We just returned from a fabulous two-week vacation in France! The primary purpose of our trip was to meet our daughter’s fiance’s parents for the first time. So, naturally, we turned this invitation into a vacation! I have never been to France before, and my husband was in Paris for a night or two in the 1970’s. My husband and I spent 7 nights in Paris; then our daughter, C, and her fiancé, R, picked us up in his car, and we drove to the Loire Valley, where we spent 3 nights. Then we drove to his parents’ vacation home on the Ile d’Oleron on the Atlantic coast, south of Normandy and Brittany. Oleron is an island that is connected to the mainland by a bridge.
Regarding dining out, at the beginning of our trip, I was pretty good about writing down details of what we ate, but as we got into the second week, I wasn’t as detailed. Also, while in Paris, we were more on the look-out for less expensive restaurants because we were treating C & R during the Loire Valley trip. So I do feel we had better food in the Loire Valley for two reasons: R is a French citizen and was great help in choosing restaurants, and we wanted to spend more money on dining out while we were with C & R. Every meal in the Loire Valley was excellent! In Paris, we had some good to very good meals, and one or two that I wouldn’t recommend.
Regarding weather, the weather in Paris & Loire Valley were perfect for sightseeing: mid to high 70’s every day, mostly sunny, with a little bit of rain. When we were on Ile d’Oleron, the weather was warmer and sunnier, & perfect for taking a dip in the Atlantic!
We walked everywhere & rarely used the Metro. The Metro is easy to use, but we prefer being above ground instead of underground. It’s so much fun & more meaningful to walk on the streets, stop at cafes, window shop & explore neighborhoods.
DAY ONE – JULY 28: DEPART FROM BOSTON’S LOGAN AIRPORT FOR PARIS
We left on AF 321, which left at 10:55 pm. Food was pretty decent for airline food, & we definitely appreciated the complimentary wine, beer, champagne, & appertifs!
DAY TWO – JULY 29: ARRIVAL IN PARIS
We arrived in Paris at 11:35AM. After asking questions on this forum & receiving lots of helpful advice, I was planning on taking the Air France shuttle bus. However, honestly, when we arrived, we were tired from jet lag, I saw the taxi signs first, so we decided to take a taxi from CDG to our hotel in the 6th. The AF shuttle bus would have dropped us off at Montparnasse train station & we would have to take a taxi to our hotel. We are healthy but in our early to mid 60’s, & honestly, at our ages, I am more inclined to spend a little bit more money for comfort and convenience. The taxi was 60 Euros, including tip, which we didn’t think was bad.
HOTEL: Hotel Bonaparte, 61 Rue du Bonaparte
We loved the Hotel Bonaparte, & I would recommend it without reservation. It is in an excellent location, next to St. Sulpice Square, St. Germain Blvd, and 5-10 minute walk from Luxembourg Gardens. The staff were all very friendly & helpful, the hotel has an elevator (very small, but typical), air conditioning, and our room was a decent size. We had a double bed with about 4 – 5 feet of space on either size of the bed. The bathroom was very modern, & a good size.
After checking in, we walked over to St. Germain Blvd., where we had lunch at Croissanterie. Because we were tired from jet lag, we didn’t want to spend a lot of money on a lunch that we were probably too tired to appreciate. We had a bacon & cheese sandwich, veggie & cheese sandwich, 2 beers, & an apple custard tart, all for 15 euros.
There were vendors selling their wares, so I bought some scented soaps & honey with lavender.
We walked around the neighborhood, then made our way over the Seine, to the Louvre & sat by the Pyramid for awhile, then walked through the Tuileries Gardens, & back to St. Germain. On our way, we got caught in a rainstorm, so we stopped in at Café Bonaparte, sat under the awning & had double espressos & listened to music & church bells ringing from ST. Germain des Pres church. Walking back to Hotel Bonaparte it started raining again & we were cold & wet, so we stopped at a Japanese restaurant for Japanese Udon noodles! I know it sounds weird eating Japanese food on our first night in Paris, but my husband is Asian & he has to have some Asian food while traveling, regardless of where we are So, if you want to try something other than French food, I recommend Ushi on Rue des Ciseaux. The food was very good & reasonable & just what we needed. Then we headed back to Hotel Bonaparte for a good night’s sleep!
DAY THREE – JULY 30: MUSEUM DE CLUNY AND NOTRE DAME
We woke up to beautiful weather, sunny & in the 70’s, perfect for sightseeing and walking. We had a coffee and croissant at Mairie Café, around the corner from our hotel on St. Sulpice Square. We walked to the MUSEUM DE CLUNY, and bought our 4-day Paris Museum Pass here. I don’t remember which Fodorites told me about this museum, but I want to thank them, whoever they are, because the Cluny is a hidden gem. This museum encompasses the 15th century mansion residence of the abbots of Cluny, the ancient ruins of Roman baths & a collection of medieval arts. We loved this museum! I loved the area of the baths where the heads from statues from Notre Dame are displayed. The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries are also a highlight, well worth seeing. One of them (I forgot which one) is being restored. They are restoring each tapestry between now and 2013. We spent about 2 hours at the Cluny.
Then we walked over to NOTRE DAME, which doesn’t have a special entry for Museum Pass holders, so we had to wait in line for one hour to climb the tower, but it was well worth it!! This was one of the highlights of our trip to Paris! You do have to climb about 400 stairs in a spiral staircase, & I did have to rest a few times, but the views of Paris and close-ups of the gargoyles are well worth it. And don’t forget the bell that Quasimodo rang!
