Two weeks in Paris, Provence, and the French Riviera
May 24th, 2013, 08:04 AM
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Two weeks in Paris, Provence, and the French Riviera
Hi all! I leave today for my long awaited trip to France with a close friend. First stop is Paris for 6 nights, then Provence for 3 nights, then Nice for 3 nights, and lastly 2 relaxing days in Cassis to close out our trip. I am very excited, but nervous about the language barrier. It will be my first time in France. I know just the basics in French so hopefully that and a smile will go a long way 
I will be posting updates as to what activities we've done, where we've eaten, and how things are going every so often during the trip. This is partly to keep my friends and family in the loop and also to document my trip. I hope others also find this trip report useful, as I found Fodors to be a huge help while planning. Thank you to everyone on Fodors who have offered advice while we were planning this trip!
I will be posting updates as to what activities we've done, where we've eaten, and how things are going every so often during the trip. This is partly to keep my friends and family in the loop and also to document my trip. I hope others also find this trip report useful, as I found Fodors to be a huge help while planning. Thank you to everyone on Fodors who have offered advice while we were planning this trip!
May 24th, 2013, 10:07 AM
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It's pretty cool in Paris right now, and it doesn't look it is going to get higher than the low 60's for a while, so be sure you bring some warm clothes that I hope you won't need in the south. It was sleeting this morning, but that's an outlier.
May 24th, 2013, 11:04 AM
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Please do keep us up to date on your trip. We are doing almost the identical itinerary in September. We have 5 days in Paris, 4 days at a hotel in St Remy, 3 days in Nice before flying home. Where are you staying in each place? Traveling by car? Tell us where to go and sightsee and eat in each place. It will be fun following your trip and preparing for our journey. Bon Voyage
May 24th, 2013, 01:12 PM
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Thanks ackislander. We definitely packed for cooler weather in Paris after seeing the weather lately.
Kysue, we are renting a car in Provence. After we leave each hotel I will post where we stayed. We are staying in le marais in Paris though.
Update so far: Betsy and I are having a glass of wine before our flight boards. Hopefully that with an extra glass on the plane will put us to sleep early to minimize jet lag. Not to mention an ambien if needed! We already saved $200! Well, sort of. Both of our checked luggage was over 50 lbs. mine by 13lbs. Oops! The lady with air France was really helpful and we were able to transfer some things to our carry-ons. Yay!
Kysue, we are renting a car in Provence. After we leave each hotel I will post where we stayed. We are staying in le marais in Paris though.
Update so far: Betsy and I are having a glass of wine before our flight boards. Hopefully that with an extra glass on the plane will put us to sleep early to minimize jet lag. Not to mention an ambien if needed! We already saved $200! Well, sort of. Both of our checked luggage was over 50 lbs. mine by 13lbs. Oops! The lady with air France was really helpful and we were able to transfer some things to our carry-ons. Yay!
May 24th, 2013, 01:32 PM
#6
My kind of gals---a little wine to get started, a little more wine on the plane, a short nap and boom you're in Paris!
50 lbs. on the luggage---how many pairs of shoes did you take???
I'll definitely be following along on your journey.
50 lbs. on the luggage---how many pairs of shoes did you take???
I'll definitely be following along on your journey.
May 24th, 2013, 01:32 PM
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I'm SO excited for you two - wish I were hiding in your suitcase (well not really)!! Thanks for setting this up. It will be wonderful following along (kind of like being in your suitcase). Tell Betsy to check my password, she'll like it.
Take care of each other!!
Love you Both!
Mommy
Take care of each other!!
Love you Both!
Mommy
May 26th, 2013, 02:37 AM
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Update from 5/25: bonjour! We explored the neighborhood of le marais a little bit and took the 72 bus down rue du rivoli towards the Eiffel Tower.
