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Friends in France
Well, this could be interesting ….
Take one old, introverted woman who always travels alone, and add a dear friend she hasn’t seen since the 1970s, with the friend’s husband, and send the three of them off to France for two weeks. What could go wrong? As usual, I started planning the trip eons in advance …. Planning is almost like being there! My itinerary included Conques, for the stunning Cathedral, St Cirq for the Grotte Pech Merle and to soak up the beauty of the village, Rocamadour on a drive-by, and Sarlat for Domme (a repeat), Lasceaux IV (a repeat), Beynac (a repeat), and to fully immerse myself in the beauty of Sarlat. It is very much like the trip I took last year -- but last year I did mostly tours, and this year I am dedicating full days to things that were only briefly covered. First I had to decide if I wanted to rent a car or try to rely on public transport and taxis. I have no trouble driving in France, but I get lost too easily, and I’m always fretting whether the GPS means *this* turn, here, going down into nowhere, or… or … I know the common thought is that rural France can’t be done right or well without a car. Well, I lived for almost a decade without a car (though in Germany, with great transport), so I wanted to see if I could get it to work. On my last visit, I did a lot of tours from Ophorus, which was great. So that would be one option, and one I strongly recommend to other travelers – they were great, from the knowledgeable guides to the overall tone and warmth. https://www.ophorus.com/ Another piece would be taking taxis. I got the name of one taxi company and inquired about fares if they would pick me up in Sarlat in the morning and drop me off at my destination in, then pick me up again later in the day. Here are the quotes (note that these are now about 2 years old, so if you ask, the fares will be higher): Pick up at Sarlat train station or the Enterprise car rental office, and dropped off in Sarlat. 25€ (30€ Sundays and holidays and every day between 7pm and 7am) Pick up in Sarlat around 09.30 and dropped off in Beynac, then picked up in Beynac around 14.00 and dropped off in Sarlat. 70€ (90€ Sundays and holidays) Pick up in Sarlat around 09.30 and dropped off in Domme, then picked up in Domme around 14.00 and dropped off in Sarlat. 70€ (90€ Sundays and holidays) Pick up in Sarlat and dropped at the Sarlat train station. 25€ (30€ Sundays and holidays and every day between 7pm and 7am) We also do private tours discovering the area along the valleys and neighborhood departments. The touring tariff is 55€ per hour. Let me know if you want to confirm the one or the other trip. Kindest regards, Christoph (& Sarissa) Kusters Taxi&Touring ŕ la Carte [email protected] www.taxialacarte.com I was totally charmed and delighted with the idea of taking taxis. But then the difficulty of getting to Conques and St Cirq without a car got to be too much of a challenge, so I reverted to the normal – renting a car. But I did want to post these options, so other folks who want to try to go car-less (yahoo) and have an easier itinerary may want to use them. The first task was trying to get from my home in Garmisch to Conques easily. Our Fodors stellar researcher Adelaidean let me know she’d heard of an airport at Rodez, about an hour from Conques, which also had some car rental agencies. I checked it out and saw that a tiny airline, Fly Amelia, flew once daily between Munich and Rodez, and there were indeed an Avis and a Hertz agencies. The rental agencies were really small, and would not permit any one-way rentals, but that wouldn’t be a problem, as the return drive from Sarlat would only be 2h30 or 3h, so it would work. I thought and thought and thought about it. I contacted Gemut and asked what they could do about a rental from Rodez. Imagine my surprise when they offered me a rental out of Toulouse and returning to Bordeaux! Hilarious. This agency, vaunted for their customer service, had apparently not even read my request … or hadn’t taken it seriously. There was no explanatory note saying, “Oh, we know this is not the town you wanted, but we couldn’t find anything around Rodez.” Nope. I even wrote back and emphasized that I wanted something out of Rodez, but they never even answered. So much for Gemut. As I kept thinking about it, I thought this small airport, tiny airline, and small rental agencies, would be a risk. If one small thing, any small thing, went wrong, there would be no alternatives and it would ruin a whole day or two. So I shifted to thinking about renting from an airport with more flights and hopefully larger rental fleets, considering Geneva (6h from Conques) or Lyon (4h). I settled on Lyon and reserved a car for the trip. BTW, I just checked, and Fly Amelia no longer has any scheduled flights out of Rodez. It was at this point that my friend, A, and her husband, G, from Florida began thinking about joining me in France. A said two or three times that they only wanted to spend time with me and spend