After Notre Dame, we walked to Ile de St. Louis & had lunch at AU LYS D’ARGENT, 90 RUE SAINT LOUIS. I had a salad with goat cheese & nuts, & my husband had a salad with salmon & toast, & we both had crepes with chicken, tomato & cream sauce. Lunch was delicious & I recommend this restaurant.
After lunch, we walked around Ile de St. Louis, then we returned to Notre Dame to see the interior. We didn’t realize Mass was starting soon, so we decided to stay for the Mass, which was a real treat & nice surprise.
For dinner we ate at FISH LA BOISSONNERIE, 69 Rue de Seine. This is one of my favorite restaurants. My husband had duck which he liked but he thought the portions were too small for the price. I didn’t write down what I ate, but I do remember enjoying everything I had and thinking it was prepared perfectly. So I do recommend this restaurant.
DAY FOUR – JULY 31: MUSEE D’ORSAY AND A PICNIC AT THE EIFFEL TOWER
This morning we had coffee & croissants at a café on St. Germain Blvd. Forgot to write down the name, but there are so many to choose from. Then we walked to the MUSEE D’ORSAY, which is one of my favorites & located in a beautiful 19th century former railway station. The D’Orsay is a fine arts museum with collections from 1848 to 1914. The building itself is impressive and the art collection is magnificent. I have always been a fan of Monet, but after visiting the D’Orsay, I am now in love with Renoir!! I love his paintings!! I notice the majority of his paintings contain women! One of my favorites is The Swing. There is a lot of blue and white, which I love, & it’s all about glances and looks, with a young man trying to win the affection of the lady on the swing. We spent 4 hours in the D’Orsay, and the Museum Pass came in very handy here as the regular line was very, very long, & the line for pass holders was non-existent. We just walked right in!
We had a late lunch (most of our lunches were late & dinners were late, too) at CAFÉ DE L’EMPIRE, 17 Rue de Bac. Food is good & prices are reasonable. My husband loved his duck, & I ordered steak & fries. The steak was ok, but the fries were delicious. I saw several people eating HUGE salads which looked delicious, too, but I decided I wanted something hot.
Then from there we walked to the EIFFEL TOWER, walked around, took photos. I think the Eiffel Tower is beautiful! It has a lacy appearance from afar, & I love the 3 shades of brown. We decided not to go to the top because we didn’t want to spend 2-3 hours waiting in line. Instead, we decided to find some stores & buy a picnic lunch. We stopped at a market & boulangerie, & bought ham, bread, desserts, fruit salad & a bottle of wine & sat on the Champ de Mars for several hours waiting for the lights of the Eiffel to come on. It was spectacular! It probably sounds like a cliché, but the Eiffel when illuminated is awesome!
We walked back to our hotel after the tower was illuminated. We made a couple wrong turns but found our way back to the Bonaparte. Our route took us down Rue de Babylone, across Blvd Raspail & down Rue de Sevres.
DAY FIVE – AUGUST 1: THE LOUVRE, THE ORANGERIE, AND A BOAT RIDE ON THE SEINE!
For breakfast we decided we wanted something more substantial than coffee & croissants, so we went to CAFÉ DE PARIS which is on a side street off of Rue de Seine. I wish I wrote down the exact address because this was the best breakfast we had. We both decided to order the full breakfast for 12 euros each, which consisted of excellent cheese & ham omelets, croissants, baquettes, coffee & freshly squeezed orange juice. It’s a little pricey for breakfast but well worth it for a splurge.
Then we walked to the LOUVRE and spent 5 hours there. There is something that I was confused about from my research. People suggested entering the Louvre from Rue de Rivoli, under the red awning. I thought they meant we could enter from there with the Museum Pass, but it was very crowded & chaotic. We asked several people who told us one line (very long) was for buying regular tickets & the other line was for buying the pass, but if we already had the pass, we had to go upstairs to the Pyramid & enter that way. So we walked back up to the Pyramid, & the line there was huge & snaking all around, so the line for museum pass holders was not obvious. We asked a staff person, who told us where our line was, & it was barely non-existent, so once again, because of the museum pass, we walked right in. It was just a little confusing trying to find the right line.
First we made our way to the Mona Lisa, of course! When my husband saw how crowded the room was, he wanted to leave that gallery right away. I told him we should wait because I assumed people in front of us would leave soon. And I was right! Within minutes, we were right at the rope barrier, and very close to Mona! So we got some good close-up shots! We also saw Winged Victory, the Greek Antiquities (one of my favorites), the large Italian paintings, & the galleries about the history of the Louvre & the medieval Louvre. Also saw Napoleon III apartments. At some point we took a break & had drinks & a lemon tart at Café Richleieu. I highly recommend buying the Michelin Green Guide on Paris, which gives detailed information on the Louvre & helps you plot out your course of action. It’s a HUGE museum, so you do need a plan before you enter, IMO.
After leaving the Louvre, we walked through the Tuileries Gardens to the MUSEE L’ORANGERIE to see Monet’s huge water lilies. We also enjoyed the other paintings on the lower level. We had about 1 ½ hours at the Orangerie before they closed.
We had dinner at LE CAFÉ DE DAUPHIN on Blvd St. Germain near Rue de Lille (near the Seine). This was another one of my favorite restaurants. Our meals were excellent. I had rack of lamb, green beans & fries. My husband had Steak Tartare (not my cup of tea, but he is more adventurous than me). We shared the best French Onion Soup I’ve ever had, and a rabbit pate. My peach tart with raspberry coulis & sorbet was excellent, too!
At night we decided to take a boat ride on the Seine. We chose VEDETTES because their location is a closer walk for us, at the tip of Ile de le Cite. We chose the 9:30PM boat ride because it was light enough to take photos but dark enough for the buildings & monuments to be illuminated. This was another highlight of our trip! The Eiffel Tower is magnificent at night all lit up!
