwhelmed;but it is AMAZING!
Start saving and go; (but not before you finish your report, LOL)

You will have the adventure of your life,


Moneyburns.

We took one long last look out over our valley and said a sad farewell to our stone farmhouse as we ambled along the ridge. It is -3, our coldest morning yet and a sprinkling of frost dust on the cropped lavender bushes, maybe it is an omen that the weather has turned and it is time to move on. We drive past the hunters out early with their guns, never ceases to amaze us that they hunt alongside the roads. They wear bright reflective jackets but it makes us wonder about early morning walkers. We also wonder whether Maurice (our restaurant friend) is amongst them as he tells us he often goes out shooting.

We had considered the longer more scenic route to Sarlat but in the end decided on the most direct option using auto routes and set the TomTom. Past the cities of Nimes, Montpellier with a lunch stop and driver change along the motorway at Toulouse. Months before when planning this journey I had considered a stop along the way in Carcassonne. But I think the males of our group are focussed on the end destination, oh well I will just have to go back! The trip is with no complications and we soon glimpse the lush green rolling hills of the Dordogne with fairy-tale cottages, in pastoral scenes, so different to Provence.

Ah Medieval Sarlat! We pass by turreted buildings with medieval windows and pull up at our next accommodation ‘Maison Sarlat’. We are greeted by the pretty grounds and gardens of a cute 2 story house. Our bedroom is upstairs with a narrow curved staircase with a low beam that DH hits his head on almost every time he descends them. This is our last of the accommodations that I booked over the internet and once again we are happy with our choice. Each couple has their own room and bathroom, the living room has an open fire which we light most nights.

We go for a walk down our street and happily realise that we are literally minutes from the main part of town. Sarlat is so old but charming it has a magical feeling, the town is essentially as it was hundreds of years ago: stone buildings, some with half timbering and slate roofs. After a simple dinner we wander back home through the deserted village with soft lights illuminating the magical buildings - it was enchanting.

We awake and remind ourselves it is Saturday so market day in Sarlat. We had actually cut our stay in Provence short by one day so that we could be here for the Saturday market. This market is wonderful - colourful, vibrant and interesting. The local produce is varied and wonderful. The brightly coloured canopies of the stalls add to the already spectacular sight of the medieval buildings around which the market is situated.

A walk round this market and you could miss out lunch. Tasty titbits are on offer, they range from walnuts, to cheese, sausages, cake, biscuits, oils, vinegars and wine. We purchase cheeses, large pains of bread and some punnets of fresh raspberries (my favourite) and sweet strawberries, also some scrumptious freshly made strawberry jam that we transport home in our suitcase. The lively and friendly banter of the stall holders, the smells and tastes of the food make this a must on a visit to this area.

In addition to the produce on offer, the market stretches along the main road of the town, here non food items can be found. So if you fancy buying a little memento of your stay, here you will find anything from beautifully crafted tablecloths, wooden ornaments, toys, flowers, clothes to name but a few. I was very happy with my purchases managing to get some special gifts for family and friends.

If you like markets, make this a must on your itinerary.

After a successful morning spent at the market we decided to take a drive around our local area, so we headed out to La Roque-Gageac 12 km from Sarlat. I had read that to get “wowed” by the Dordogne one of the first things a visitor should do is to take a Gaberes Caminade - (replicas of the flat bottomed crafts used in centuries past) - trip along the Dordogne River from Rogue Gageac to Castlenaud and back. Originally we were going to do this another day but hey a boat was about to depart and the weather was sunny with a crisp wind blowing.

As our boat ride started we gazed out at the village of La Roque-Gageac. It is in a magnificent location with a most dramatic setting, situated right beside the river, with many of its houses built directly into the face of the huge cliff that overhangs the village. Above this there are steep steps to incredible troglodyte caves with great views as well as a small botanical garden.

