France Trip Report July 2008
Sep 16th, 2008, 11:08 AM
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France Trip Report July 2008
Now that we're well into the new school year, I finally have time to post our Paris, Provence and Dordogne trip report. I'd like to thank all of the posters on this forum for their invaluable comments and advice.
We flew to Paris on now defunct Zoom Airlines and checked into the Citadines Apart'hotel in Montparnasse. There was a last minute change in our plans, so our choice of accommodations was limited. The hotel was well situated: metro, cafes, restaurants and grocery. Our room was surprisingly spacious for the 4 of us (with 2 teenage boys) and the kitchen was equipped with the basic necessities. The staff were very friendly and helpful.
After settling in, we headed out to see the sites. My husband and I have been to Paris several times, so we decided to give the boys an overview of the city. We skipped the museums (much to my dismay) thinking that our guys would one day return to Paris on their own. We spent the day walking most of the city...Tuilleries, Notre Dame, Latin Quarter, etc. At night we took a ride on the Bateaux Mouche. They loved seeing Paris by night!
The next morning we headed for the Catacombs. The lineup was quite long but moved quickly. It was eerie, but quite interesting. At the end of your visit, they check your bags. Apparently, in the past people have taken bones for souvenirs.
On the 4th, we took the TGV down to Avignon where we met a representative from Auto-Europe who provided us with our vehicle. We leased a Peugot 307sw. Because we were going to be in France for 3 weeks, we decided the lease option would be more economical than renting. The return was also well-organized and hassle-free. Prior to our trip, we purchased a Garmin Nuvi 270 from Costco. It proved to be a very useful tool.
We drove to St. Remy which was our base to explore Provence for the next 2 weeks. We stayed at Provence Paradise, just on the outskirts of town. Our house was "l'Orangerie"- a one bedroom home with a loft area (with 2 twin size beds) that comfortably accommodated our family. The kitchen was very well-equipped, exceedingh my expectations. The refrigerator was stocked with the evening's dinner, as well as juices, milk, butter and jam---everything we would need to get us started. Our host, William Moore and his staff: Olivier, Betina, and Jessie gave us a warm welcome. We felt as though we were among old friends. We enjoyed the warm croissants delivered to us the next morning and the poolside get together to meet the new guests. Though we tend to be quite independent when we travel, it was nice to have someone around to help if it was needed. Provence Paradise felt like a home away from home.
On Saturday, we drove to Arles. We strolled through the market and picked up some lunch. We then toured the town and bought tickets to see the Course Camarguaise--where the bull is not killed, but rather, it is chased by 'raseteurs' who try to remove tassels from the bull's head. This was very exciting as the raseteurs would have to leap the barrier to escape. We were lucky as this event was the end of fighting season, and awards were given to the best raseteurs at the conclusion of the event.
The following few days we visited Chateau des Baux, Nimes and the Pont du Gard. My 13 year old is very interested in castles and medieval weapons and warfare. He enjoyed the trebuchet demonstrations at Baux. We were impressed with the arena in Nimes. The audio guide was packed with information on Roman Nimes, we easily spent 2 hours in the arena alone! Following our day in Nimes, we drove to the Pont du Gard. Because it was at the end of the day, all the tour buses and the crowds were gone. We walked around the area for awhile, seeing the aqueduct in changing light as the sun started to descend.
The next day, we took it easy and did the Van Gogh walking tour in St. Remy and Glanum. The next morning we drove up Mont Ventoux which seems to dominate the Provence landscape. We had a clear day so the views were amazing. After lunch we drove to the Abbeye de Senanque to see the lavender in bloom. We drove through Gordes on our way back.
We spent the next day in Avignon, touring the Papal Palace, dancing on the bridge and enjoying the street performers and musicians. Because it was festival time in many parts of France, we heard that parking spots get taken up quickly. We arrived in Avignon around 9:30 am and easily found parking at the train station. It was a short walk into town. The place was packed by noon.
The next day we drove through the Luberon toward Colorado de Rustrel, a surreal landscape of red, yellow and orange rocks. I enjoyed "painting" my hands by rubbing them on the rocks. After some hiking, we ate lunch and headed for the Fontaine de Vaucluse. I thought it was overrated, perhaps because it wasn't the best time to see it which is in the spring.
Over the next few days we saw the Camargue, Aigues Mortes, Chateauneuf du Pape, Gigondas and Cassis. In Cassis, we went on a 1 hour boat tour that took us around 7 Calanques, rocky 'fjords'. Reservations are made at a shack in the Vieux-Port and method of payment is cash only....a good place to break large bills.
