The next morning we waited for the rain to stop before entering out to Juno beach. Courseulles-sur-Mer is a small town with a port and is where the Canadian troops landed on D-day. It has a wonderful musee,Juno Beach Centre, that honors the 45,000 Canadians that landed there.










After this we were hungry and remembered a fish and chip place that we saw yesterday. We ended up driving back to Arromanches-les-Bains. We had a wonderful lunch. More rain so we drove back home.




The wind and rain for the past two days was really intense. We had a tour the next day and we were hoping it would be better weather.

Our last day was spent exploring the town of Bayeaux ( I wish we had a few more days) and then we met up with our tour guide for the next five hours along with the other tour participants. We ended up with another couple from the U.S who didn’t talk much and a group of friends from Australia.

Our first stop was the German Cemetery. It was interesting to see it and gave us some thought.

The next stop was Omaha Beach and then onto Pointe du Hoc.

Then we went to the American Cemetery in time for the flag ceremony and Taps to be played. It was very touching to be there for this ceremony.

I did get to go through the garden where there is list upon list of soldiers names that remains haven’t been recovered.

Our last stop was at Normandy Beach. We learned some interesting facts from our guide and we were happy with the tour.

We were dropped off in Bayeaux and then we walked to the moulin to check it out. It started to rain so we headed back home.

Bayeaux

Bayeaux

Bayeaux

Bayeaux

German cemetery

Pointe du Hoc

Pointe du Hoc


Pointe du Hoc Ranger Monument


American Cemetery

Paqngo, what's the story of the turquoise scooter with the two women?

I'm glad to see you two are enjoying local beers and ciders with your meals. We always drink more in France than we do at home. So many different varieties to try!

Coquelicot- We saw the scooter first and then an art store had the picture. I do love scooters though and would love to have one.

My husband flew home and my girlfriend flew in all within a couple of hours. We met at a coffee shop by the train station in CDG. It was her first time in France and she was excited to see it.

We took a direct train to Strasbourg and then took a taxi to our hotel for the next four nights. ➔ Hôtel Suisse · Hôtel Strasbourg Au pied de la Cathédrale · OFFICIEL. Hotel Suisse was in a wonderful location and our room on the top floor had a great view of the cathedral.




Dropping our bags off we headed off to explore and to also grab a bit to eat.













The city is very walkable and we had great weather all three days.

Breakfast was included and what a wonderful spread we had to choose from. They even had champagne if you wanted a glass.




We took a train to Colmar after breakfast. I had downloaded Colmar Self-Guided Audio Tours • Explore Your WayVoiceMaphttps://voicemap.me › tour › colmar. The voice map app was a great choice and is something I will use again.

I was able to pause the audio as needed to go into stores or just admire the buildings. The app was great because it knew where you were at and gave directions to the next location. The farmers market was incredible. The city was busy and just got busier as the day went on. I loved Colmar and would really like to have a bit more time in the city. Definitely a reason to return.





















We left in the late afternoon and sat in front of the cathedral having a cold drink and enjoying the light.





The next day was spent exploring and shopping in Strasbourg. It’s such a great city with views around every corner. The crowds on a sunny Saturday were kind of overwhelming. We did go into the cathedral. We had a nice lunch next door to our hotel.











Dinner reservation was at Accueil - Restaurant L'Oignon. But not until 9 o’clock.

Roasted Pork Shank

Crème Brûlée


The town was still so busy with people out enjoying the warm evening even at 11 pm.



Another day of exploring Strasbourg. We went back to shops in search of some gifts. I also wanted to look at the linen stores. It was a relaxing day of seeing some parts of Strausourg that we hadn’t seen. With the city being so busy we found a restaurant that was close to our hotel and made reservations. This worked out well and we were able to eat at 730. The reviews on Google were accurate. We had a great meal of homemade pasta with a great dessert.

Wonderful photos and descriptions.
We have been to France 15 times and loved driving to the smaller towns. Our favorite so far was the Dordogne area.
That said, your journey took us to some places we have yet to visit. So, time to make a new list for the future.