We purchased the ‘English’ headphones and were enchanted as we cruised along the crystal clear waters of the Dordogne River listening to her stories and tales of yester year. The tour took us as far as the bridge at Castlenaud where we were entertained by some teenagers jumping from the bridge whilst we took in the magnificent view of Castlenaud Castle grandly overlooking the River. We learnt that the Dordogne is a huge river with over 30 species of fish and meanders its way all the way to Bordeaux.

That night we wandered down into town studying menus, we chose a small popular restaurant where I ate yummy veggie soup, duck and an apple flan for desert. Home through the romantically lit medieval streets, that gave off a nice aura.

aussie...you have brought back delightful memories of my all to brief stay in Sarlat a few years ago. I LOVED the market there, and easily spent half a day wandering about all the market stalls. After reading your post above I think I should plan a return visit and stay much longer next time!

Yes LowCountryIslander when looking for accommodations in the Dordogne, Sarlat was our number 1 choice and I'm glad I persisted with my search.

Everywhere we wanted to go was an easy exit from Sarlat and it was good to not have to find parking for the market days. I soo want to return everywhere in France!

Hopefully more reporting on the area to come soon from me.

Aussie_10,
Thanks so much for the Dordogne report! We will be there in May and I love reading about your experience!
Can't wait for more,
MoneyBurns

Thanks for the report. I am glad we are based just outside of Sarlat and will be there for the Saturday market the last Saturday of May! When will you be there moneyburns? We have 2 weeks from May 28-June 11.

Lovely!

I am still working on the next posting of my trip report.

Yes we are so glad we based ourselves in Sarlat area we easily branched out in all directions. You wont be disappointed in the market especially the saturday one its a good buzz. DH & I didn't go to the Wednesday market (we went to Font du Gaume) but our friends did and said it was good but not as many food merchants.

Sarlat has an excellent tourist information centre with very friendly and helpful guides.

So good to see you back; I know life interferes with Trip Reports, but yours are so good and fun to read....
we eagerly await the rest..
Thanks!

aussie_10

I am so glad I found your trip report! My husband and I will be in Provence in two weeks. You are providing a lot of helpful information. I am looking forward to going to the market.

You got me wondering if the car we rented is too big.

Thanks

Cafegoddess what size car have you rented. Ours wasn't that small. We certainly saw a lot smaller ones.

I think at the time of year you will be in France the traffic wont be too busy.

Have a great time you will love it

LLindaC, Sorry I did not see your March 20th question - unfortunately we will be leaving as you arrive; but I hope we leave with great memories and many opportunities to return!

Have a great trip,
Moneyburns

aussie_10

A Mercedes E Class. Yes I am so excited,this will be my first time in Provence and Cote d'Azur. I printed your trip report for my husband to read. Thanks aussie

I am topping this hoping Aussie_10 will notice interest is still here for her Dordogne portion of her great trip with friends.

Thanks Aussie!

MoneyB

you do need a small car for visiting villages and for parking. The smaller the better. Some streets are unbelievably narrow. You rarely will see large cars.

What a wonderful report and very special for me because you visited alot of my haunts in Provence, THSNK YO!

yikes! sorry, Thank You!

I'm back and determined to finish my trip report even if I stay up all night. Thank you for being patient!.....

We awoke to a crisp autumn morning and drove the short distance to Beynac. As we drove along, the castle was clearly visible on an impregnable cliff edge on the north bank of the Dordogne river. The site of Beynac-et-Cazenac and its castle is undoubtedly one of the finest in France it is so imposing. It was built in the days when the river was the only route open to traders and invaders. A steep lane leads up through the village to the castle and its fortresses it takes about fifteen minutes by foot along the cobblestoned pathways and lanes. It's protected on the landward side by a double wall; elsewhere the sheer drop of almost 200m does the job. There is a flat terrace at the base of the keep, which was added by the English. From the top of the tower there is a breathtaking view over the whole of the valley and the opposing view of Castelnaud.