We arrived at our hotel at 10am and they said our room would be ready in an hour so we walked a few blocks over to a little cafe where we ordered petit dejeneur ( croissant, cafe creme, and orange juice). It was delicious although they didn't warm up the croissant, which I love. Is that weird to ask for that in Paris? I guess I have another phrase to learn. After, we wandered and got a little lost. I was embarrassed that Betsy pulled out our huge tourist map to find our way back. Ha! None the less, we did find our way back to check in.
Our hotel is so cute. I will reveal where after we leave. Everyone is very nice and I am surprised by how large the room is considering what I have heard of hotel rooms in Paris. We check in, get settled, and head back out.
We walk to the place de Vosges, which is super cute and walk through and take some pictures. Then we ate lunch at cafe Hugo. Betsy had the croque Monsieur ( which was tasty) and I had a chèvre salad (which was delicious as well).
Then we walk to rue du rivoli to find the 72 bus but it starts to rain so we duck into what I believe was a bistro called la favorite. This place was similar to a diner in the us but with more charm and glamour. Probably because its Parisian! We sat down at the bar and had a glass of wine. Then headed back out again once the rain stopped.
Next, we found the 72 bus towards the eiffel tower. Only problem was that we realized we needed a restroom only 3/4 of the way there so hopped off when we saw a public toilet. We quickly realized this was a bad idea when it took five minutes for each person to both use the single toilet and then for the toilet to close again and clean itself. Seemed pretty inefficient for a touristy area but maybe it is cheaper than bathrooms that need to be cleaned manually? Twenty minutes later when there were only three people in front of us, we were on our way.
We went across a beautiful bridge and walked further towards the Eiffel Tower. What a site! After about twenty minutes of walking we realized we weren't going to be able to do all we wanted before our dinner res at 8pm so we decided to wait to see the Eiffel Tower up close another day and grabbed a cab towards the Louis Vuitton on champs élysées where Betsy had plans to buy a purse. There was a ridiculously long line to get in so we changed our plans again. The cab driver was so nice despite the fact he knew little English and we knew very little French. In fact, everyone we encountered was very gracious about my broken, I'm sure poorly pronounced French.
Our cab dropped us at jardin du tuliries and we walked through. We loved the three colors present in the garden - the cream/beige of the buildings and pebbled ground, the green of the grass, and the purple/ blue of all the irises dispersed throughout. We walked to dinner at ozo.
By now we were exhausted and just wanted the day to be over with but we mustered through the last few hours. Dinner was good. I had the scallops, pea purée, and melon salad with a yummy drink made with lavender syrup. Betsy had the same with the beef filet. After, we headed to amorillo nearby which was incredible gelato. I had the caramel and raspberry and Betsy had the caramel and pistachio. So good. We walked home and passed out ASAP!
We arrived at our hotel at 10am and they said our room would be ready in an hour so we walked a few blocks over to a little cafe where we ordered petit dejeneur ( croissant, cafe creme, and orange juice). It was delicious although they didn't warm up the croissant, which I love. Is that weird to ask for that in Paris? I guess I have another phrase to learn. After, we wandered and got a little lost. I was embarrassed that Betsy pulled out our huge tourist map to find our way back. Ha! None the less, we did find our way back to check in.
Our hotel is so cute. I will reveal where after we leave. Everyone is very nice and I am surprised by how large the room is considering what I have heard of hotel rooms in Paris. We check in, get settled, and head back out.
We walk to the place de Vosges, which is super cute and walk through and take some pictures. Then we ate lunch at cafe Hugo. Betsy had the croque Monsieur ( which was tasty) and I had a chèvre salad (which was delicious as well).
Then we walk to rue du rivoli to find the 72 bus but it starts to rain so we duck into what I believe was a bistro called la favorite. This place was similar to a diner in the us but with more charm and glamour. Probably because its Parisian! We sat down at the bar and had a glass of wine. Then headed back out again once the rain stopped.