On our way back to our hotel, we stopped at Le Grom on Rue de Seine (next to Filles & Peres) for delicious gelato. I had 2 scoops, blueberry & peach. My husband had chocolate & peach. A great way to end another perfect day in Paris!
DAY SIX – AUGUST 2: VERSAILLES, RODIN MUSEUM & DINNER IN CHINATOWN
This morning we had breakfast at the NEO CAFÉ on Blvd St. Germain. We ordered the full breakfast, cost was 11 euros, but we were disappointed in the breakfast. The omelets were dry & not very tasty, and the orange juice was not freshly squeezed. The breakfast we had at Café de Paris the morning before was much, much better.
Then we took the RER C to VERSAILLES. We did not have to buy tickets because you can use the Paris Museum Pass for Versailles; however, Versailles does not have a separate security line/entrance line for pass holders, so we had to wait in line for one hour with everyone else. The line snaked around & around, & we thought the wait would be much worse, but the line moved fairly quickly, so one hour wasn’t too bad. We have seen many palaces, mansions, & castles over the years, and Versailles is the most opulent I have ever seen, especially the Hall of Mirrors. The gardens & grounds are beautiful too! We had a late lunch at LE RESTO DU ROY, 1 Avenue de Saint-Cloud, in Versailles, and dined outside. I had a very filling ham & cheese omelet with a salad & the best French Fries I have ever had. We have also been drinking a lot of wine on this trip! The house wines are good & reasonable!
After we returned to Paris, we popped into the RODIN MUSEUM for an hour before they closed, but that’s what is so great about the Museum Pass. I didn’t mind going there for an hour because we already had the pass. The sculpture garden is amazing & the mansion Rodin lived and died in is worth seeing & holds more sculptures.
My husband did some research on Chinatowns in Paris (we have to try a Chinese restaurant wherever we travel ), so we took the metro to the Chinatown in the 13th. We thought it was nicer & cleaner than the Chinatown in Boston & NYC. We decided to try a restaurant that was more upscale but we were disappointed in the way the food was prepared. Didn’t write down the name, but wouldn’t recommend it. We did see a lot of Vietnamese noodle cafes with people eating outside & they looked very good, but my husband wasn’t in the mood for noodles that night, although that probably would have been a better choice.
On our way back to our hotel, we stopped at a BERTHILLON ice cream cart on Rue de Seine & I had a raspberry & rose sorbet. It was heavenly!!! The rose sorbet smelled like a rose & tasted like a rose smells, if that makes sense! I’ve never eaten a rose before, it tasted like I would expect a rose to taste. My husband was too full to have some sorbet but I couldn’t pass it up, especially after that disappointing dinner. Another perfect way to end a perfect day!!!
DAY SEVEN – AUGUST 3: LUXEMBOURG GARDENS, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS & PLACE DES VOSGES
This morning we had the best almond croissants we’ve ever had at a café near Luxembourg Gardens. Wish I wrote down the name of the café. I know, I know, there are many cafes there, but this one was one of the best, at the junction of Rue Vaugirard & Rue de Medicis, probably at Place Odeon.
Our 4-day Museum Pass ended, so the next two days are our days to do the things we haven’t had time for, with no particular plan in mind. So, we walked over to Luxembourg Gardens for the first time on this trip, even though it ‘s only 5-10 minutes from our hotel. These gardens are beautiful!!! I love the view of the flower gardens, & fountain with pool for sailing the toy boats, with the Palace in the background. Just gorgeous. I could have stayed here all day. There are probably several hundred chairs placed all around the park, but more in this sunny spot, for people to sit, relax, read, eat, etc. We did just that for about half an hour. There are tennis courts, a playground, puppet theater, etc. What a wonderful park that Napoleon dedicated to children!!
Then I was on a mission to find ST. ETIENNE DU MONT, the church from Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen’s movie. I watched this movie 3 times before we left for Paris & love it!!! The church is behind the Pantheon on Place St. Genevieve. The Gothic façade is lovely & very unique. We took photos of ourselves sitting on the steps Gil sat on. There were a few other people doing the same thing. Then we walked some more through the Latin Quarter, & had lunch at L’Atlantide on a side street off Rue Mouffetard. The prices in the Latin Quarter are lower than in the 6th & my husband ranks this restaurant as very high. I thought the food was good but enjoyed Fish and Café du Dauphin better.
We then continued walking across the Seine to the Marais neighborhood on the right bank, which we haven’t explored until today. By this time we were exhausted, so we rested on benches at PLACE DES VOSGES, a beautiful square that is the oldest square in Paris. The square is surrounded by lovely two-story buildings with arcades on the ground level. After walking back to Hotel Bonaparte, we rested, got ready for dinner, & walked back to the Latin Quarter for a very good seafood dinner. Unfortunately, I forgot to write down the name of this restaurant but it’s on Rue Descartes. We finished eating close to midnight, so we walked back to St. Etienne, of course, & sat on the steps waiting for the 1920’s car to pick us up & transport us back to the 20’s but no one came
I have one more day left in Paris to write about, and then I have to write about the Loire Valley and Ile d'Oleron. I've been unpacking and doing laundry in between writing this report, & now I'm exhausted & ready for bed. Unfortunately, I have to return to work tomorrow. Back to reality.
I will hopefully finish writing this report during the week! I hope my information will help newcomers to Paris.
Two-week trip to France: Paris, Loire Valley & Ile d'Oleron
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Enjoying your report, Kwoo! We have eaten at at Au Lys D'Argent and Fish La Boissonerie and enjoyed both too! Can't wait to hear about the Loire Valley!