Thanks TPAYT! The Dordogne area is definitely on my list for the next rip to France.

We lugged our suitcases to the train station for our next stop- Dijon. The weather was changing and we were hoping to not get rained on.

Traveling light made it easier to get on and off the train. Our train was on time to Dijon and just in time for it to really start raining. We should have taken a taxi because we got a little lost and soaked walking. Our Air bnb for the next 4 nights was in the middle of the historic area. It had two cheese shops that were very close, lots of restaurants and the tram was not far.

Lugging the suitcases up two flights of stairs was not necessarily fun but we made it. The place was nice and had plenty of space. It also had a washer and dryer. I have to say though that we have never had good luck with dryers in Europe. Thank goodness for a drying rack.

Dinner that night was at Restaurant Le 314 à Dijon - Les Restaurants Nicolas Pierre. The food was delicious but our server not very good. A warm meal in a cold night hit the spot.







The next morning it was still spitting rain here and there. I booked a train to Beaune for a day of exploring, mustard and shopping. The train was on time and we walked from the station in Beaune to downtown. Our first stop was the Hospices. We got an audio guide and explored the building and garden for about an hour. Billetterie en ligne | Hôtel-Dieu des Hospices de Beaune


Walking through Beaune





Mosaic floor

Hospices tiled roof





Hospice’s garden



After that it was mustard time. We walked to the Edmond Fallot mustard shop. Fallot Mustard mill | La Moutarderie Edmond Fallot.

Beaune was not a new place for me. My dh and I stayed for about five days on our trip in 2021. This is where I completely fell in love with mustard. Not the gross French’s mustard but FRENCH mustard. I had saved room in my suitcase just for this mustard. I bought bigger jars this time.

By then we were both thirsty and hungry so we choose a place on the main square. We were very lucky. The food was great and the service was too. My Chèvre Chaud salad did not dissapoint. We were able to relax and enjoy the meal.




More shopping was done and then we walked to the train station to get back to Dijon. We were able to stop at the cheese shop and get some for snacking at the house.

Our 2nd full day was spent on a wine tour. My girlfriend loves wine and found one that looked appealing. We walked to the meeting place and met some other lovely people that we would spend our day with. Our guide, was an amazing wealth of knowledge. Born and raised in a small town in Brittany his degree in archeology was not working so he got his wine certificate and started being a guide. He took us to three different wineries with a lunch break in Beaune.

Old vines near Beaune




Smaller winery











Now I don’t really drink much wine and am in no way knowledgeable like my friend is but I did try some and she drank the rest.

We did try a different place in Beaune for lunch and it was very good too. The weather was kind of iffy that day so riding in the van wasn’t so bad.


On our way to a very small winery








It was a wonderful way to spend the day and learn about the wine region.

Our last day in Dijon was spent exploring the city and walking the Owl Trail Le Parcours de la Chouette (The Owl Trail) - Tourist Office Dijon Métropole. This was a fun way to spend the day and the shopping was fun too.



The start of our walk






I just noticed the lady smiling.


I loved this carousel








The owl


Dark moody clouds


We did have lunch and a great spot that was filled with lots of people all enjoying their lunch. We both had the chicken with mustard sauce. All delicious.




Packing that night we finished the cheese and enjoyed some down time.

Great trip report. We did a similar trip in 2023 and your report brings back some wonderful memories.

Thanks cheska15. I have enjoyed reading your trip reports.

We were able to take the tram to the train station where we had coffee and a croissant before our direct train to our last stop Paris.

It is amazing what pastries you can get at a train station or gas station in France. Definitely not like the U.S.






We had a taxi take us to our hotel where we left our luggage and set off the explore the market right outside the door.

We stayed at the Citadens Bastille Marais which is in the 11th. It was a new area for me and the hotel served our needs. They did give us a very nice room when we got back that had two balconies and plenty of space.