time in historic towns and in pretty scenery. I was hoping the itinerary I worked out will give them that! A also said that neither she nor her husband were interested in driving in Europe. I was pretty happy with the plan to rent from Lyon, as it would make it easy for my friends. So instead of flying into Lyon, I decided to fly to Paris, meet them, and train together to Lyon airport to pick up the car. The planned itinerary: Conques – I just want to see the Cathedral. I’d first come across it in a historical novel when the characters undertook a pilgrimage and pass through Conques. The description of the Cathedral was stunning, as are all the Google photos I’ve seen. So I thought I’d just need a few hours to see and explore it, so just one night. St Cirq Lapopie – a base mainly to see the Grotte Pech Merle, then an extra day there to explore the town, so three nights. Sarlat – a base for Domme, Beynac, & Lasceaux IV. I also wanted a full day to explore the town, as last year I saw it only in the mornings & evenings while leaving to do a tour. The one day I did a market tour in town, it was pouring rain, and I wasn’t inclined to linger or wander. So six nights. Thu 11 Apr Fly MUC to Paris, overnight Fri 12 train to Lyon airport, 2h, pick up rental, drive to Conques, 4h, arrive about 17.00, overnight Conques. We all made reservations at the La Conquese B&B. Sat 13 Apr, drive from Conques to St Cirq Lapopie, 1h40, overnight St Cirq (we all reserved rooms at the Maison Lapopie, which was fabulous). Sun 14 Apr, drive to Grotte Pech Merle, 30 minutes, visit cave, overnight St Cirq https://www.pechmerle.com/ Mon 15 Apr, St Cirq. explore the town, overnight in St Cirq Tue 16 Apr drive from St Cirq to Rocamadour, 1h, explore the town and have lunch. Continue the drive to Sarlat, 1h, arrive around 15.00, overnight Sarlat (I was staying in an apartment listed as “Prestigious Apartment with Private Parking in Sarlat Center” at VRBO. My two priorities were private parking, as I didn’t want to have to look for or fight for parking daily, and being central. The apartment was better than I’d hoped! T&G stayed at Les Cordeliers B&B). https://www.visit-dordogne-valley.co...sit/rocamadour Wed 17 Apr Sarlat. Explore Sarlat, tour of town, overnight Sarlat Thu 18 Apr Sarlat. Drive to Lascaux IV, about 30 minutes, overnight Sarlat https://en.sarlat-tourisme.com/disco...lart-parietal/ Fri 19 Apr Sarlat. Drive to Domme, 30 minutes. See the graffiti left by the Templar knights, and take the little tourist train through the town, overnight Sarlat. https://www.visit-dordogne-valley.co...-in-2018/domme Sat 20 Apr Sarlat. Drive to Beynac, about 15 minutes. Do self-tour through the castle, explore the town, overnight Sarlat https://www.france-voyage.com/touris...azenac-302.htm Sun 21 Apr Sarlat. Rest, overnight Sarlat. As an introvert, I need to take a day occasionally where I don't have to see or talk to anyone. My friends have an interest in gardens, and she makes pottery, so I have a list of gardens & pottery shops they can visit on their own by taxi (they didn’t want to drive or be added as an additional driver on the rental). Mon 22 Apr drive Sarlat to Lyon, 4h, turn in car, take the train to Paris, 2h, arrive about 6 pm, reservations at the Hotel de la Place du Louvre, because A&G wanted to be close to the Louvre. Tue 23 Apr Paris Wed 24 Apr Paris Thu 25 Apr Fly to MUC |
Thursday 11 April
And for all my worries, we’re off to a wonderful start. My friend has a waterfall of thick, fiery red hair, now streaked with white, and I spotted her instantly across the hotel lobby when I arrived. We spent the afternoon talking and telling life stories and children stories, eating, and meandering around the Gare de Lyon. Friday 12 April Up the next day for 08.00 breakfast, 10.15 train to Lyon airport, then pick up a rental for the drive to Conques. We didn’t make it. We started with a 2h train ride from Paris to Lyon, which was 1h late, then picked up the car for the 4h drive to Conques. That’s when I discovered that my friend G gets car sick when he’s not driving. Severely car sick. I remembered in one of our many messages as we planned the trip that A reported that G wasn’t keen on driving in Europe, so I was the only driver on the contract. Well, we had to stop & pull over about six times, on auto routes and in towns, so he could breathe deep, walk, and gag by the side of the road. If I drove the speed limit around curves and changing lanes, I would have to pull over so he could dry heave. I ended up going 10-20 km under the speed limit to keep the car from swaying. It took us 6 hours to travel from the Lyon airport to Aurillac, still an hour away from Conques, and we all agreed that we could not go on. Poor guy, he felt so bad, as if he were doing it on purpose. We got on booking dot com and found a hotel and cancelled the hotel in Conques. We got checked in and followed the receptionist’s recommendation to a restaurant for a wonderful meal. I thought Aurillac was a wonderful, small, charming town. Why is it that every little place in France ends up being so alluring? I know the Tour de France recently went through Aurillac, so I hope lots of folks got to see its appeal. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4ada01f675.jpg Aurillac https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...19e56ef138.jpg |