I'm enjoying your report and look forward to more. We have picnicked at the Eiffel Tower so I could relive that and some other favorite places through your description.
This is a fun report and brings nack memories! Anxious to hear about the Loire Valley part for some more memories and the merting of the families. Thanks for the effort, and tell us more!
Bookmarking this for my trip next year. Thank you for the detailed report, sounds like you had a wonderful time!
Bookmarking for our trip next month
Great report! Sounds like you had a really nice time in Paris. Brings back lots of good memories from our trip last year. I agree that the top of Notre Dame is just amazing. The 400 plus steps are manageable if you take your time and it is so worth it. Looking forward to more. Getting back to reality and work really stinks doesn't it?
ttt for the Ile de bit
loving this!
Enjoying your report very much, Kwoo! Glad you had a wonderful stay in Paris! Useful information - thank you!
Making notes of the restaurants where you ate. Did you have to make dinner reservations at any of these spots?
<<<I hope my onformation will help newcomers to Paris>>>
Your info will definitely help newcomers and it is also a joy for all of us who go to Paris often. I loved reading the deatils of your adventure. Your enthusiasm let's us relive our time in the city of light.
Looking forward to your travels in The Loire.
Thanks, everyone, for your kind words and compliments.
2010, No, we didn't make any dinner reservations at all. We like to choose places at the spur of the moment & based on our sightseeing of the day, what time we got back to our hotel, etc. Sometimes we ate dinner before returning to our hotel, & sometimes we went back to our hotel to freshen up, & then back out again. Even though there are tons of tourists, I think because there are so many restaurants we didn't have problems with availability. Maybe you have to make reservations at high-end restaurants, but we avoided very expensive restaurants.
John183, did you write a trip report this past spring? If so, I read it & was inspired by your report & had the courage to walk the 400 plus steps to the top of Notre Dame!
Will try to write more tonight!
DAY EIGHT - AUGUST 4: OPERA GARNIER, CANAL ST. MARTIN & MONTMARTRE
This is our last full day in Paris. We had croissants & coffee at LE BIZUTH, on St. Germain Blvd in the 7th. It was ok. The croissant wasn't as fresh as the others we've had.
Then we took the #95 bus to OPERA GARNIER, and had a guided tour, which was excellent. The opera house is breathtaking; it's very ornate & I think the Grand Foyer is more ornate than the Hall of Mirros at Versailles. We saw the box seat where the Phantom sat! Another highlight of our trip!
After the tour, we walked for an hour to the Canal St. Martin area & walked along the canal. There are cute iron footbridges that go over the canal, and the area has lots of trees. My husband spotted an Indian restaurant that had meals for 6 euros, so we ate there, but the food wasn't that good.
Then we took the metro (our feet were about to fall off at this point) to MONTMARTRE & SACRE COUER. It was VERY CROWDED, the most crowded section of Paris we have been in. As soon as we got off the metro at Ancers, there were mobs of people. The street leading up the hill to Sacre Couer was jam-packed with people & tacky souvenir shops. Once we got to the top, it wasn't quite as crowded, but still there were throngs of people. I'd like to see Montmartre in the winter when I assume there would be fewer tourists. I'm sure it's much prettier then.
We then took the metro to Chatelet,got off there, & had dinner at a Greek restaurant LE METEORA, 9 Rue de la Huchette. This street is filled with Greek restaurants. The food was very good; I had a large Greek salad which was very fresh, my husband had cod egg (similar to hummus), & we shared Moussaka & a huge Stuffed pepper.
Then back to the Hotel Bonaparte for our last night in Paris.
We love Paris! It is such a beautiful, romantic, & fun city. We loved just walking around, and especially walking over the bridges. You get a lovely few of the Seine & of the city from every bridge. Walking through the neighborhoods is fun, with a surprise around every corner. The architecture, the parks, the cafes, everything is just gorgeous!
Tomorrow I'll try to continue with the Loire Valley part of our trip!
bmk
DAY NINE – AUGUST 5: THE LOIRE VALLEY & KINGLY CHAMBORD
Before checking out of the Hotel Bonaparte, we had time for a quick coffee & croissant at Café de Mairie on St. Sulpice Square. Then we popped into the St. Sulpice Church for a few minutes because my husband wanted to see the obelisk referenced in the Da Vince Code. It’s a beautiful church & I ‘m glad we had a few minutes to see it before we said au revoir to Paris.
Our daughter & her fiancé picked us up at 10AM & we were on our way to the beautiful LOIRE VALLEY! We spent the next couple of days visiting chateaus, a winery & stopping in picturesque small villages. Today we stopped for lunch at a lovely small restaurant called LA CHANTERELLE, 21 Avenue de La Loire, Muides Sur Loire. Every meal we had in the Loire Valley was excellent. We didn’t have one bad meal.
After lunch, we drove to CHAMBORD, the largest of the Loire chateau. As my Fodor’s guide book states, “When the entire palace breaks into view, it is an unforgettable sight.” It started to rain, but we didn’t care at all, because the rain seemed to enhance this magnificent chateau in its forest setting. The two most amazing & memorable features are the spectacular chimneyscape and double spiral staircase. The roof terrace has tons of towers, turrets, cupolas, & chimneys that you can walk around & photograph. It’s the craziest rooftop I have ever seen, more impressive, IMO (& obviously different) than Gaudi’s roof tops in Barcelona. The double staircase looks like a single staircase, but it’s not, & one person walking up the staircase & another walking down the staircase can see each other through occasional openings, but you never actually meet.