During the Hundred Years’ War, Beynac Castle housed the French, while the British headquarters were across the water at Chateau Castlenaud. We loved wandering the rooms of the castle with its ancient weaponry, tapestries, artefacts and reading of the history of the battles for ownership of the castle during the Hundred Years War, the area has so much history. There were fierce battles fought between the English and French, as neighbouring castles changed hands frequently. It makes you understand some of the animosity between the French and English people. We virtually had the place to ourselves and stopped at the nearby cafe where the owner was thrilled to discover we were Aussies, as his daughter was living in Australia and happily waved a Wallabies (Rugby Union) scarf.

The day was another beautiful sunny one and we decided to make the short drive beside the Dordogne River to Domme, founded by ‘Philip the Bold’ Even if it wasn't one of ‘Les Plus Beaux Villages de France’, Domme would still be high on the list of places you must visit in the Dordogne. The stone of the buildings is that lovely golden honey colour that is found in the Dordogne area and it is perched above the river giving it amazing views. There are lots of beautiful houses with cute flower boxes, making it a lovely village to walk around.

Domme still has most of its ancient ramparts including three ancient gates, the best preserved is the Porte des Tours, flanked by two guard towers. These were converted into prisons in 1307 when the Knights Templars were arrested by the king. The tourist office and Marie are located on the Place de la Halle. This is the main part of the town and you can find the entrance to the Grottes de Domme. The stalactite caves (grottes) have been used in the past to shelter the town's inhabitants during the Hundred Years' War. Just above the Place de la Halle is the Belvedere de la Barre, a great viewpoint and the start of the Promenade des Falaises - a short walk leading to a public park. The walk is all high up above the River Dordogne and with 180 degree panoramic views. It was here that we met a man walking 10 dogs! Imagine the poops to pick up!

There are a lot of tourist shops to browse with lovely ceramics, clothing, food, wine and souvenirs to be purchased. It was a glorious sunny Sunday afternoon and this was the busiest village that we visited in the area – although at this time of year, it wasn’t crowded - but I believe it would be very busy in the height of summer.

In many of the French villages we have visited we have seen a cut off tree with flags attached standing in the main square. Apparently it is cut down and put up in May and will remain there until November. I’m not sure of the significance. I’m sure someone on Fodors will know.

Next morning we wander down the street to the main part of town via one of the most impressive patisserie shops I have ever seen. The display window is colourful and the produce exquisite, each day there are beautifully decorated flans, cakes, slices and chocolates more tempting than the day before. It is a popular tourist photo stop and a must to go inside and try and choose just one mouth watering morsel or two! to savour.

In the main square is a huge cathedral and today there is a funeral. We wander around the back of the cathedral and listen to the beautiful mournful singing as we take black and white photos of some quaint little cottages. Sarlat is quiet this morning and we enjoy wandering around the little back streets, sitting at a cafe enjoying a coffee and people watching. There are many stores selling foie gras in tins, wines and anything duck related. The wines are different to the ones we sampled in Provence, the Rose a little heavier, but still delicious and the reds with a bit more body......we have tried in vain to purchase French wine in Australia - the choice is soo limited.......... I think I will have to start a French wine importing business and of course I will have to have a fact finding and produce sampling tour to France every year........now we’re talking! - But I digress.

We headed out of town via Beynac past rolling hills and lazy rivers to Monpazier. - When we were first looking at accommodation in the Dordogne area, we contemplated a property at Monpazier; however we are glad we chose Sarlat. Sarlat was much more central to the areas we wanted to explore. - The road to Monpazier meanders past lots of medieval houses, turreted chateaus begging for pictures at every turn, cute farmhouses and lush countryside complete the pastoral scene and not much traffic. Life seems on relax mode here.

Monpazier was founded in 1284 during the reign of the English King, Edward I. Its town plan is perfectly rectangular and develops around the village square, the Place des Cornières, which is itself surrounded by houses built between 1200 and 1600. The eight centuries old bastide has managed to preserve its original character and the market hall is perfectly preserved.