We did spend one day hiking into the Alpilles. You have to check with the tourist office on the day to see if trails are closed due to fire risk. We experienced a summer Mistral. It was quite blustery. When we reached the summit, I was on my hands and knees just to avoid being blown over. I can't imagine what this would be like in the dead of winter.
On the 18th, we left St. Remy very early in the morning to make our 11:15 tour of the Concord at Airbus in Blagnac (Toulouse). Reservations were made 2 months prior to our arrival. We had to show our passports upon arrival and cameras and video were not permitted. My kids have always loved planes and anything about flight, so they were thrilled to actually be inside a supersonic jet. We were fortunate to have in our tour group a former mechanic who worked on the Concord giving us a unique perspective.
Following our tour we headed towards Sarlat, our home for the next 5 days. We reserved the Richelieu apartment at Villa des Consuls inside the old city. The apartment overlooked the main thoroughfare, was well-equipped and spacious. The electrical outlet in the bathroom was, I thought, well conceived--no adaptors were necessary. We enjoyed the privacy of our terrace and the convenience of the laundry room being close by. The owner, David Lascoux is an amiable and professional man who has a gem of a place.
Saturday was market day in Sarlat. We enjoyed strolling the streets, checking out the vendors' wares and sampling the specialties of the area. In the evening we enjoyed an open-air performance of "The 3 Musketeers."
The next morning we headed out for our tour of Lascaux II. We had booked an English language tour several months in advance and were not disappointed. Although only a replica, the cave is a faithful representation of the original. The tour was quite informative and provided us with enough background information with which to explore the area.
After lunch we drove to Chateau Beynac for alittle Medieval fun. The castle was not crowded which made the visit all the more pleasant. The kids enjoyed exploring the many rooms and examining the weaponry. To me, it almost felt as though we had been transported back several centuries. We visited the rival castle, Castelnaud, the next day. Castelnaud is a fine museum of Medieval Times. There were denonstrations of blacksmithing, dressing for combat, launching of trebuchets, etc. There was also numerous exhibits and short films relating to the area's history. I would suggest for anyone visiting this area to visit Castelnaud first.
We also reserved an English language tour of Font de Gaume. At the entrance to the cave we were required to put our backpacks, wallets, cameras, cell phones, etc. in a cabinet which was locked for the duration of our tour. Nothing was allowed in the caves. We were also instructed to not lean or touch the walls. The paintings were badly damaged and I can understand why they may close this cave to the public. Following our tour, we lunched near the river in Les Eyzies de Tayac and then visited the Museum of Prehistory. The museum houses an extraordinary collection of artifacts from the surrounding area. In addition, we found the short films on how early man developed and used tools quite informative. This is a fine museum.
Although the Dordogne is considered the gastronomical capital of France, we found the menu quite limited in variety. The boys were tired of seeing duck and goose on the menus. On our last night we ate at Pizzeria Romane in Sarlat. We enjoyed the brick oven pizza and pasta.
We drove back to Paris the next day and checked into the Novotel in Montparnass. This wasn't as conveniently located as our first hotel, but the Novotel charged only 15E per day to park the car as opposed to 20-25E elsewhere. Our room was clean, but unremarkable.
We unloaded the car and headed off to dinner. We decided to spend the evening climbing up the Eiffel tower. Unfortunately, after climbing up to the second level, tickets to the top were no longer being sold. We were very disappointed as we were not told that this would be the case when we purchased tickets at the base.
Since my boys were not enthusiastic about spending time in a museum, as a compromise, we opted to visit Monet's garden in Giverny. To make it interesting to them, we offered 5 E to the best composed photograph to be judged by dad. They took up the challenge and photographed some beautiful flowers that were in bloom. In the evening we strolled along the Champs where they were getting ready for the final leg of the Tour de France. We climbed up the Arc de Triomphe and were rewarded with beautiful views of Paris at sunset.
Our last day was dedicated to Vimy Ridge. We had booked a tour of the historic battle site and monument 2 months prior to our arrival. My boys had learned about Vimy in school and were awe struck by what they saw. The tour helped put the importance of the battle in perspective. Also, we were given the task of locating, on the monument, the name of a friend's relative who died in that battle. It was a solemn moment when we found his name.
We covered alot of ground on this trip. There was enough variety in the places we visited to be interesting and fun for all. I look forward to planning our next great adventure!
We flew to Paris on now defunct Zoom Airlines and checked into the Citadines Apart'hotel in Montparnasse. There was a last minute change in our plans, so our choice of accommodations was limited. The hotel was well situated: metro, cafes, restaurants and grocery. Our room was surprisingly spacious for the 4 of us (with 2 teenage boys) and the kitchen was equipped with the basic necessities. The staff were very friendly and helpful.