We then drove to BLOIS, our home for the next two nights, and checked into the IBIS BLOIS CENTRE GARE HOTEL, 14 Avenue Gambetta, Blois. This is a contemporary “green” hotel that is clean, comfortable & reasonable. Our room, surprisingly, was smaller than our room in Paris, and our bathroom was the only bathroom on our trip that had a shower stall with glass door so we didn’t have to worry about the floor getting wet. The price included a very satisfying breakfast buffet with a nice selection of meats, cheeses, croissants & other pastries, yogurt, cereals, coffee & you could make your own freshly squeezed orange juice!
For dinner, R (our future son-in-law) surprised us with dinner reservations at LA MAISON D’A COTE, 25 Route de Chambord, 41350 Montlivault. Website: www.lamaisondacote.fr
The meal was excellent, the best of our whole trip! In addition to their regular menu, they offer a free expression menu, where you have a list of meat, poultry, fish, wild game, etc. You tell the chef if there is something you don’t like or are allergic to, and he will create your meal based on what he has available, and his whimsy, so you don’t know what you are getting. My husband & daughter chose this option, & they had a delicious beef dinner, cooked to perfection. I forgot what they had for a starter & dessert – didn’t take good notes. I ordered fish (cod and sea bream) & R ordered duck. For dessert, I had cherry clafouti, which also came with a ginkoberry (sp?) sorbet & light vanilla cream (almost like a meringue). The ambience was contemporary country; I think the restaurant used to be an old farmhouse. It is pricey, so I recommend La Maison for a splurge or special occasion, which it was for us, celebrating our daughter’s engagement
DAY TEN – AUGUST 6: CHENONCEAU, A PICNIC LUNCH & EXPLORING SMALL VILLAGES
We had a filling breakfast at the hotel this morning, & then we were on our way to our first stop: the beautiful and romantic CHATEAU DE CHENONCEAU. Chenonceau is very different from Chambord, so I am glad we chose to see these two chateaus. Where Chambord is masculine, Chenonceau definitely looks & feels feminine & prettier. Its showpiece is the arched bridge/gallery that spans the River Cher. We walked through the gallery to the other side of the river to walk along the riverbank. The rooms & furnishings & fireplaces are beautiful, as are the two lovely gardens. There were people in rowboats on the river, but we didn’t have the time.
We then drove to CHAUMONT SUR LOIRE, a small village right on the Loire River, where we purchased food items for a picnic lunch, such as meats, bread, pate, cheeses, pastries & drinks. We then sat at a picnic table literally only a few feet from the Loire River, & had a fabulous lunch, with the Chateau de Chaumont as a dramatic backdrop on top of the hill. We couldn’t ask for anything more!
We spent the afternoon meandering through the countryside & visiting small villages, such as Montrichard and MONTRESOR, a real treat. Montresor is on the list of most beautiful French villages. It is situated on a small river, the Indrois. We walked along the footpath that follows the river in back of the town, with pretty houses bordering the river, flower gardens, vegetable gardens, small boats, etc. You have great views of the village & castle from this footpath. Montresor is not in my guidebook; so we wouldn’t have known about this hidden gem if it wasn’t for R.
http://www.francethisway.com/places/montresor.php
We then drove to LOCHES where we walked around a bit & then had a great dinner at L’ENTRACOTE, but alas, I forgot to write down what we ate. We really like Loches & I think this town would make a nice base.
DAY ELEVEN – AUGUST 7: LANGEAIS, WINE TASTING IN THE CELLARS, & CHINON
Before we checked out of our hotel, we walked to the center of Blois because we really hadn’t spent any time here. The center is very pretty, with a castle that looks different from the other castles/chateaus we have seen, but we didn’t’ have time to go inside. Across the street from the castle is a very pretty park with numerous very large & very old unique trees. It’s such a pretty setting. We did a little bit of window shopping, then went back to our hotel to check out & begin another day of meandering!
I don’t remember exactly where we stopped today, but I know one of the towns was SACHE. It is very small, & is nice, but I think we were spoiled by Montresor from yesterday. We all thought Montresor was prettier than Sache. In truth, we didn’t tour Balzac’s home, so maybe we just didn’t spend enough time in Sache to appreciate it.
For lunch, we made an impromptu stop at LANGEAIS, which was a nice surprise & one of our favorites on our trip. We had lunch at CAFÉ DU CHATEAU, right down the street from the CHATEAU DE LANGEAIS, built in the 1400’s & never altered. So sitting outside with perfect views of the castle, we had a delicious lunch. I think this was the first time I didn’t have a fixed price 2 or 3 course menu because I’ve been wanting to try the crocque monsieurs, & finally did. It was delicious! My daughter has had them several times during her visits to France & she said mine looked the best & tasted the best (I let her sample mine). Because the castle looked so different from others we have visited, we decided to tour the castle after lunch, & loved it. When we first saw it, I told my daughter I expected knights in shining armor to come galloping out of the castle. They have a drawbridge opening ceremony every hour, so that was fun. This castle is historically significant because this is where King Charles VIII and Anne of Brittany were married. I don’t know enough about French history to understand the significance of this marriage, but the castle information cards made a big deal of it!
We made it in time to our wine tasting at DOMAINE DE LA CHEVALERIE in Restigne. We tasted wine in the wine cellars, & I couldn’t believe how many wines we tasted. The owner even let us try one wine straight from the barrel! I had to stop after awhile because the wine just kept flowing. The owners are very nice & friendly, the wine is great, & reasonably priced so we bought 6 bottles.
Forgot to add that throughout our travels through the Loire Valley, in addition to all the vineyards, we also saw fields & fields of sunflowers; they were never ending! Just so beautiful!