Next, we found the 72 bus towards the eiffel tower. Only problem was that we realized we needed a restroom only 3/4 of the way there so hopped off when we saw a public toilet. We quickly realized this was a bad idea when it took five minutes for each person to both use the single toilet and then for the toilet to close again and clean itself. Seemed pretty inefficient for a touristy area but maybe it is cheaper than bathrooms that need to be cleaned manually? Twenty minutes later when there were only three people in front of us, we were on our way.
We went across a beautiful bridge and walked further towards the Eiffel Tower. What a site! After about twenty minutes of walking we realized we weren't going to be able to do all we wanted before our dinner res at 8pm so we decided to wait to see the Eiffel Tower up close another day and grabbed a cab towards the Louis Vuitton on champs élysées where Betsy had plans to buy a purse. There was a ridiculously long line to get in so we changed our plans again. The cab driver was so nice despite the fact he knew little English and we knew very little French. In fact, everyone we encountered was very gracious about my broken, I'm sure poorly pronounced French.
Our cab dropped us at jardin du tuliries and we walked through. We loved the three colors present in the garden - the cream/beige of the buildings and pebbled ground, the green of the grass, and the purple/ blue of all the irises dispersed throughout. We walked to dinner at ozo.
By now we were exhausted and just wanted the day to be over with but we mustered through the last few hours. Dinner was good. I had the scallops, pea purée, and melon salad with a yummy drink made with lavender syrup. Betsy had the same with the beef filet. After, we headed to amorillo nearby which was incredible gelato. I had the caramel and raspberry and Betsy had the caramel and pistachio. So good. We walked home and passed out ASAP!
May 26th, 2013, 06:53 AM
#10
You sure did a lot on your first day. Can't wait to hear where you stayed. It seems it is near Place Vosges---if so, don't miss the Carnavalet Museum, our personal favorite.
Did you mean Amorino for gelato? The place where in every cone the gelato is shaped like a flower?
Carry on------
Did you mean Amorino for gelato? The place where in every cone the gelato is shaped like a flower?
Carry on------
May 26th, 2013, 01:55 PM
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Yes, yes it was amorino. I'll blame jet lag!
Update from 5/26: marche des enfants and Versailles.
We slept in a little bit since our previous night sleep was about 2.5 hours total. Then, we headed to marche des enfants to buy wine, cheese, and bread for our picnic at Versailles. We got by with the little French we knew (This is Betsy now: change "we" to "I" as in, Meredith was the only one speaking ANY French. Very impressive. Okay, back to her post...), but it was very Parisian and we definitely felt out of our element a bit. We stopped by ouverture du stand for our bread and a delicious Nutella crepe, which was amazing but super rich. Of course I got some on my white jeans - exactly what I pictured happening when I packed them. As we left a woman was singing opera - only in Paris!
On our way to the metro to head to Versailles we stopped for a cafe creme. Betsy did a nice job asking in French except that instead of s'il vous plait she said por favor. I think that is considered franish. Either way our server understood thank goodness.
We made it to Versailles with no hiccups but there was a long line to buy tickets (much longer than the line to get in) so I would definitely recommend buying them ahead of time. We did not because we were planning on going on Tuesday and forgot to buy yesterday.
First we toured the chateau, which was pretty crowded at certain points in time. The hall of mirrors brought tears to my eyes it was so beautiful and the audio tour was nice to have since there was not a lot of reading within the chateau and all I did see was in French.
We then walked towards Marie Antoinette's estate and found a spot to picnic. Even though the chateau was beautiful this was the most enjoyable part to relax and have some wine, cheese, proscuitto, baguette, and raspberries. There was a french family picnicking nearby and the young boys were throwing around a football. They were reprimanded by their mother several times and at one point they hit me with their football. I didn't know what to say to them in french in response. I realized afterwards that shaking your finger at someone is probably universal.
We then walked back through the gardens, which was very much more serene than the crowds from earlier as most people had left by then. It was after 630pm. If you are going to go half a day I would say we really enjoyed the second half of the day.