After settling in, we headed out to see the sites. My husband and I have been to Paris several times, so we decided to give the boys an overview of the city. We skipped the museums (much to my dismay) thinking that our guys would one day return to Paris on their own. We spent the day walking most of the city...Tuilleries, Notre Dame, Latin Quarter, etc. At night we took a ride on the Bateaux Mouche. They loved seeing Paris by night!
The next morning we headed for the Catacombs. The lineup was quite long but moved quickly. It was eerie, but quite interesting. At the end of your visit, they check your bags. Apparently, in the past people have taken bones for souvenirs.
On the 4th, we took the TGV down to Avignon where we met a representative from Auto-Europe who provided us with our vehicle. We leased a Peugot 307sw. Because we were going to be in France for 3 weeks, we decided the lease option would be more economical than renting. The return was also well-organized and hassle-free. Prior to our trip, we purchased a Garmin Nuvi 270 from Costco. It proved to be a very useful tool.
We drove to St. Remy which was our base to explore Provence for the next 2 weeks. We stayed at Provence Paradise, just on the outskirts of town. Our house was "l'Orangerie"- a one bedroom home with a loft area (with 2 twin size beds) that comfortably accommodated our family. The kitchen was very well-equipped, exceedingh my expectations. The refrigerator was stocked with the evening's dinner, as well as juices, milk, butter and jam---everything we would need to get us started. Our host, William Moore and his staff: Olivier, Betina, and Jessie gave us a warm welcome. We felt as though we were among old friends. We enjoyed the warm croissants delivered to us the next morning and the poolside get together to meet the new guests. Though we tend to be quite independent when we travel, it was nice to have someone around to help if it was needed. Provence Paradise felt like a home away from home.
On Saturday, we drove to Arles. We strolled through the market and picked up some lunch. We then toured the town and bought tickets to see the Course Camarguaise--where the bull is not killed, but rather, it is chased by 'raseteurs' who try to remove tassels from the bull's head. This was very exciting as the raseteurs would have to leap the barrier to escape. We were lucky as this event was the end of fighting season, and awards were given to the best raseteurs at the conclusion of the event.
The following few days we visited Chateau des Baux, Nimes and the Pont du Gard. My 13 year old is very interested in castles and medieval weapons and warfare. He enjoyed the trebuchet demonstrations at Baux. We were impressed with the arena in Nimes. The audio guide was packed with information on Roman Nimes, we easily spent 2 hours in the arena alone! Following our day in Nimes, we drove to the Pont du Gard. Because it was at the end of the day, all the tour buses and the crowds were gone. We walked around the area for awhile, seeing the aqueduct in changing light as the sun started to descend.
The next day, we took it easy and did the Van Gogh walking tour in St. Remy and Glanum. The next morning we drove up Mont Ventoux which seems to dominate the Provence landscape. We had a clear day so the views were amazing. After lunch we drove to the Abbeye de Senanque to see the lavender in bloom. We drove through Gordes on our way back.
We spent the next day in Avignon, touring the Papal Palace, dancing on the bridge and enjoying the street performers and musicians. Because it was festival time in many parts of France, we heard that parking spots get taken up quickly. We arrived in Avignon around 9:30 am and easily found parking at the train station. It was a short walk into town. The place was packed by noon.
The next day we drove through the Luberon toward Colorado de Rustrel, a surreal landscape of red, yellow and orange rocks. I enjoyed "painting" my hands by rubbing them on the rocks. After some hiking, we ate lunch and headed for the Fontaine de Vaucluse. I thought it was overrated, perhaps because it wasn't the best time to see it which is in the spring.
Over the next few days we saw the Camargue, Aigues Mortes, Chateauneuf du Pape, Gigondas and Cassis. In Cassis, we went on a 1 hour boat tour that took us around 7 Calanques, rocky 'fjords'. Reservations are made at a shack in the Vieux-Port and method of payment is cash only....a good place to break large bills.
We did spend one day hiking into the Alpilles. You have to check with the tourist office on the day to see if trails are closed due to fire risk. We experienced a summer Mistral. It was quite blustery. When we reached the summit, I was on my hands and knees just to avoid being blown over. I can't imagine what this would be like in the dead of winter.
On the 18th, we left St. Remy very early in the morning to make our 11:15 tour of the Concord at Airbus in Blagnac (Toulouse). Reservations were made 2 months prior to our arrival. We had to show our passports upon arrival and cameras and video were not permitted. My kids have always loved planes and anything about flight, so they were thrilled to actually be inside a supersonic jet. We were fortunate to have in our tour group a former mechanic who worked on the Concord giving us a unique perspective.