Saturday 13 April
G said he may feel better if he is doing the driving, so early on Saturday we visited the Avis agency in town and added him as a driver. We made decent time from Aurillac to St Cirq Lapopie, about 2h, all of us, I think, holding our collective breath. But we made it without needing to stop or pull over once. On arrival, we had some trouble with a malfunctioning access pass at the designated car park, and wilted in the 29C heat on the 10-minute walk back to the village and the B&B. My friends made reservations for dinner at Le Cantou for 19.00, and they ended up loving it. But as we’d not eaten lunch, I couldn’t wait for dinner, and my friend went with me and to find something to eat. We settled in a sort of snack shop for a wonderful cheese platter & wine & ice cream. The village is drop-dead gorgeous. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a32f3d2f87.jpg View from Maison Lapopie https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...738bfc51b6.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7c19432a45.jpg |
I have a feeling this is going to be a great report . . . but question: How on earth did G (or A for that matter) not have any idea his car sickness issues would be a HUGE problem?? If he needs to be holding the steering wheel to avoid getting sick (I have a friend with the same problem -- simply cannot manage as a passenger) WHY didn't he volunteer to do the driving?
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oops -- we were posting at the same time. . . . glad he saw the light.
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You have my full attention. I can't wait to read more.
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Sunday 14 April
Our hosts brought us two huge picnic baskets for breakfast, filled with breads, yogurt, eggs, jams, cheeses, coffee, and juice. It was marvelous. They brought my basket to A&G’s rooms, as theirs was larger, and we enjoyed munching and talking and planning. We had reservations, so we drove to the Grotto Pech Merle, a cave with paintings and art from 29,000 years ago. Unlike Grotto Rouffignac, which I saw last year, we were on foot through the cave. We were all awed. Unfortunately, no photos allowed inside, so you’ll have to Google it to see what the art is like. Afterward, we had a bite to eat at the outdoor café by the cave, and I had the best hamburger ever (with Rocamadour cheese). The café was run by an immigrant family from Greece, I think it was, very friendly and very nice. Another day of 29C. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cb18162394.jpg Picnic basket breakfast https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9dd0c1f4a4.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...bdbcdff9c9.jpg "Breakfast Room" lol. Gorgeous https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...769e8f40e8.jpg Ouutdoor breakfast room https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c5ff8eb0bf.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9c9ac78768.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5d566071a1.jpg Just outside Maison Lapopie https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4bd826c93b.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4da96f5d03.jpg The Grotto https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0f9a9baf6a.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...04528b07a7.jpg Cafe at the Grotto https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c54e1b1efc.jpg Us at the grotto .... lol |
yup, janisj, the illness was so severe that I assumed I hadn't read A's message right ... or something. So when I got home, I found the message, and did a screenshot of it. I hadn't misunderstood! It worked out fine, though, and in the end was just a tiny blip. Of course, that meant I could have wine every lunch! Yaaay!
Thanks PM! Hope you enjoy it! s |
"Of course, that meant I could have wine every lunch! Yaaay!"
Silver linings for sure! 🍷 |
Off to a great start…except for the car sickness. Love the pictures.
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on for the ride
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Swandav, I don't know if I ever told you this or not, but about 20 years ago, you were one of the first people to respond to my very first post on Fodors. You were so kind and helpful, you made me want to keep posting to this board.
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Add me to this wonderful TR, swandav2000! Great shots.
(One of my roommates also gets sick unless she's driving. She had a pile of ginger, acupuncture bracelets, and pills; sometimes they worked.) |
So happy you decided to do a TR!
Those villages. The food. Just what I need this cold, dark morning before work 😍 |
Thank you, Paqngo!