On the way back to the train we stopped at McDonald's because we had heard it tasted different. We didn't notice a difference but the decor was much different - much more modern and loungy. Buying our train tickets back we were thankful to have a chip and pin card as each person's card was rejected one after another in front of us. I stepped up to the plate and bought ours and for four others and they paid for all our tickets which was nice. The next people in line had the same trouble while I was getting my things organized so I bought there's as well. They paid me as I said "pleasure doing business with you". I decided to get out of there fast before I was on the hook to buy more tickets.
Update from 5/26: marche des enfants and Versailles.
We slept in a little bit since our previous night sleep was about 2.5 hours total. Then, we headed to marche des enfants to buy wine, cheese, and bread for our picnic at Versailles. We got by with the little French we knew (This is Betsy now: change "we" to "I" as in, Meredith was the only one speaking ANY French. Very impressive. Okay, back to her post...), but it was very Parisian and we definitely felt out of our element a bit. We stopped by ouverture du stand for our bread and a delicious Nutella crepe, which was amazing but super rich. Of course I got some on my white jeans - exactly what I pictured happening when I packed them. As we left a woman was singing opera - only in Paris!
On our way to the metro to head to Versailles we stopped for a cafe creme. Betsy did a nice job asking in French except that instead of s'il vous plait she said por favor. I think that is considered franish. Either way our server understood thank goodness.
We made it to Versailles with no hiccups but there was a long line to buy tickets (much longer than the line to get in) so I would definitely recommend buying them ahead of time. We did not because we were planning on going on Tuesday and forgot to buy yesterday.
First we toured the chateau, which was pretty crowded at certain points in time. The hall of mirrors brought tears to my eyes it was so beautiful and the audio tour was nice to have since there was not a lot of reading within the chateau and all I did see was in French.
We then walked towards Marie Antoinette's estate and found a spot to picnic. Even though the chateau was beautiful this was the most enjoyable part to relax and have some wine, cheese, proscuitto, baguette, and raspberries. There was a french family picnicking nearby and the young boys were throwing around a football. They were reprimanded by their mother several times and at one point they hit me with their football. I didn't know what to say to them in french in response. I realized afterwards that shaking your finger at someone is probably universal.
We then walked back through the gardens, which was very much more serene than the crowds from earlier as most people had left by then. It was after 630pm. If you are going to go half a day I would say we really enjoyed the second half of the day.
On the way back to the train we stopped at McDonald's because we had heard it tasted different. We didn't notice a difference but the decor was much different - much more modern and loungy. Buying our train tickets back we were thankful to have a chip and pin card as each person's card was rejected one after another in front of us. I stepped up to the plate and bought ours and for four others and they paid for all our tickets which was nice. The next people in line had the same trouble while I was getting my things organized so I bought there's as well. They paid me as I said "pleasure doing business with you". I decided to get out of there fast before I was on the hook to buy more tickets.
May 26th, 2013, 06:42 PM
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This is all so fun and exciting to read!! Thank you so much. We're glad you are being so adventuresome but being careful. All ur good planning seems to be paying off. The picnic sounds really special and glad the weather is cooperating!! Love and more Happy Travels, Mommy C
May 27th, 2013, 01:23 PM
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Update from 5/27: notre dame, sainte chapelle, and the Eiffel Tower.
We were up early since this day was to be the day with the nicest weather. We walked towards notre dame and stopped in a cafe for cafe creme and baguette with butter and jam for breakfast (I believe that is tartine beurre). Very tasty.
We then walked to notre dame and contemplated waiting in line to walk up the cathedral but decided we would check out the other entrance Instead. The other was just to walk through the cathedral and there was essentially no line so we walked in. I couldn't believe how easy it was. It was 10am. The experience inside was so great. Small alcoves with statues or paintings or pews for prayer. Then in the middle were pews of chairs and at the pulpit there was a choir singing. I sat down and spent some time in prayer and took in the beautiful surroundings. We left and walked the perimeter, which was just as beautiful as the inside.