Following our tour we headed towards Sarlat, our home for the next 5 days. We reserved the Richelieu apartment at Villa des Consuls inside the old city. The apartment overlooked the main thoroughfare, was well-equipped and spacious. The electrical outlet in the bathroom was, I thought, well conceived--no adaptors were necessary. We enjoyed the privacy of our terrace and the convenience of the laundry room being close by. The owner, David Lascoux is an amiable and professional man who has a gem of a place.
Saturday was market day in Sarlat. We enjoyed strolling the streets, checking out the vendors' wares and sampling the specialties of the area. In the evening we enjoyed an open-air performance of "The 3 Musketeers."
The next morning we headed out for our tour of Lascaux II. We had booked an English language tour several months in advance and were not disappointed. Although only a replica, the cave is a faithful representation of the original. The tour was quite informative and provided us with enough background information with which to explore the area.
After lunch we drove to Chateau Beynac for alittle Medieval fun. The castle was not crowded which made the visit all the more pleasant. The kids enjoyed exploring the many rooms and examining the weaponry. To me, it almost felt as though we had been transported back several centuries. We visited the rival castle, Castelnaud, the next day. Castelnaud is a fine museum of Medieval Times. There were denonstrations of blacksmithing, dressing for combat, launching of trebuchets, etc. There was also numerous exhibits and short films relating to the area's history. I would suggest for anyone visiting this area to visit Castelnaud first.
We also reserved an English language tour of Font de Gaume. At the entrance to the cave we were required to put our backpacks, wallets, cameras, cell phones, etc. in a cabinet which was locked for the duration of our tour. Nothing was allowed in the caves. We were also instructed to not lean or touch the walls. The paintings were badly damaged and I can understand why they may close this cave to the public. Following our tour, we lunched near the river in Les Eyzies de Tayac and then visited the Museum of Prehistory. The museum houses an extraordinary collection of artifacts from the surrounding area. In addition, we found the short films on how early man developed and used tools quite informative. This is a fine museum.
Although the Dordogne is considered the gastronomical capital of France, we found the menu quite limited in variety. The boys were tired of seeing duck and goose on the menus. On our last night we ate at Pizzeria Romane in Sarlat. We enjoyed the brick oven pizza and pasta.
We drove back to Paris the next day and checked into the Novotel in Montparnass. This wasn't as conveniently located as our first hotel, but the Novotel charged only 15E per day to park the car as opposed to 20-25E elsewhere. Our room was clean, but unremarkable.
We unloaded the car and headed off to dinner. We decided to spend the evening climbing up the Eiffel tower. Unfortunately, after climbing up to the second level, tickets to the top were no longer being sold. We were very disappointed as we were not told that this would be the case when we purchased tickets at the base.
Since my boys were not enthusiastic about spending time in a museum, as a compromise, we opted to visit Monet's garden in Giverny. To make it interesting to them, we offered 5 E to the best composed photograph to be judged by dad. They took up the challenge and photographed some beautiful flowers that were in bloom. In the evening we strolled along the Champs where they were getting ready for the final leg of the Tour de France. We climbed up the Arc de Triomphe and were rewarded with beautiful views of Paris at sunset.
Our last day was dedicated to Vimy Ridge. We had booked a tour of the historic battle site and monument 2 months prior to our arrival. My boys had learned about Vimy in school and were awe struck by what they saw. The tour helped put the importance of the battle in perspective. Also, we were given the task of locating, on the monument, the name of a friend's relative who died in that battle. It was a solemn moment when we found his name.
We covered alot of ground on this trip. There was enough variety in the places we visited to be interesting and fun for all. I look forward to planning our next great adventure!
Sep 16th, 2008, 04:05 PM
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Enjoyed your report. We are headed for Paris and the Dordogne in a month, so was interested in hearing about your trip. We are also staying at Villa des Consuls in Sarlat. We will be seeing the same sites - can't wait!
Also enjoyed your Provence report as we have been there a couple of times and always like reading reports of Provence - brings back good memories!
Thanks!
Also enjoyed your Provence report as we have been there a couple of times and always like reading reports of Provence - brings back good memories!
Thanks!
Jan 18th, 2009, 02:24 PM
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ggrace - don't know if you are still looking at this forum, but if you are... what tour did you book for Vimy?
In June we are doing Paris, near the Med coast, then deciding between the Dordogne and the alps for the third week, with our two boys - 8 and 11. What did your boys albeit older, think of the prehistoric paintings?
In June we are doing Paris, near the Med coast, then deciding between the Dordogne and the alps for the third week, with our two boys - 8 and 11. What did your boys albeit older, think of the prehistoric paintings?
Jan 18th, 2009, 03:23 PM
#6
Hey, I missed this the first time around. I'm glad it was bumped to the top. This is an informative report on what sounds like a great trip--except maybe the wind while you were hiking/crawling that one day.
Thank you, ggrace.
Thank you, ggrace.
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