The town is very sleepy and quiet and many of the square’s building are covered with a colourful red creeper vine that gleams in the afternoon sun. There is a beautifully restored clock tower and one of the most interesting shops in the square is a clock maker and restorer who once lived in Paris but now prefers the sleepy town of Monpazier to call home. He has an amazing array of clocks and time pieces either restored or in the process. It is Monday and I’m sure the town would be more livelier on other days. We meet up with an Australian couple push biking around the countryside, I admire their fortitude.

We return via Belves. Belves is a lovely medieval town, with a typical bastide layout and centre, and a preserved 15th century covered market hall. In the centre of the town you can visit some troglodyte dwellings that date from around the 13th century. You can also see the medieval belfry and walls, a 14th century castle, and the city hall. It is famous as being the 'town of seven bell towers'. We wander the streets and alleys. Belves is listed as 'one of the most beautiful villages in France'. But today it is very quiet we couldn’t even find a place to buy a coffee.

We travelled home through tree covered little roads which were kissed by the autumn colours as the fading sun filtered through the falling leaves. We enjoyed meandering along the roads taking the smaller ones to soak in the scenic countryside.

Dinner tonight at Le Bistro de l’Octroi this restaurant sits on a point between 2 streets in Sarlat literally 20 meters from our gite. I had scallops in a light sauce and DH the game casserole both delicious, but the dessert was the masterpiece of the dinner. Called ‘Symphony of Dessert’ consisted of 9 petite desserts, panna cotta, pineapple, citron tart, pear sorbet, chocolate brownie, puree rhubarb, crème brulee, rice pudding and floating meringue.......dessert heaven!

An early morning start for our trip to Lascaux 11 it was an easy drive through wooded valleys with very little traffic. We arrived early and waited for the ticket box to open and purchased tickets for the 10.30 English tour no one else was around.

Whilst waiting were wandered up the road watching a lady with a plastic bag gathering lots of walnuts (or was it chestnuts?). At the top of the road is a lovely panoramic view sweeping across the valley looking out to Montignac and the beautiful Vezere River.

Lascaux is the setting of a complex of caves famous for its Paleolithic cave paintings. These paintings are estimated to be 17,000 years old. They primarily consist of realistic images of large animals, most of which are known from fossil evidence to have lived in the area at the time. The cave was discovered on September 12, 1940 by four teenagers, the cave was closed to the public in 1963 in order to preserve the art.

Lascaux II, a replica of two of the cave halls — the Great Hall of the Bulls and the Painted Gallery — was opened in 1983. The caves were amazing although replicas and hard to comprehend that the real caves could have been drawn & coloured 17,000 years ago with such wonderful perspective by the artists. The guides were informative and obviously proud of the work to maintain the integrity of the caves. There was just something missing......................

We drove on to Hautefort had lunch at the local pub, our first French pub meal – very similar to an Aussie pub, we even had a game of pool and were watched by the lunching locals who were amused by our presence. It is the 20th Oct and we see very few tourists up here in this area.

Hautefort Chateau stands in an enviable position overlooking the Vezere Valley and Hautefort village. It is a well preserved and grand chateau with two wings each terminating in a round tower. Apart from the splendours of the building itself, Chateau de Hautefort contains an impressive collection of 17th century paintings and tapestries.
The chateau is surrounded by impressive formal sculptured gardens of intricate designs and vast beautiful grounds. It was a lovely feeling looking out over the rolling French countryside of cute villages and tiny working farms.

Drove home to Sarlat, dinner of cheeses, pizzas and yummy patisseries (oh so many delicious choices we will never have time to savour them all) at home with a well built fire to warm the room.

We awoke to a little morning drizzle. Our friends decided to spend a quiet day in Sarlat (it is also Wednesday market morning). DH and I decided to take a scenic drive and just meander along the small country laneways in the mist and sprinkling rain. We chose the remote roads for their “cuteness” with a lack of traffic and the promise of a surprise around the corner. We were rewarded with deep green hillsides, fairy-tale houses, small working farms and rows of walnut trees.