Next, we went to sainte chapelle. We were uncertain at first because there was a long line but it was a nice day so we joined and thought we would see how quickly it went. After a quick twenty minutes and a chat with a nice Australian author, we were inside. The inside is beautiful stained glass windows depicting all of the bible from genesis to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. On the back wall the apocalypse is depicted. The sun coming through the windows in the morning is breath taking.
We took the metro to the Eiffel Tower and picked up a proscuitto and mozzarella sandwich, wine, baguette, cheese, and strawberries for our Eiffel Tower visit and picnic. Betsy seems much more comfortable with her french today, although still sprinkled with some Spanish pleasantries. Supposedly I used some Spanish too while ordering the sandwich but I don't remember that at all. Haha! Anyways, we got to the champs de mars and opened up our bottle of rose and lunch. The food was fantastic. I am almost certain that those were the best strawberries I've had in a long time. We spent some time relaxing and thinking through our plans for the rest of the week. By the way, we felt bad for some of the other picnickers and their American-like lunches (packaged triangle sandwiches, red bull, and dole fruit cup). Not to be snotty, but what?!?!
Betsy was really excited to get her Louis Vuitton bag today on the champs élysées. Her longchamp is in the corner now and it looks sad. I was so tired after Betsy's purchase that we took a cab to dinner from the champs élysées. 21 euros later, we were there. Not sure whether we were given a tour of Paris or something. It is possible.
We had dinner at chez janou. We shared our appetizers - tuna carpaccio and toast with fromage. Both were amazing. We also split our entrees. Beef filet and the tuna. We both loved the tuna, but were not as impressed with the beef. We ordered it medium but it was more like well done. Not bad, just not great. Oh well.
After dinner, we split up for a little alone time. I came back to the room to relax and Betsy stopped to have gelato and a drink.
Some random observations about paris in general and the people to close this out today: lots of smokers; the older the native, the less patience for non-French speakers; lots of black panty hose; women wear less make-up but look more to be natural beauties; late dinners; lots of jack russel terriers; french kids dress nicer than adults in the u.s.; scooters (motor scooters for adults. Toy scooters for children); public trash cans make more sense than those in the u.s. (I can comment further on that one if you wish); colored pant trend for women isn't happening here - it is for men though; Parisians really do have that certain je ne sais quoi.
We were up early since this day was to be the day with the nicest weather. We walked towards notre dame and stopped in a cafe for cafe creme and baguette with butter and jam for breakfast (I believe that is tartine beurre). Very tasty.
We then walked to notre dame and contemplated waiting in line to walk up the cathedral but decided we would check out the other entrance Instead. The other was just to walk through the cathedral and there was essentially no line so we walked in. I couldn't believe how easy it was. It was 10am. The experience inside was so great. Small alcoves with statues or paintings or pews for prayer. Then in the middle were pews of chairs and at the pulpit there was a choir singing. I sat down and spent some time in prayer and took in the beautiful surroundings. We left and walked the perimeter, which was just as beautiful as the inside.
Next, we went to sainte chapelle. We were uncertain at first because there was a long line but it was a nice day so we joined and thought we would see how quickly it went. After a quick twenty minutes and a chat with a nice Australian author, we were inside. The inside is beautiful stained glass windows depicting all of the bible from genesis to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. On the back wall the apocalypse is depicted. The sun coming through the windows in the morning is breath taking.
We took the metro to the Eiffel Tower and picked up a proscuitto and mozzarella sandwich, wine, baguette, cheese, and strawberries for our Eiffel Tower visit and picnic. Betsy seems much more comfortable with her french today, although still sprinkled with some Spanish pleasantries. Supposedly I used some Spanish too while ordering the sandwich but I don't remember that at all. Haha! Anyways, we got to the champs de mars and opened up our bottle of rose and lunch. The food was fantastic. I am almost certain that those were the best strawberries I've had in a long time. We spent some time relaxing and thinking through our plans for the rest of the week. By the way, we felt bad for some of the other picnickers and their American-like lunches (packaged triangle sandwiches, red bull, and dole fruit cup). Not to be snotty, but what?!?!