Hope you enjoy the ride, lol, bilbo! P_M, wow, I am so sorry! My memory is really awful. I'm glad our exchange was a good experience for you. It must have been some time ago, and I'm betting it was about Switzerland ...? In those days, few folks were posting about Switzerland, and that was about the only place I traveled to or posted about. Thank you so much for the kind words now! Thank you TDudette! Merci Adelaidean! Enjoy! |
Those are some incredible pics.
I didn't expect you to remember a post from 20 years ago, but remember it because you and Ingo made quite an impression. And yes, it was about a trip to Switzerland. |
Wonderful report so far! We’ve been to some of the same places, such as Peche Merle, Sarlat, and Beynac. Beautiful photos!
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Oh, to get lost in those lovely alleys 😍
P_M …same, after lurking for a long time, I tentatively dipped my toe in to TA and Fodors and those first friendly interactions mean a lot. |
I am enjoying your report and lovely photos. Conques is lovely. The church is beautiful and the Tresor is exquisite with such intricate craftsmanship so long ago. We have visited St Cirq Lapopie twice - once in 2006 and again in 2018 when it was a lot busier. Did you do the walk along the towpath of the river - the Chemin d'Halage- with the sculptures in the rock at nearby Bouzies?
looking forward to the rest of your trip. |
Following along. Very fond memories of our holiday in the Dordogne back in 2017... time to return!
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Thank you P_M!
Thank you, KarenWoo! Adelaidean, it was a joy! Thank you, rhon! Yup, I am sorry to have missed Conques, but it's probably something I can live with. No, didn't do any walking, unfortunately, as I've had a problem with drop foot for the past several years. After walking for 10 or 15 minutes, I can't lift up my left foot and end up staggering, lurching, and tripping. Thankfully I should have surgery to correct it in August. Thank you, ANUJ! Yup, I think it must be! |
Tuesday 16 April
Our huge breakfasts were combined into one big basket today, and again we all thoroughly enjoyed the spread. We left St Cirq Lapopie and had a wonderfully uneventful, short drive to Sarlat; we were all wary of any time in the car, so we all just wanted to keep the driving time brief and did not want to spend any more time than absolutely necessary driving. We bypassed Rocamadour with nary a thought. My friend G was doing ok when driving, but he was taking slow, deep breaths at times when the road was curvy. But he seemed to be handling it well. Both A and I followed the routing, A with her phone and me with my Garmin device, and it was pretty comical (for us) and stressful (for G) when the devices differed. I would defer to A, as she was sitting next to the driver. We got into Sarlat at about 13.00, but they couldn't check into their b&b (Les Cordeliers) until 15.00, and I couldn't check into my apartment until 16.00, so we found a free parking spot at Pl des Cordeliers. They lugged their suitcases to their b&b and asked if they could drop the bags there until check-in; the person at the door seemed confused by the request but eventually agreed. We went and had lunch, and I also picked up some groceries. Then I drove a few blocks to the address of the private parking garage the host gave me, met him, parked, and then he drove me and my bags to the apartment. He spent about an hour explaining the stuff in the apartment, and then, having had my fill of people and talking, I just stayed put in the wonderful apartment for the evening. My friends explored the town. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...085f706124.jpg My friend knows how to travel! https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...49efab94db.jpg View from my apartment in Sarlat -- sublime! Wednesday 17 April Today we did a self-guided walking tour of the town, but it was HEAVING, elbow-to-elbow crowds, as it was also market day. In April!! It was almost impossible to maneuver around the crowds and to glean any kind of historical significance or atmosphere. I carried my heavy camera around all day but never felt inspired because all photos would be hordes of strangers. We all despaired to think what it must be like in August. Thursday 18 April We went to the Lasceaux IV reproduction of the Lasceaux cave-- really amazingly interesting. I didn't bring my camera because it was so heavy and so useless yesterday, plus no photos are allowed in the reproduction. This was my second visit here, and I was just as awed as the first time. Then, my friends told me that they wanted to stop by the Gardens of Eyrignac Manor on the way back to Sarlat -- their host at the b&b had told them about it. I was a little miffed that they hadn’t mentioned it in advance – I am not very spontaneous, and as an introvert, am usually ready to be alone and quiet by mid-afternoon. But. Oooh my. Gorgeous. Really truly worthwhile. Really a tactical error not to bring the camera! Ah well. Lasceaux IV https://lascaux.fr/fr/ Gardens of Eyrignac Manor https://www.eyrignac.com/ |
Oops
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Swandav, you've done a great job of depicting how well this trip went for you all. The itinerary choices made a huge difference.