Before we knew we had arrived in the village of Les Eyzies and realised we were not far from Font du Gaume.
So we headed out on the off chance that we could catch a tour of the caves. Luck was with us and we were able to book an afternoon English speaking tour. So back to Les Eyzies for lunch at a popular local bistrot, 10E for a 3 course menu – good value!

We toured the Pre-historic museum with a large noisy school group and drove back to Font du Game.
Font du Gaume was very impressive as it is the only original cave that you can visit. Only 200 people per day, we were even more in awe of what we were seeing. It was almost a spiritual experience as I walked through a confined passageway, into a slightly larger chamber, recognized vague shadows on the wall that became more distinct and real as the tour proceeded, as the images became more solid and the significance more real. These images are not primitive; they are the works of great artists that understood perspective, musculature and movement. These artists had the skills, intelligence and emotional sophistication and we felt honoured to be able to view these ancient drawings.

After returning to Sarlat we all went out to dinner to Restaurant de Commerce which had very average food (although there seemed to be a lot of French patrons) and a funny little owner who liked us better when he found out we were Aussies. He insisted on being in our photos and when we look back at them it evokes mixed memories of the night.

It is DH’s birthday tomorrow and I had earlier in the week booked him a surprise balloon flightover the Dordogne River. The weather had turned and was now quite drizzly, that night I had to reluctantly cancel the trip as the weather forecast for tomorrow was not good, and morning fog and drizzle was predicted. My plans of a beautiful sunrise balloon flight over the Dordogne were not to be.

DH’s birthday, how nice to spend it in France. He had a nice breakfast and some French pressies from all of us.

Our last day in the Dordogne, so we decided to head off for a meandering drive out through Vitrac, the early morning mist started to clear. We crossed the Dordogne River and were rewarded with a different perspective of the landscape as we drove on to Souillac and back via Carlux and stopped in La Roque-Gageac. It is very easy to find your way around this area. Signposting is excellent. You don’t even need maps – just follow the signs.

In a stunning position on the north bank of the Dordogne River, and backed by steep cliffs, with little to suggest that much has changed there in the last 300 years, La Roque-Gageac is truly the perfect picture postcard village.
The golden yellow houses with their traditional perigord roofs, line the river and spread up the hill behind. When we were there in autumn the houses were covered in a most beautiful red creeper which contrasted with the stone houses. Lining the tiny winding, climbing passageways, there is a small Botanical garden. There are exotic tropical plants, bamboos, flowering climbers and tall grasses, from a far warmer climate. The variety of plants is made possible because the cliff behind the village protects it from the cold weather from the north, while the open view to the south ensures it catches plenty of sunshine.

Above this there are steep steps to troglodyte caves with great views. While some of the properties in La Roque Gageac are quite modest, there is also the impressive 19th century Chateau de la Malartrie on the road to Beynac.

Tonight is DH’s birthday dinner an our final dinner in Sarlat after much menu checking we settled on Restaurant ‘Le Petite Manior’ recommended by our gite owners. Set in an old building done up like a Manor House, wide ornate chairs with black velvet covering. The walls were a soft grey and beautiful chandeliers decorated the main room. The menu was French with a hint of oriental (I think the owners wife is Vietnamese). I had trio of foie gras, soo delicious, soo smooth, main was feather light battered prawns with noodles and dessert was a taste tantalising black and white chocolate ganache. The owners dimmed the lights and brought out DH’s dessert adorned with sparklers and the whole restaurant sang Happy Birthday.

A visit to the bathrooms is rewarded with the toilet seat set up like a throne and worthy of a photo shot or two.
We walked home one last time through the romantically lit streets and laneways of Medieval Sarlat with contented smiles on our faces and good food in our stomachs. I had seen the birth of man, in the caves of Font du Gaume, wandered the bastide towns of the medieval era, and visited the massive castles that experienced centuries of warfare. I was glad that we had experienced the Dordogne.