We hit the ground running. We walked from the hotel to the Jardin de Luxembourg and explored the park.







From there we got a drink before meeting our group for a food tour with Paris by Mouth. Paris by Mouth PARIS BY MOUTH. I really can not recommend this tour enough. Our guide was excellent and we had so much fun! It started with the best croissant at https://maps.app.goo.gl/K8AHuUiv9GgKwg417?g_st=ipc La Maison d’Isabelle. We then went to an award winning cheese shop -Fromagerie Laurent Dubois - Maubert. Our guide told us all about different cheeses and she had six cheeses already picked out for later. A award winning chocolatier was next. Patrick Roger was an experience. https://www.patrickroger.com/en. A stop by an excellent patisserie Pierre Hermé. They gave us the chance to sample any flavor macaron. I tried the passion fruit chocolate and it was sublime. We also got to choose a pastry for later. It all ended at the wine shop. We went to the cellar and had wine, baguettes and 6 different cheeses. We didn’t need to eat at all after!
















We took a bus back to the hotel. If we weren’t walking we took a bus. We had installed the app, Ile de France, before we left and it was really easy to buy tickets and tap on the bus. I enjoyed the bus rides as I feel like I get a better view of if the city rather than going underground.

I didn’t buy a daily or weekly pass because we walked more than we rode. The daily pass was €12 or €2 a ride if purchased separately.

Day two in Paris was just as busy. I was able to wake up early enough to get on the Notre Dame site and get tickets for 9:15. They release tickets the morning of so we walked right in. The line for no tickets wasn’t that bad either. The next day we walked by and the line was really long for no tickets.














We walked to Notre Dame and stopped along the way for a coffee and croissant. Notre Dame was amazing and we spent quite awhile admiring the architecture and art work.

From there we hopped on a bus that took us to the Eiffel Tower. We met a family from South Carolina and took pictures of them with the tower. We walked around and took a lot of pictures. We stopped on the way back another coffee and sat on the sidewalk enjoying the sun. We took a bus back to the hotel and stopped by a place for lunch. It was delicious but way too much food.






We had a walking tour through the podcast The Earful Tower in Montmarte. It started at the cemetery and we walked through the area learning about different buildings and some of the history. I have to say this was not the best tour. The guide didn’t know any of the history of a beautiful church- Église Saint-Jean de Montmartre. She talked about the podcast owner way too much. Perhaps it was because the other two people on the tour were avid lovers of the podcast. We did however get to see a different part of Paris and the views were amazing.


Mosaics in the church. Église Saint-Jean de Montmartre





I lo=ed the dog park



A bus ride back to the hotel where we relaxed for a bit and then went shopping. We found a cute bistro and had a wonderful meal. We both got chicken Provençal that was delicious. The meal cost was very reasonable and the service was excellent.

The next morning was spent wandering through different neighborhoods where we found the oldest square in Paris-Place des Vosges. We had a nice breakfast and a chocolate chaud. The service was not that great and this was the only place the server asked us to leave a tip. We went down some side streets window shopping and then my chapstick fell out and hit the ground. I glanced up and across the street was a pharmacy. Do you ever meet someone and think the meeting was meant to be? The proprietor was an exceptional woman. She gave me a wonderful chapstick but even better was her story. What a lovely French woman and someone I will never forget. Her mom bought the pharmacy and moved to Paris during WW2. She had pictures she shared with us and it was a pleasure to meet her.







We had reservations at Sainte-Chapelle so we walked there to get in line for our 1pm entry. I did have problems getting the tickets but it was the browser that was the issue. It didn’t like Safari. We spent quite a bit of time gazing up at the stained glass and listening to the history in our audio guide. The colors were stunning and we both really enjoyed it.






By the time we walked back to our hotel it was getting late so we went to a bistro for dinner. Another wonderful meal and a short walk back to the hotel. We were walking between 7-9 miles a day so by the end of the day my feet were tired.

