Automne en Europe 2024

  Canal St-Martin There is so much to see in Paris, which makes for an almost overwhelming number of places to choose from.   Graham had what he called “crikey” moments where something would just take his breath away.   The Pont du Gard was one of those moments but he had many more so the challenge was to find at least one on our last full day in Paris.     We were keen to go to Belleville which is the highest point in Paris and Graham had picked up a book in the apartment with graphic photos of its former self before and after it had been redeveloped in the 1970s and later.   The view from there on a good day is excellent as you can see the city laid out with its various landmarks.   It   was quite misty when we left but we still decided to go. Parc de Belleville   We entered through the Parc de Bellville and climbed to the lookout point.   The Eiffel Tower was not visible due to the mist but as it was coffee t...

  Our metro stop We continued with Graham’s introduction to Paris by picking up from where we left off the day before.   We took the Metro to Champs Elysée/Clemenceau and continued walking up the avenue toward the Arc de Triomphe, stopping briefly for a coffee and pastry.     Initially it was quiet on the avenue but by the time we reached the Arc de Triomphe the crowds were back.   The queue to get up on top of the monument was long so we decided not to do the climb.   Instead we took metro to the Trocadero which looks over the Seine to la tour de Eiffel.   We considered doing the climb up to the second level of the tower but again we were put off by the crowds.   Instead we took a Batobus up the Seine to Notre Dame and went in search of a light lunch in the Latin Quarter choosing the first place that looked ok.   It was a typical tourist restaurant with food that was ok.   I have become really choosy with the food...

  The Louvre Shopping was on the agenda.   I was thinking about what to cook that night and had found that the   Marché d’Aligre was a good market to go to for fresh vegetables and is used by the chefs of Paris.   If it was that good why not visit even if I did not buy anything.   I love markets.   Marché d'Aligre   We took the metro to Aligre, well almost.   There were a few metres to walk to the market which was huge.   In the end I did not buy much because I could not think what to cook that I had already made.   We then had a coffee in a vegan restaurant before continuing on.   We took the metro to Opera. I showed Bev and Graham were Galleries Lafayette was situated and I went off to find a salad and coffee for lunch.   After having something to eat,   I also went to Galleries Lafayette and climbed to the rooftop for an interesting view of the city.   Les Grands Magasins The next v...

  The weather forecast for Bordeaux was for rain.   Sure enough it was overcast and damp when we arose.   However, our rather nice hotel was only about a 300 metres walk away from the station and it was flat.   There was virtually no rain, more a light misty drizzle.   After a coffee we wandered across the road to the station to wait for our call to board the train.     It took us a little while to find our seats but once settled in the ride was great with us travelling at speeds of up to 320km/h.   The ride was really smooth.   We arrived in Paris and Gare de Montparnasse just over two hours after leaving Bordeaux.   So much more relaxing that driving.     It was fairly straightforward getting our tickets although one of the ticket machines stopped working for me and I had to go onto another one.   The only thing about the Metro is that you often have to carry your bags up numerous steps due...

Sitting by the Garonne late afternoon in Bordeaux It was a transition day, one of two we were having as we travelled from Bayonne to Paris.   We had visited Bordeaux a number of years earlier and Bev and I had both liked its vibe.     It was sad after five action packed days to pack our bags and drive to Bordeaux.   This time I took the fast route but without using the tolled autoroute.     After saying goodbye to the host’s agent Evelyne, who was a lovely woman and spoke French only, we followed the Adour river for a number of kilometres.   It was another narrow road and I had to contend with cyclists as well as speedy motorists.   All co-operated well. After leaving the river we joined a wider road and went through a number of villages looking for a boulangerie which did coffee.   Finally Bev suggested one and we did 360 around a roundabout and called into what was actually something like a general store   se...

  After nearly four weeks of driving and navigating I wanted a rest day.      One of the options was to go to Espelette where at this time of year the buildings are draped with the chillis drying.   However, that entailed more driving than I wanted to do.   The other option was to take the local train to St-Jean-de-Luz which we opted for. We took the car to Gare de Bayonne and found a convenient and parking spot.     The train took us quickly to St-Jean-de-Luz, 25 minutes instead of over an hour by road.   So relaxing!   Gare de St-Jean-de-Luz   St-Jean-de-Luz is a fishing village that has become a tourist town.   It is pretty, with the buildings painted white and reddish brown which seems typical of the area.   They had Les Halles where there were a number of food retailers and we called in their to see what goodies were available.   The most impressive part was the area set aside for fish....