This morning it is an early wake up and final pack, clean and farewell to Sarlat. It is about a 2 ½ hour drive to Bordeaux we set the TomTom and are surprised at the lack of traffic and have an easy drive to Bordeaux. The TomTom comes in handy to navigate to the airport and if we had known it would be this easy, maybe we would have planned a stop along the way. But it is better to be safe than sorry.

2 couples are flying back to Paris by Air France and DH and I are moving on to London via Easyjet – now that is whole new experience!

To summarise; was our trip all we expected – absolutely!
We were so happy with the choices we made.

- Our accommodations were varied and wonderful each offered a different experience in France and better than we could have hoped for.
- All bookings made via the internet went to plan we didn’t have a hiccup with anything
- Our leased Renaults were a dream to drive.
- Each area of France that we visited and explored was beautiful, unique and amazing.
- The French people were lovely, so friendly, proud and full of character.
- We went 1 week in September, 3 weeks in October the weather was brilliant, better than we expected. Sometimes weather can make or break a much anticipated holiday. I would go this time again. There were now crowds at all, anywhere.
- The help from Fodors and Fodorites was immeasurable. I learnt so much through research and helpful hints, which encouraged me to experience so much more.

We had a dream holiday, with lovely memories and a thirst to go back. My love affair with France has begun, I will be back................. How could I keep away!..... Au revoir

Great report. Hurry back!

Aussie_10: I have enjoyed your trip report immensely and followed it closely as I am planning a very similar trip next summer.

One little thing concerns me a bit, though, and that was your comment that >>a funny little owner . . . liked us better when he found out we were Aussies.<< My instant thought was, "liked you better as opposed to what?"

While I agree that Aussies are definitely most lovable (what's not to like), I'm wondering if there is some sort of wariness or even hostility to other English speakers. Other threads have led me to believe I need to prepare for some sort of prejudice to lessen any potential shock or hurt. On the one hand, I don't want to be paranoid, but I prefer not to be clueless, either.

Anyway, I'm so happy you had such a lovely experience.

The French love all Aussies, even at the time when Aussies didn't think much of the French.

Oh Kerouac are you referring to the Rainbow Warrior incident or atom bomb testing in the Pacific?. All is forgiven.

In fact Aussies have embraced a closer bond with the French people as more and more is exposed of our relationships in the First and Second World War. Our recent Anzac Day Ceremonies were not only screened from Gallipoli but from France as well.

France is high on many Aussies "visiting dream wish list".
We did have some lovely experiences meeting and conversing with "the locals".

Sap: I do not wish to offend anyone on this forum. Maybe Aussies were "the flavour of the month" and not as many tour some regions of France, maybe it is a Rugby thing.

I'm sure you will have a great time and will not experience any hostility.

I think in some parts of the Dordogne there is the France v England medieval history of ownership. And there are quite a few Brits who own property in that area. Our gite was owned by Brit expats.

The restaurant owner I mentioned was at first quite indifferent to us, even speaking in French to some other local diners about us. But DH understood what he was saying and said "no no we are Aussies" from then on he was our best friend and brought out free bottles of wine, wanted photos taken with us. We just went with the flow had a good night of laughs with him, but the food still was not that good. I mean who deep frys prawns in their shells?!

But seriously we met many tourists from many countries and enjoyed sharing experiences with them in France. It enriches the memories.

I think the French people have a lovely resonating accent and I loved greeting people with 'Bonjour' and a smile, and they always make eye contact whilst saying it.
What a great first impression!

>>I think in some parts of the Dordogne there is the France v England medieval history of ownership.<<

(Yes, I imagine so & it would probably be wise to refrain from mentioning to them that I'm descended from Henry & Eleanor - can't imagine that going over too well.)

I'm quite looking forward to the visit and can only hope it comes off half as well as yours. The "bonjour" to strangers thing may be my biggest hurdle as I'm somewhat shy & reserved, though I do think the politeness is a highly admirable cultural trait.