Our last day in Paris was spent at the Louvre and shopping for some gifts. We started the morning walking through a market and then catching a bus to the Lourve. We got in our entry time slot and we were in very quickly. Not having any coffee that morning we stopped at the cafe inside to have something before we search for Mona Lisa. We figured we would see the Italian wing first and then explore all the other areas. We finally found her after admiring other paintings along the way. The line to see her was not bad. The number of selfie taking people though is a bit ridiculous. How many selfies does one need? I didn’t take any but did snap a couple of photos and just enjoyed the painting for a few moments before exiting. The French wing was next and I was surprised how empty it was compared to the other wing,






After about 3 hours we were ready to leave and exiting became a trial of patience. It took us a half an hour just to get to the exit.

My friend was looking for something specific so we went all over to find a scarf. She wanted to go back to Sainte Germain so we hopped on a bus. By then we were both hungry and thirsty and stopped at a place that looked appealing. Sidewalk seating, not too big and an empty table. It ended up being an Italian place. We relaxed and enjoyed our drinks and meal in a sunny spot. It was our last meal in France and it was definitely a winner.







We powered on looking for just the right scarf but on a Sunday there were so many places closed. She did finally find one on our way back to the hotel.

Our evening was spent packing and finding places for all the mustard I bought in Beaune. We had a cab to the airport the next morning and I checked my bag through to Boston. I stayed the night at the Hilton Boston airport and caught my Southwest flight to Sacramento the next morning.

France is such a beautiful country. There are parts that we still haven’t seen and I would love to see them and go back to some of the areas we’ve been.

gorgeous photos of Boston. looking forward to reading the entire report

Thank you for sharing your wonderful photos and trip, Paqngo.

Thanks lauramsgarden and Tdudette.

I’ve just enjoyed a nice, slow read of your TR over coffee.
Love the photos and stories. I really love food markets in Europe and that pic of the wonderful breads inspired me to make time to go to a farmers market this weekend and get us some sourdough.

I am glad you enjoyed it Adelaidean. Markets are a favorite of mine too. Enjoy your farmers market.

What I absolutely love about trip reports is that we all travel differently and yet each of us love getting taken along for the ride. Thank you

Last year, I had a fall and injured my arm. As I recovered from surgery, my therapy became planning a return trip to France — something to look forward to and focus on during recovery.

Thanks cheska15. Reading other reports inspires me to go to new places.

I took this photo while in Paris and then read this today:

If you ever walk around Paris and suddenly notice a small round bronze disk on the ground with the word ARAGO, congratulations — you’ve just stepped on a piece of science history.
These markers are called Arago Medallions, and there are 135 of them hidden across the city. They’re easy to miss, but once you know what they are, you’ll start spotting them everywhere: near the Louvre, the Luxembourg Gardens, Montmartre, and even tiny side streets.

So… what are they?
They mark the path of the Paris Meridian, a north–south line that once served as France’s official reference for maps and navigation.
Before the world agreed to use the Greenwich Meridian in London, France used its own system — and the Paris Meridian ran straight through the heart of the city.
In the 1800s, a famous French astronomer named François Arago studied this meridian. He measured it, corrected it, and used it to help understand the shape of the Earth. He became so important in the world of science that Paris later honored him with these small markers placed exactly along the old meridian line.
The medallions were installed in 1994 by Dutch artist Jan Dibbets as part of a large art project for the city. Each one is about 12 cm wide, made of bronze, and shows the word ARAGO with the letters N and S for north and south.
Even though France no longer uses the Paris Meridian for navigation, the line is still there — crossing museums, gardens, and even buildings. The medallions help you “follow” it like a treasure hunt.
One of the most famous spots is exactly where this photo was taken: in front of the Louvre Pyramid. Tourists take pictures of the pyramid without ever noticing that a scientific landmark is right under their feet.
So next time you’re in Paris, look down when you walk.

You might discover that you’re walking on a line that once helped guide explorers, astronomers, and map-makers — and that still quietly crosses the city today.