That final image of your 'outdoor breakfast' locale (the one with the backlit vine leaves) is so evocative. One can just hear the mellow morning sounds, smell the coffee and baked goods... I am done. the TR |
Oh my gosh, I want to be in your pocket and travel with you. I wouldn't intrude on your alone time. What a beautiful trip; and your choice of towns and planning, all superb. Wonderful photos!
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Thank you zebec! It was very quiet ... it was a great place.
Thank you Trophywife007! You are so kind!! |
Friday19 April
Today we drove the half hour to the 12th C Beynac Castle, which was a base for Richard the Lionheart, which was lovely. We walked up slowly, enjoying the amazing houses and sweet cobbled paths on the way. We toured the castle, had a quick bite, then walked down again. Pretty much just another photo dump... https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...93442176eb.jpg View of the castle from the parking lot https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cc81f82050.jpg Such a pretty little place https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e2cd18916d.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b7a9efe2b1.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6ed03348a8.jpg I guess some folks live in the town ... lucky souls. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a52b5b7243.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2ef28eab9b.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6c0f651807.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3328bd23c5.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b259e8aeb7.jpg Almost there! https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f0e2d2f7b3.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f22869458e.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2a5394e880.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...281696b937.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6221416460.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4d221c9c6e.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...57b5905ecc.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ee44eba961.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6e22e643d0.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...81561e603d.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...471000ffa7.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...815b43ca0e.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c794e6f7bb.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d62a47c4c2.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f7d044dbf9.jpg These steps .... 1,000 years of use https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...edb6ade291.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a87436374f.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a90198ed9b.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b0d6b7d0db.jpg Lionheart's bedroom https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7bed3691d1.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cc02d10c3d.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b397749706.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8a273bb6ad.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...009fdd28c8.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cd9aa58deb.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8a88d4f365.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...888ad440f9.jpg |
Saturday 20 April
Today I hit the wall. The brick wall we introverts and hermits hit after doing stuff with people day in and day out. I decided that maybe seeing the Templar graffiti at the Domme gate was not a compelling enough draw to get me driving and navigating and hunting for parking and wandering and getting lost and asking for access to the gate and then navigating back to Sarlat. It just seemed to be in the too-hard column. So I pulled out my camera and just ambled around town for some morning hours; it was another mobbed market day, but I still really enjoyed the atmosphere and the gob-smacking beauty of the old bricks. I kept the camera pointed mostly up, and so most of the crowds are only visible a little at the bottom of the photos. I had lunch at one of my favorites, Gueule & Gosier. A & G called to check on me, and I asked them to join me. The tiny restaurant did a great job of suddenly turning a table for 1 into a table for 3. Another photo overload …. But those buildings!! https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...99b4ed1adf.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...722d35ac30.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8bfc8d5164.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...50d58912c4.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c21043715c.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cffb7d31d5.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5acc26d4a2.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e1a164e83c.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...55562334a4.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f3d93d9e57.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a8ac533426.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ce8ac3b256.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...09c144d152.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5ada2bfff6.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5071ad4868.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...31b22d2f6d.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fd2509f208.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8aecd8c73c.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0ed629effa.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...69639bc9cf.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...de6d7035fe.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0f1eba71ef.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7a29aa0b13.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c77011a976.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8781a36fab.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ba9554ee83.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d4da1fbee3.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6c83226453.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...401dab37d9.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...09f997524f.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f890c085bb.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3e017b0ad3.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...520323c25d.jpg Sunday 21 April I hit the wall again today. I just wanted to sit still and read and munch. I went out to a grocery store to buy some stuff, then just relaxed and packed up |
Swan, I admire your clarity about hitting the wall. Wise travelers are honest with themselves about that sort of thing.
Btw, I once had a Canuck boss who was a certified Francophile. He attended the Sorbonne then spent his rookie teaching year on Corsica. His partner is from Paris and together, it seemed like they knew every single centimeter of France. And yet once when we were chatting about travel, he claimed to have never heard of Sarlat!!? I could scarcely believe it and was never sure whether he was taking the piss with me. I am done. the French wall |
Hi Swan, really enjoyed this report. I like the way you travel!
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Great trip report and pictures. Thanks for taking us along.