After the wine tasting, we drove to CHINON, our home for the night. We stayed at the LE PLANTAGENT HOTEL, 12 Place Jeanne d’Arc, which consists of two buildings, one of which is a 19th century house. www.hotel-plantagenet.com
Well, folks, I guess I’m finished for tonight. I have one more day in the Loire Valley to write about, then our visit with my daughter’s future in-laws on Ile d’Oleron.
I loved Langeais--so glad you visited.
Still enjoying your trip report!
We are staying 4 nights in Loches, so glad to hear you liked the town. You sound like you had a great time in the Loire and your travelling style sounds like what we would like. So I am taking notes!
Looking forward to the next instalment.
aussie_10, Loches also has a lovely castle & I know there is a Joan of Arc connection (not sure what it is). We got there too late to tour the castle, but we did walk around the area. I think it was a one-hour drive back to Blois, so if you have the time, I recommend visiting Blois, too. The restaurant we had dinner at in Loches is on the street that leads up to the casle.
Scootoir, it's nice to hear you loved Langeais, too. I'm so glad we stopped there because it turns out to be one of our favorite stops, that was not initially on our itinerary.
Kwoo - what a lovely trip.
thanks for posting. we are long-term fans of the Loire region, so it's nice to read about places I haven't heard of there to add for our next trip.
Great report! Thanks for sharing. Any pictures to share?
Hi Kwoo,
We visited the Loire on our very first trip to France many moons ago. So reading about your trip brings back fond memories. Glad you discovered Langeais. We loved it, too!
THE LAST INSTALLMENT:
I forgot to add that on the night of August 7 we had dinner at RESTAURANT AT’ABLE, 21 Rue Rabelais, in Chinon. www.restaurantatable.com The meal was delicious! As I’ve said before, we didn’t have one bad meal in the Loire Valley. Chinon is a lovely small town with a medieval castle on the hill overlooking the river. We walked up to the castle but it was closed by the time we got there. We walked through the medieval heart of the town, such as Rue Haute St. Maurice with its half-timber houses. Chinon is a great place to stay!
DAY TWELVE – AUGUST 8: EXPLORING MONTSOREAU, CANDES-ST. MARTIN & SAUMUR
After a breakfast of coffee & croissants, we checked out of our hotel & drove to MONTSOREAU & CANDES-ST.MARTIN. These two towns are listed in the “most beautiful villages of France” listing. We walked along the Montsoreau to Candes Saint Martin heritage trail. One town merges into the other. First the trail took us along the Loire River, then along some pretty streets with attractive houses, then up a hill to a spot where we had gorgeous panoramic views of the town, the Loire & Vienne Rivers. Here are links to these two lovely villages that shouldn’t be missed.
http://www.francethisway.com/places/candessaintmartin.php
http://www.les-plus-beaux-villages-de-france.org/en/montsoreau
After leaving Montsoreau, we drove past the Abbey Fontevraud, which looks very interesting, but we didn’t have time to stop. Our destination was SAUMUR for lunch. Saumur is one of the largest towns along the Loire, with a historic center filled with cafes & shops, and of course the required castle high above the river. It seems like everywhere you look in the Loire Valley, there are castles and chateaus! We walked around a bit, and then stopped for lunch at LE GRAND BLEU, 6 Rue du Marche, and had another delicious meal.
After lunch, we started our 3-hour drive to Ile d’Oleron (an island connected to the mainland by a bridge) to meet my daughter’s future in-laws for the first time. They were waiting for us with appetizers and drinks, and then later a fabulous home-cooked meal. They are gracious, warm and very friendly people & I’m very happy for my daughter that she will have such wonderful in-laws.
DAY THIRTEEN – AUGUST 9: SHOPPING AT THE MARKET & A BOAT RIDE TO ANOTHER ISLAND
I felt like we were staying at a Bed & Breakfast! We woke up to a spread of croissants, brioche, all kinds of jams, fruit, yogurt & coffee. We went to the market with our hosts, which is their daily morning routine. They bought fruit, vegetables, meat & seafood for our dinner. We returned to the market for a light lunch of oysters, shrimp & wine. Oleron is known for its oysters, which we had every day! We then took a boat ride to a much smaller island called Aix. There are very few cars on this island. The “thing” to do is walk along the footpath/bike path that takes you around the island, along the coast. The scenery was beautiful but it was hot & sunny. We stopped at a café for drinks, and then took a dip in the ocean before boarding the boat for the ride back to Oleron.
DAY FOURTEEN – AUGUST 10: EXPLORING OLERON & MORE OYSTERS
After another delicious breakfast, and another fun trip to the market, we drove around the island & stopped at a fishing village. Then we went for a swim, before having a lunch of oysters and chicken with apricots at our hosts’ home. Then we toured a fortress along the coast. I think the most interesting thing we did today was visit some fisherman’s cabins near the fortress. These are painted all kinds of vivid colors, such as red, orange, yellow, blue, green, etc. Some of these vacant cabins have now been turned into artists’ shops, such as a clothing store, art store, jewelry store, etc. We browsed through some shops, where the artist, dressmaker, etc was there painting, sewing, make jewelry. I bought some prints of the village that I hope to frame some day.
DAY FIFTEEN – AUGUST 11 – BOATS, TRAINS, CARS & PLANES – A LONG TRAVEL DAY!
We tearfully said good-bye to R’s parents, who are wonderful people, excellent cooks, & fun tour guides! Because people on Oleron rent cottages from Saturday to Saturday, the bridge is always backed up with traffic, much like Cape Cod, so they bought us tickets for the boat from Oleron to La Rochelle, where we took the TGV to Paris’ Montparnasse Station. From there, we took a cab to CDG for our evening flight home.