BTW, you are a very good writer and have really offered fab close-ups and slice-of-life anecdotes of your experiences. (I've told the Never/neuf heure story to everyone in my family; it's just so terribly funny!)

Thank you sap

Yes when the 6 of us get together we often retell that story, one of the little gems of cultural experience. I do love the French people. They are passionate.

I have tried to be acurate with my relating of travels and tales, probably why it has been a little long in completion. The longer I left it the more blurred days and villages became. So I would sit with my computer, map and diary to do the writing. I have thoroughly enjoyed reliving the trip and hope it will be helpful to others.

I will look forward to your trip report.

I hear staying in an apartment in Paris is great, is there any one specific apartment someone can recommend. I am traveling with my husband and 2 teenage boys?

anarweiss if you are looking for an apartment just type in "Paris apartment thread" in the search area.

There are lots of suggestions. BTW we loved our Paris apartment, but 2 teenage boys may not want to share a double bed

The tree with the flags on you saw is placed in celebration of the election of a new mayor and his councillors (adjoints). If the commune is small (so only has a few councillors) then there will be one 'pole' with a flag for each adjoint(e) plus one for the Maire which will be placed outside the Mairie. However, in some communes the poles are planted individually - one at the home of the Maire and one at the home of each new adjoint(e). The 'planting of each the pole' (at least in our commune) is usually accompanied by fireworks, drinks and food and the ceremonies often (in good French tradition) end with a party. (Some pictures of our local ceremonies (in the Dordogne - Perigord Noir) here: http://www.facebook.com/?sk=media#!/album.php?aid=39891&id=606966780)

Thank you for the information. Wasn't sure of the true ceremonial significance of the trees and flags.

Tried to open the link but was unsuccesssful

Aussie_10 -- thank you so much for your trip report. We are doing a similar trip, also visiting Provence & the Dordogne as well as Languedoc, this coming Sept/Oct -- so I just hope we have as good weather as you had. I plan to print out your report and use it has one of our travel guides for restaurant suggestions & not-to-be-missed sights.

Oh how I wish I was going back this Sept/Oct!

I'm sure you will have a fantastic time and yes I think weather wise it is a great time in France.

We have a digital photo frame on my kitchen window and I watch our photos go by and reminisce. We were only commenting today how great a time we had.

I hope my trip report helps you I enjoyed recalling the memories.

I'll look forward to yours

You know, aussie_10, I simply have to say once again how entertaining this trip report is. I like your style of writing so much that I want you to take another trip again soon, so you can tell another story! (Should we set up a "Send Aussie to Europe" fund?)

Yes please!

I have lots of places on my wish list

Thank you for your kind comments

What a treat to "find" your report 2 months before we depart for out 3 week trip to France. Thanks so much for all the excellent information. I love your writing style and only hope our trip is as perfect as yours!

goodtwogo - I too hope your trip is fabulous. I'm still on a high from our great trip. I love keeping up with other peoples trips and experiences. I have a good friend in Paris at the moment and the memories keep flooding back when I talk to her.

I really want to go back, there are so many more areas to discover.

3 weeks, I am green with envy!!

What a fabulous trip report. I can't believe we didn't see this report while planning our trip to Provence. We also enjoy reading trip reports and using the recommendations from fellow Fodorites.
You are an excellent writer. It definitely makes me excited about planning our next trip to France. We would definitely like to visit the Dordogne region. Which area did you enjoy the most, Provence or Dordogne?
We were debating about doing an African safari as well. I had done a lot of research on this too. We definitely want to see Africa some day.
As we love Europe it always makes for a difficult decision on where to plan our vacations.
We also love Italy, our other favorite European destination. Have been many times and definitely recommend it.
Look forward to your next trip report!

Hi winnick - Both Provence and the Dordogne are very different. It is hard to pick between the 2.