Betsy was really excited to get her Louis Vuitton bag today on the champs élysées. Her longchamp is in the corner now and it looks sad. I was so tired after Betsy's purchase that we took a cab to dinner from the champs élysées. 21 euros later, we were there. Not sure whether we were given a tour of Paris or something. It is possible.
We had dinner at chez janou. We shared our appetizers - tuna carpaccio and toast with fromage. Both were amazing. We also split our entrees. Beef filet and the tuna. We both loved the tuna, but were not as impressed with the beef. We ordered it medium but it was more like well done. Not bad, just not great. Oh well.
After dinner, we split up for a little alone time. I came back to the room to relax and Betsy stopped to have gelato and a drink.
Some random observations about paris in general and the people to close this out today: lots of smokers; the older the native, the less patience for non-French speakers; lots of black panty hose; women wear less make-up but look more to be natural beauties; late dinners; lots of jack russel terriers; french kids dress nicer than adults in the u.s.; scooters (motor scooters for adults. Toy scooters for children); public trash cans make more sense than those in the u.s. (I can comment further on that one if you wish); colored pant trend for women isn't happening here - it is for men though; Parisians really do have that certain je ne sais quoi.
May 29th, 2013, 02:19 AM
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Update from 5/28: sainte germain, Luxembourg garden, and an amazing dinner at le dauphin.
The plan for today was to get up early and get to the catacombs a half hour before it opened at 10am. When the alarm went off at 7am though we were not having it. Instead we slept in and got there about 12:45 and it was raining. The line was a 2.5 hour wait so we left and walked up to the saint-germain neighborhood and shopped around.
On the way we walked through cimetiere montparnasse(cemetery). It was so beautiful, particularly on a rainy day. We then stopped at Christian Constant and bought a treat to share - sort of like a creme brûlée with pears and caramel. We enjoyed it in Luxembourg garden where the sun was finally trying to come out.
After some shopping and on our way back to our hotel we stopped just in time to duck out of the rain at da rosa epicerie cantine. It was perfect under the heat lamps and awning. We had glasses of wine and relaxed for a bit.
We then split up for a bit. There is something so romantic about strolling the streets of Paris on a rainy day by yourself, believe it or not.
We went to le dauphin on avenue parmentier for dinner. It was fantastic. Small plates. We had white asparagus with sesame and a white cream sauce, codfish croquettes, fried tapioca fromage, wagyu beef w/ onions & beet purée, mullet ceviche, tandoori calamari, and squid ink risotto. Everything was fantastic. For dessert we had milk ice cream with olive oil and herbs. Best meal yet. Our waiter was one of the partners and he was very nice and helpful. He even recommended a couple bars for afterwards. We took his rec and went to le coq. The bartenders there were also very nice and we had some of their homemade rose vodka on rocks. So good. To make it they used vodka, rose water, and sugar. They and our waiter at le dauphin recommended candelaria so we went there afterwards. When the cab pulled up it just looked like a closed sandwich shop with the lights on. As we walked through we saw a door which lead to the bar like a secret passage. The bar was similar to a grotto. Loved it.
The plan for today was to get up early and get to the catacombs a half hour before it opened at 10am. When the alarm went off at 7am though we were not having it. Instead we slept in and got there about 12:45 and it was raining. The line was a 2.5 hour wait so we left and walked up to the saint-germain neighborhood and shopped around.
On the way we walked through cimetiere montparnasse(cemetery). It was so beautiful, particularly on a rainy day. We then stopped at Christian Constant and bought a treat to share - sort of like a creme brûlée with pears and caramel. We enjoyed it in Luxembourg garden where the sun was finally trying to come out.