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There is nothing wrong with taking some time out, and it is good your friends were able to understand that. That is much better than spending all the time together and perhaps perhaps becoming irritated. This way you come back refreshed and can enjoy your time together again. We all need our space now and then. We travel for longer than most people and we often have a quiet day where we simply go for a walk, spend time at our gite and just relax. After all we are on holidays.
Lovely photos. |
zebec, thanks so much for your kind words. I admit, I don't feel equal to some of the folks here who have packed agendas .. and enjoy all of it, lol. And holy cow ... that, I cannot believe!
Thank you so much, auntgrapes! Thank you esm! Thanks again, rhon. Yes, clearly I made the right friends 50 years ago -- they were lovely throughout. No pressure, and always game. |
Monday 22 April
Today we returned to Paris. Our train left Lyon at 15.57. I had no idea how long it would take us for the 4h drive …. G was doing great driving but tended to drive under the speed limit. Also, after hearing so many horror stories about returning rentals in Europe (I am muuuuch more comfortable on trains), and with the added driver, I had no idea how long the turn-in would take. So I planned for a 6h drive to Lyon and a 1h turn-in for the car. My host again showed up to drive me & my luggage to the garage, and A, G, and I loaded the car and left right at 08.00. The drive was wonderfully unremarkable, and almost before we knew it, we were in city traffic heading to the Lyon airport. The turn-in for the car was also unremarkable …. the guy checked the gas gauge, I paid the 150€ for the added driver, and, bang, done. Took about 5 minutes. Avis, well done, you! We boarded the bus to Terminal 2, got off at the wrong stop, and walked about 15 tiring minutes to the correct terminal, and were only 1h early. We had a quick bite then waited in the comfortable waiting room. The train was on time, and we found our seats in one of the cars designated as a quiet car. I guess we made a bit of noise as we found the luggage storage and settled in, as we got “SHUSH”ed by another passenger. The trip into Paris was relaxing. At Gare de Lyon, we were directed to a too-small taxi, and the driver took about 15 minutes trying to fit all our bags in, and I had to move the driver’s lunch to sit up front. Interestingly, his GPS gave directions in English. We got to the Hotel de la Place du Louvre at about 18.30. My friend A went and got us take-away, and I happily collapsed in my room. It was not a great room. The view was terrific. But there was no heat in either of our rooms, and it was 4C that night. The maintenance guy was terrific, and he spent hours going between our rooms and the boiler trying to make it work. It did get fixed the next day, but we spent that first night without heat, and I do think that 300€ is too much money to pay for an unheated room, even in Paris. Also, the sink and bathtub were up a steep flight of stairs. Thankfully, the toilet was in a small room next to the bed, but there was no sink there. So after using the toilet, you have to run up the steep stairs to wash your hands (imagine what might be left on that railing…). My friend A, a health care PhD, noted that, “… of course, they won’t . . . .” She also suggested the hotel leave packets of hand towelettes by the toilet, and I thought that was brilliant, so I bought some the next day. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a5c47e29d2.jpg View from the room. Not worth it.... Tuesday 23 April Shopping day. Because I live in a small town about 2h from a city, it is a real treat to have world-class shops at my fingertips. I used busses and walking to visit shops on the Champs Elysees and the Marais, then headed to the Île St Louis. I stopped by Guest Apartment Services to ask about availability for 2 apartments in November for my nephew and his girlfriend and me, then ate at Sorza on rue St Louis en l’Île. It was fab.u.lous. I do love Paris. My friends, who love gardens, spent the day at Versailles. That night, they took the Ducasse sur Seine dinner cruise – exorbitant – but it is their 50th Anniversary year, so it was splurge-worthy timing. And they said the experience and the food were worth it. |
Tuesday 23 April
Shopping day. Because I live in a small town about 2h from a city, it is a real treat to have world-class shops at my fingertips. I used busses and walking to visit shops on the Champs Elysees and the Marais, then headed to the Île St Louis. I stopped by Guest Apartment Services to ask about availability for 2 apartments in November for my nephew and his girlfriend and me, then ate at Sorza on rue St Louis en l’Île. It was fab.u.lous. I do love Paris. My friends, who love gardens, spent the day at Versailles. That night, they took the Ducasse sur Seine dinner cruise – exorbitant – but it is their 50th Anniversary year, so it was splurge-worthy timing. And they said the experience and the food were worth it. Some shots around the area and on between busses. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4cfaec1216.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...61559f5315.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c01f0983d3.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...89117bc604.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e3da10a97c.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3fa62c28b2.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6bc913535d.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...98cc664100.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6d9383b7cf.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ae73e141e7.jpg |
I do so love a ‘photo dump’ !