This was a perfect vacation, from Paris, to the Loire Valley, to meeting R’s parents! We couldn’t have asked for anything more! Paris is amazing and I can’t wait to return!
Great report Kwoo!! This gives me even more ideas for our trip this Fall.
Kwoo,
Great trip report. Having recently done Paris and chateaux country, it really brought memories.
You folks certainly walked a great deal. Examples from the Eiffel Tower back to the Bonaparte must have been quite a hike. Also you mentioned that after dinner you walked back to the famous stairs immortalized in MIDNIGHT IN PARIS in the Mouffetard – wow!
Again, thanks for such great specifics . Your detailed reporting is really helpful. Merci…
So glad you had such a good trip and meeting with your daughter's future in-laws. Thank you for sharing it all with us!
Kwoo - you must certainly try to see Fontavraud when you visit the Loire again. it is lovely and most interesting, with the tombs of some of the plantaganets, [some others are at Candes] and a beautiful monastery garden.
Saumur is a very nice place to stay as well as to stop off for lunch/sightseeing- it was the first place that we stayed when we took our children to France for the first time, and I've always had a soft spot for it.
Thanks to everyone for your kinds words.
annhig, I agree about Fontavraud & Saumur. We wished we had more time to spend there. Hopefully, we will have many more trips to France!
Maitaitom,your trip report to the Czech Republic was inspiring to me when I was planning our last trip there in 2009. We went to a restaurant you recommended in Cesky Krumlov, underground, I think, that was one of our favorites!
Great TR!
Thanks for sharing your great trip with us.
I loved reading about it.
Kwoo - I did write a couple of reports about our two trips to Paris, Normandy, the Loire and London with our granddaughters. I agree with you, the views from the top of Notre Dame are fantastic. I hope others reading about our adventures get inspired and get the courage to climb the stairs too. I really enjoyed your report - sounds like you had a wonderful time.
Kwoo, great trip report. Thanks!
Wonderful report, thank you. You & your husband sound like you like to do the same things as my spouse & me although we're older now. I was wondering if your husband packed a sport coat to wear to dinner in Paris? Do you think we'd be refused into restaurants if my DH was not wearing a jacket? We don't choose the really high priced places but still like good food.
Also, I'm trying to decide on an itinerary that includes Paris, somewhere else in France (countryside)and then Munich.
2-3 weeks total. Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance
It sounds like you had a lovely trip. How wonderful that you liked your new son-in-law's parents. You did a lot of preparation for your stay in Paris and it certainly paid off. Thanks for your great trip report.
Kwoo
Thanks for taking the time to write your trip report that began in my favorite city in the world! So impressed that you made a point of walking as much as possible in order to absorb the sights and sounds of magnificent Paris. May i ask how you planned out your daily itinerary and what maps (digital - paper?) were the most helpful? I, too, love to walk but have wonky knees, unfortunately. Next time I'm in Paris, though, I will definitely take up the challenge which you have inspired.
Having an Asian spouse for 35 years, I understand the need to seek out Asian food no matter what country one may be in. Our daughter's genetic makeup requires rice at least twice, maybe three times per week. We have found good Chinese and Japanese food in Paris, Rome, Mexico City, Acapulco, Toronto, Quebec City, Montreal and of course, Hawaii. In Greece, the rice served with lamb or fish sufficed to quench the hunger. But I giggled at that comment knowing exactly what you meant.
Thank you everyone for your kind remarks.
We've had Chinese food in Rome, Prague, Cesky Krumlov, Montreal, Toronto, Quebec City. Don't think we found any in Costa Rica, but rice is a popular dish in CR so that helped!
TAW, My husband did pack a sports coat but he only wore it once. He thinks it was the night we went to Fish. We ate good food but we didn't go to high-priced restaurants, so none of the restaurants that we went to would refuse you & you husband if he weren't wearing a jacket. He thinks your husband should bring a sports coat just in case you do choose a fancier restaurant, especially if you want a special night out. When will you be in Paris? If it's cooler at night, he might need a jacket sometimes. I brought dressy black slacks, a dressy blouse & a nice shawl to wear at night. I wore this outfit several times to the nicer restaurants, such as Fish, not because it was required, but because I do like to dress up sometimes, especially if we returned to our hotel before dinner. Some nights we had dinner before returning to our hotel, so on those nights I would have worn what I wore for sightseeing that day, such as capris with a nice top, or nice Bermuda shorts with a nice top. I am not an expert on France (this was our first trip), but we spent 3 nights in the Loire Valley after Paris & loved it. You could also try Provence, which I'd love to visit some day. Other people on this forum like the Dordogne region (not familiar with it), or Normandy & Brittany.
Travelchat,I used several guidebooks & maps: the Fodors guidebook & the map that comes with it, Michelin green guide to Paris, & the MapEasy's Guidemap to France (bought it at Barnes & Noble). One side is a map of France & the other side is a map of Paris.
I planned our itinerary based on the 4-day Paris Museum Pass, which I definitely recommend. On arrival day we just wandered around to get our bearings because we knew we would be too tired from jet lag to appreciate any museums. Then we bought the museum pass on the 2nd day & you have to use it for 4 consecutive days. We activated the pass the day we bought it (at the Cluny Museum) so we had to visit the museums and monuments that are on the pass for those 4 consecutive days. From reading the guidebooks & advice on this forum, I knew what museums & monuments we wanted to see. I also decided what we would see each day based on their proximity to each other so we weren't traveling from one end of the city to the other end in one day. I purposely allowed the last 2 days in Paris for just wandering around the different neighborhoods & visiting places not on the Paris Museum Pass, such as the Opera Garnier.