After some shopping and on our way back to our hotel we stopped just in time to duck out of the rain at da rosa epicerie cantine. It was perfect under the heat lamps and awning. We had glasses of wine and relaxed for a bit.
We then split up for a bit. There is something so romantic about strolling the streets of Paris on a rainy day by yourself, believe it or not.
We went to le dauphin on avenue parmentier for dinner. It was fantastic. Small plates. We had white asparagus with sesame and a white cream sauce, codfish croquettes, fried tapioca fromage, wagyu beef w/ onions & beet purée, mullet ceviche, tandoori calamari, and squid ink risotto. Everything was fantastic. For dessert we had milk ice cream with olive oil and herbs. Best meal yet. Our waiter was one of the partners and he was very nice and helpful. He even recommended a couple bars for afterwards. We took his rec and went to le coq. The bartenders there were also very nice and we had some of their homemade rose vodka on rocks. So good. To make it they used vodka, rose water, and sugar. They and our waiter at le dauphin recommended candelaria so we went there afterwards. When the cab pulled up it just looked like a closed sandwich shop with the lights on. As we walked through we saw a door which lead to the bar like a secret passage. The bar was similar to a grotto. Loved it.
May 29th, 2013, 11:43 AM
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Update from 5/29: catacombs, wine tasting,
We managed to get up early this morning and made it to the line for the catacombs 45 minutes before it opened. We were probably the 10th in line but tour groups get in before the line unfortunately. If you are willing and can plan far enough ahead I recommend booking through a group. We checked yesterday and they were booked out until August. We went in five minutes later but the nice thing was they didn't have to come early and wait in line.
The catacombs were very interesting and with the audio guide you learned a bit about the history of Paris. The amount of bones stacked one on top of the other is pretty incredible. It didn't feel as morbid as I thought it would once i was down there. I don't know why. I really enjoyed the scriptures carved in the catacombs (psalms and the book of john - story of the Samaritan woman at the well to name a couple).
Then we went to a wine tasting lunch at o'chateau near the louvre. This was a wonderful experience. We were with ten others around a table in a back room with walls lined with books and old wine bottles. Charcuterie, bread, dried apricots, and walnuts were served along with five different types of cheese paired specially with the wines we were to taste. We tasted a champagne, a white wine, two reds, and an ice wine. All were wonderful. Our sommelier was very knowledgeable and discussed not only the wine we were tasting, but also wine basics like how to choose the type of wine you like and the different wine regions of France. Personally, I wanted to buy seven bottles afterwards and ship them but they did not offer free shipping. I could have gone across the street and shipped it but I guess that is expensive (like 40 some euros a bottle). I decided on three. I'll have to pack those well on the way home.
We came back to our hotel and took a little nap afterwards. Even a nap in Paris is an experience. We had the windows open and you could hear scooters drive by and conversations in French. It reminded me of sleeping outside on a hammock in the summertime.
We then walked to I'lle saint Louis and tried some berthillon ice cream. I had the praline chocolate and orange and Betsy had the hazelnut. It was so tasty. Even the cone was delicious. We walked to the Latin quarter. It was neat but we wished we had planned a meal there. We weren't able to find much else to do but there were a lot of neat looking cafes. We walked through Luxembourg garden again then cabbed it to l'as du fallafel in le marais. There was a short line for take-out but not bad at all. I understand now why this place is so popular - delicious. We then called it an early night and returned to our hotel and split a couple macaroons from pierre herme.
Tomorrow is our last day in Paris. It's gone by so quickly! Provence here we come! Thank you everyone for reading so far!!!