Glad you enjoyed your quiet days, wandering. |
Lol, happy to oblige, Adelaidean! Yes, what's not to love about a good wander in Paris!
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Wednesday 24 April
So. Well, my last day in Paris was quite fraught. It started off normally; breakfast with friends at 08.00, then about an hour later, a walk to the Louvre to meet their guide and chatting and viewing the Tuileries Gardens as we waited. Then they took off with the tour group. I was enjoying a slow wander looking for an ATM and a pharmacy. Happy to find an ATM, but it gripped my debit card so tightly that I could barely push it in….I should have heeded that warning. After a quick struggle, the transaction went through. I reached for the card, but only a sliver showed from the machine. I couldn’t even grip the sliver to pull it out. After 10 seconds of me trying to grip the thing, the machine announced that it was taking the card, and it ate it. I stood there in consternation and confusion. It did not give me the cash either. I wandered on. Wandered into a pharmacy and bought eye drops. Wandered back to the hotel to contact my bank. I was sitting on the floor of the hotel room (the one chair is supremely uncomfortable) with my tablet in my hand when I got a notice from Lufthansa that my flight the next day was cancelled. Wha??? “If you want to be rescheduled, click here to contact an agent.” Uummm. Yes, I want to be rescheduled. So, sitting on the floor with my tablet open on the chat and my phone open on my flight info, it took about an hour to get rescheduled onto a flight that left at 06.45. Oh joyjoy. Then I sat on the floor and used my phone as a hotspot and the bank’s app on my tablet to dispute the ATM transaction and let them know that my card had been eaten. In the middle of this, I was reserving two apartments for my visit in November with my nephew and his girlfriend. The agency wanted me to print and sign a document and then scan it and send it back. I went downstairs to the hotel lobby where there is a computer and printer, and tried to sign into my email account so I could access the document. You know what happened next. I got locked out of my email. Soooo back upstairs to sit on the floor with my tablet open to email and phone open to reset email password…… and that took about 39 hours. Or maybe 45 minutes that felt like 3,900 hours. I was pretty wiped out by the time I had the email account back under control … I’d spent, like, 4,390 hours sitting on the floor with two devices open untangling flights, banks, and email. It was enough. My friends had enjoyed the Louvre tour, but it was long, and they were further delayed with difficulty getting checked items returned. By the time they finally managed to get back to the hotel, and by the time I finally managed to complete my online mess-ups, it was 14.30. We found a restaurant that was open just a 10-minute walk away, Combo, on Rue Dauphine. It was a very good Sri Lankan restaurant. I checked my bank account regularly, and there were no new charges from the eaten debit card. I blocked & cancelled the debit card when I saw my last transactions go through. Happily, I had my German debit card with me, so that was my primary card for the last day. So, a few photos of the outside of the Louvre, as that’s all I saw on my last day. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d52406fefb.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0bd2f93146.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a2406e40d1.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...088eebd2a0.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5a85967f98.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...47980db8a3.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...009e7a1060.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...16ee53cfc1.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...887904d72b.jpg Thursday 25 April. It was pretty easy leaving Paris at 06.45 … aside from getting up at 04.00. There was no traffic, so the taxi ride only took 30 minutes. I flew business class, and the lounge provided a nice breakfast of cereal or bread and cheese, and coffee, until it was time to board. When I landed in Munich at 08.00, my smile was involuntary. There’s always no place like home. Then around midnight on Saturday night, I came down with Covid symptoms (my first time!), so I spent that Monday canceling appointments in German (doctor’s office for a blood draw, MRI, haircut, and Landratsamt to apply for my permanent resident visa) with razor blades in my throat. It took a good 10 days to get over it. So the trip turned out awfully well, for all that could have gone wrong. I don't think I'm sold on travel with others... I'm just too used to living/being alone. Maybe for longer, more simple trips (one or two destinations) it would be easier for me. I loved seeing my friends, and happily we are still friends, and I'm planning to see them in the spring in the USA! So, a good and successful trip! |
swandav, my goodness, what a last day! And then Covid. I really enjoyed your report and the honesty about 'travel with others'. Lovely photos too. I will look forward to hearing about Paris in November!
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