We spent 2 weeks in Provence and still have lots more I would love to see. Also maybe with 2 weeks we meandered a bit more and really felt like we were living in the area.

The Dordogne area is very different to Provence, the buildings are much more medieval looking and lots of turrets. The vegitation more lush, we saw some beautiful rolling green hills, and other than the market day in Sarlat less people around. Many more Brits in the area and lots of history and of course lots of duck products! I'm sure you will love it, we did.

But if I could only choose one area between the 2 to go back to, it would be Provence I was living the dream! The food was amazing, the villages quaint and the weather superb!

I'm sure I could live in France for the rest of my life.

I had to laugh when I saw you rented a Kangoo. It's such a practical car, but my husband & I have experienced more carsickness in that vehicle than any other mode of transportation.

Whenever I feel nausceous, he says, "Are you gonna' Kangoo?"

We leave for the Dordogne in ten days! Your trip report brought back great memories and I can't wait to be there again.

Aussie-
Thanks for your thoughts. In addition to Dordogne next year, I'm sure we will also plan to return to Provence. We loved it so much and there are always lots of other villages to visit that we missed this year.

christycruz - we loved the Kangoo, was spacious for 4 people and really quite comfortable. And very economical as it was diesel. Also liked the sliding doors in tight parking spaces. I wonder what the carsickness was from, I'm usually not a very good backseat traveller but I didn't have any problems this time.

Happy holidays in the Dordogne. I'm sure the weather will be perfect for this time of year.

Wonderful report!

aussie-10 thanks for putting me in touch with your report. It is most complete and very, very interesting.

I love France also, and we are hoping to go there with our same group of 8 next year - probably on a barge trip, but however we get there, we will love it, and use some of your tips!!

Thanks Taconictraveler - We had the best time and yes we also looked at a barge trip. I have read some great trip reports, maybe for another time.

I have enjoyed your trip reports maybe some of our friends will make it to Italy with us

hybergr on Dec 24,10 at 4:30P

aussie _10 thanks for your informative and interesting report. My H and I are planning our trip to France this May,2011. We are starting on the Riveria for 1 wk and then traveling eventually into the Luberon where we will be spending 5 nights in a B&B and 5 nights in Arles, then training into Paris for 5 nights. I was concerned that I had overdone the time in Provence but I think you convinced me that we will have full days. Your trip report will be included in my trip folder. I feel so fortunate that we have the time and health to be out for one month. This is the longest trip for us. We like independent travel. Went to northern France and Paris for 10 days in 2009 and I can highly recommend that area. The Normandy beachheads are not to be missed as well as Mont St, Michel. thanks again

Hi hybergr
In Provence there is so much to see and do and experience, you wont be disappointed, I have so many fond memories. Our two weeks went by so quickly and we still didn't see everything. May will be a lovely time in Provence, it will be poppy season and all the spring flowers will be beautiful with lush countryside. Yes being able to have a month in France is so wonderful.

We are going back to France next year. Our trip is mainly to visit Italy, but I could not be that close and not pay France a visit. We did look at going to Northern France but will have to save it for another visit. We will spend 5 nights in Alsace area and then I will have to have a little taste of Paris again before moving on to Italy. Although I am toying with the idea of going to Italy via The French Riveria

Bookmarking this great trip report. I had missed it previously. I am very envious Aussie 10. I would love to be able to spend a month in France.

bookmarking Very good report! Thanks

Gladtotravel it was a labour of love. We had a most fantastic time. Still brings back great memories!

For when you go back again - you might like to check out my blog www.aussieinfrance.com for some insider information on Paris and the Loire Valley. I live just near the Louvre and have bought a Renaissance house in Blois so am busy checking out lots of great places to eat, drink and visit.

Aussie_10 still a great report. I just read it all again. wonderful. We did go to Dordogne and did a lot of the things you did, and enjoyed it so much.

AussieFrance: You guys from Australia are great travelers. Your blog is delightful too.

Thanks to all the Aussies

bookmarking