FYI - here are some apps we have found particularly helpful to have while we were here: trip advisor city guides paris (before we left I saved some favorites and downloaded the contents to my device so it would be available off line. When you choose to view a location through a map it shows you where it is in relation to where you are and you can use a function called point me there as a sort of compass. We have used this the most especially when lost amongst the cob web like streets of Paris. ). Paris metro by mx data (this allows you to determine how to get from stations nearby to stations wherever you want to go. We used it after using the trip advisor app where we IDd which station we needed. This is offline as well unlike the ratp app. ) google translate (this requires the Internet or wifi but before you go if you think of phrases you might use you can save them as favorites so you can reference them later offline).
We managed to get up early this morning and made it to the line for the catacombs 45 minutes before it opened. We were probably the 10th in line but tour groups get in before the line unfortunately. If you are willing and can plan far enough ahead I recommend booking through a group. We checked yesterday and they were booked out until August. We went in five minutes later but the nice thing was they didn't have to come early and wait in line.
The catacombs were very interesting and with the audio guide you learned a bit about the history of Paris. The amount of bones stacked one on top of the other is pretty incredible. It didn't feel as morbid as I thought it would once i was down there. I don't know why. I really enjoyed the scriptures carved in the catacombs (psalms and the book of john - story of the Samaritan woman at the well to name a couple).
Then we went to a wine tasting lunch at o'chateau near the louvre. This was a wonderful experience. We were with ten others around a table in a back room with walls lined with books and old wine bottles. Charcuterie, bread, dried apricots, and walnuts were served along with five different types of cheese paired specially with the wines we were to taste. We tasted a champagne, a white wine, two reds, and an ice wine. All were wonderful. Our sommelier was very knowledgeable and discussed not only the wine we were tasting, but also wine basics like how to choose the type of wine you like and the different wine regions of France. Personally, I wanted to buy seven bottles afterwards and ship them but they did not offer free shipping. I could have gone across the street and shipped it but I guess that is expensive (like 40 some euros a bottle). I decided on three. I'll have to pack those well on the way home.
We came back to our hotel and took a little nap afterwards. Even a nap in Paris is an experience. We had the windows open and you could hear scooters drive by and conversations in French. It reminded me of sleeping outside on a hammock in the summertime.
We then walked to I'lle saint Louis and tried some berthillon ice cream. I had the praline chocolate and orange and Betsy had the hazelnut. It was so tasty. Even the cone was delicious. We walked to the Latin quarter. It was neat but we wished we had planned a meal there. We weren't able to find much else to do but there were a lot of neat looking cafes. We walked through Luxembourg garden again then cabbed it to l'as du fallafel in le marais. There was a short line for take-out but not bad at all. I understand now why this place is so popular - delicious. We then called it an early night and returned to our hotel and split a couple macaroons from pierre herme.
Tomorrow is our last day in Paris. It's gone by so quickly! Provence here we come! Thank you everyone for reading so far!!!
FYI - here are some apps we have found particularly helpful to have while we were here: trip advisor city guides paris (before we left I saved some favorites and downloaded the contents to my device so it would be available off line. When you choose to view a location through a map it shows you where it is in relation to where you are and you can use a function called point me there as a sort of compass. We have used this the most especially when lost amongst the cob web like streets of Paris. ). Paris metro by mx data (this allows you to determine how to get from stations nearby to stations wherever you want to go. We used it after using the trip advisor app where we IDd which station we needed. This is offline as well unlike the ratp app. ) google translate (this requires the Internet or wifi but before you go if you think of phrases you might use you can save them as favorites so you can reference them later offline).
May 29th, 2013, 01:19 PM
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Enjoy your last day!
We overlapped on your first couple days. One of the smartest things I did before we left was throw my sandals back in the closet, take a 2nd pair of closed shoes, and throw in an extra layer. At some point, I was wearing ALL my layers!
Thanks for posting - can't wait to hear about Provence.
We overlapped on your first couple days. One of the smartest things I did before we left was throw my sandals back in the closet, take a 2nd pair of closed shoes, and throw in an extra layer. At some point, I was wearing ALL my layers!
Thanks for posting - can't wait to hear about Provence.