What a coincidence that you too have an Asian spouse. My husband goes into withdrawals without his rice
What a joyful and interesting Trip Report; I visit the Loire Valley every year, and I am still learning so much about it - you have added to that. Now I have the pleasure to long for a visit to the Oleron island. Merci.
One of my favorite things about Longeais is that it looks and feels like one could move right in - not so imposing or empty as the larger, more famous Chateaux. You really got a wonderful tour of what the Loire Valley has to offer.
Congratulations on your daughter's engagement (actually a good choice for the whole family, it seems
Great report...
I had such a great experience at Cafe de Paris (10 rue de Buci)...we stopped in for a coffee and while my husband was in the restroom, the gentleman at the next table asked me where I was from, and I told him. And next he said, "welcome" and smiled. He was very kind and the opposite of what so many people think the French are like. It was just lovely.
Sooo glad you climbed the towers...I didn't get to that until my fourth trip to Paris and the view was so great. The gargoyles, up close, are great to see. It's one of my favorite memories.
Totally agree with the convenience of the museum pass! Love it. Although, we did use our pass to enter off rue Rivoli with no issue (and no line). I am a bit baffled by that.
Chenonceau is a treasure. We had never heard of it but had a great day there. I even marveled at the vegetable garden. I am so glad we (and you) went.
Kwoo
I will definitely have in hand the MapEasy Paris on my next trip and plan to push myself to walk the neighborhoods more (albeit with plenty of rest stops along the way). Thanks so much for the information and for such a wonderfully detailed report.
denisea,
I am baffled, too, about not being able to use our pass at the Rue Rivoli entrance. There were two lines there: the line that was obviously the entrance to the museum was huge, & the other line was for buying the museum pass, but it was at a tabac (I think), so it was not at the museum entrance. It was confusing because of the crowds, so we asked several people, & they told us we had to go back outside to the Pyramid entrance (I assume they understood what we were asking). So it's puzzling, but at least we were able to walk right into the Louvre once we were back at the Pyramid, because of the pass.
travelchat, You will have so much fun walking through the neighborhoods & stopping to rest at all the lovely cafes with a glass of wine, or relaxing in one of the beautiful parks. AFter all, isn't that what Paris is all about
Marnie, thanks for the congratulations! Looks like we will be making more trips to France!
Kwoo I was thinking about you recently while responding to another Paris thread and wondering how your July/Aug trip to Paris and France went, as I remember you researching it in the months prior. Then lo and behold, you responded to that very thread and I clicked on your name to see if I'd missed a report you may have posted... and indeed I did.
Very much enjoyed reading it and appreciated your retelling of the events. Just the right amount of detail and information, much like your Karlovy Vary report which I found so useful in planning my own visit there, as you may recall. The sites and villages you visited and the things you saw and did in Paris, the Loire valley and L'ile d'Oleron sound wonderful. Best wishes to your daughter. It sounds like she is marrying into a very nice family.
The French coast with the abundance of seafood is something I too enjoy. I spent a month in Paris, Reims, Toulouse and La Rochelle last October, and explored the coastline in the environs of La Rochelle, including a private visit to a family run oyster farm. Having lunch at a makeshift table at waters edge on a windswept grassy beach and pulling out oysters as and when we wanted them was a highlight. By coincidence, I also took the TGV from La Rochelle to Montparnasse on the way back.
I will be returning to Paris this October for business reasons but will tag on a few extra days for a mini vacation break. You have convinced me that a museum pass is the way to go as I too like the idea of just being able to pop into some place for a few minutes at the end of the day and not bothering with justifying the ticket price or worse, the line-ups.
And another shared quirk - I also like to eat an oriental Asian meal whenever I'm in a foreign city. I'm not oriental asian but I love seeing the ways that that style of cooking is interpreted around the world. I've sought out either a Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese or Laotian meal in probably every city I've visited (some memorable ones in Budapest and Istanbul), and quite apart from being a bit of a foodie, I think the simplicity and freshness of a bowl of rice /noodles /soup with meat and veggies is a welcome antidote to an indulgence of rich European cuisines.
Thanks again for a great report and congratulations to you all.
M.
What a great report - and a wonderful trip! Sounds like your time in Paris was very well thought out and thoroughly enjoyable - made me long to go back. I loved reading about your time in the Loire Valley, too. I spent 10 days driving all around there a few years ago and saw SO many chateaux - but I missed Langeais. Now I need to go back. How nice that you got to meet your daughter's prospective in-laws in such a lovely way. I'm sure they were pleased with their son's new family, too!
I just saw your report. It's great!
nice report
Bookmarking!
Thanks so much for recording the names of the restaurants along with your critique of them!! This will be most helpful for our trip next month since we are staying in the 6th as well.
such a great report..thank you for sharing!
Good one, kwoo!
Just noticed that my report has been "resurrected". Thank you everyone for your compliments.
darlenef17, where are you staying in the 6th? Is this your first trip to Paris?
We return to France at the end of May for our daughter's wedding. Then we will spend 5 days sightseeing in Aix en Provence & the surrounding area while she goes to work
Will try to write a trip report when we return.
bookmarking this great report.
We are staying in an apartment off off of St. Andre des Arts and Rue Savioe. The location looks as though it almost boarders the 5th, so it's not central 6th, but the recommendations are still very doable!
Yes, it is our first trip to Paris - a college graduation gift for my daughter. =) We'll be there from May 12-18, then off to Italy!
I was especially happy to read about the Greek restaurants on Rue de la Huchette. We love Greek food (even in Paris!) and the location is only 500 meters from our apartment according to Google!