Showing posts with label France. Show all posts
Showing posts with label France. Show all posts
Monday, November 14, 2011
Day 59: Provence, Arles, Aix (Nov 14)
Blog post coming soon! Highlights: Arles, Aix-en-Provence, Chateauneuf du Pape, and Oppede le Vieux. In the meantime, here are today's pictures.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Day 58: Provence, Avignon (Nov 13)
Blog post coming soon! Highlights: Avignon and the Pont du Gard. In the meantime, here are today's pictures.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Day 57: Nice, Monte Carlo (Nov 12)
Blog post coming soon! Highlights: the Chagall Museum, walking along the beach, the farmer's market in Nice, the bus ride along the coast to Monte Carlo, the walk around the bay, and the Casino. In the meantime, here are today's pictures.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
South of France details
Here's what I had planned for the South of France. Originally I was going to spend one day each in Nice and Monte Carlo, but I took an extra day in Rome and ended up combining the two cities into one day. We get into Nice late on Friday night, then Saturday we start out in Nice and spend the afternoon and evening in Monte Carlo, coming back to Nice for the night. Then Sunday we get to Aix-en-Provence and rent a car to drive around the Provence area for 2 days, the first night in Avignon and the second in Aix. Because we have a car, we have the luxury of going wherever and whenever, not depending on the train or bus schedules for once, and so I've got a list of places that we'll pick and choose from over the two days.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Day 11: Paris (Sept. 27)
Today's photo set is here on Flickr.
On my last day in Paris, I started with the dead and finished with a boat ride down the Seine.
On my last day in Paris, I started with the dead and finished with a boat ride down the Seine.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Day 10: Paris (Sept. 26)
Today's photo set is here on Flickr.
While waiting at Notre Dame last night, I discovered that one of the things I planned to do today (Monday) was closed, so I swapped my entire Monday and Tuesday schedules. Fortunately it was easy.
I started out with another Rick Steves suggestion, take the #69 bus from the Eiffel Tower to the Pere Lachaise Cemetery. That gave me time to eat my curry chicken on a bagel sandwich sitting in the Champs du Mars waiting for the bus, looking out over the Tower. It occurred to me that most Parisian are probably jaded and don't think twice about seeing it every day. Among other places, the bus took us past Invalides (the Army museum and Napoleon's Tomb), along the Seine near Notre Dame, and past the Bastille Monument before arriving at the cemetery.
While waiting at Notre Dame last night, I discovered that one of the things I planned to do today (Monday) was closed, so I swapped my entire Monday and Tuesday schedules. Fortunately it was easy.
I started out with another Rick Steves suggestion, take the #69 bus from the Eiffel Tower to the Pere Lachaise Cemetery. That gave me time to eat my curry chicken on a bagel sandwich sitting in the Champs du Mars waiting for the bus, looking out over the Tower. It occurred to me that most Parisian are probably jaded and don't think twice about seeing it every day. Among other places, the bus took us past Invalides (the Army museum and Napoleon's Tomb), along the Seine near Notre Dame, and past the Bastille Monument before arriving at the cemetery.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Day 9: Paris (Sept. 25)
Today's photo set is here on Flickr.
With today's changed schedule, I was kind of stuck because while everything else was open all day, I wanted to see the organist at St Sulpice church, and that was only open from about 12:30 to 1pm, so I decided to sleep in. Got some lunch and after a trip downtown I arrived at the church.
With today's changed schedule, I was kind of stuck because while everything else was open all day, I wanted to see the organist at St Sulpice church, and that was only open from about 12:30 to 1pm, so I decided to sleep in. Got some lunch and after a trip downtown I arrived at the church.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Day 8: Paris (Sept. 24)
Today's photo set is here on Flickr.
Because of my schedule, I only had Saturday and Sunday to use the museum pass. Monday many of them are closed, and I leave Wednesday. I tried to figure out which of the museums I wanted to see and tried to cram as many into those 2 days as time and location allowed. Yes, it was going to make for a long day. The original plan was to do Rick Steves' historic Paris walk around the Ile de Cite area, followed by the Louvre, the Orsay, and the Orangerie, all by 6pm when the last of them closed for the day. After that, a walk down the Champs Elysees from Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe to catch the view from the top at night. Somewhere in there I'd catch dinner.
Because of my schedule, I only had Saturday and Sunday to use the museum pass. Monday many of them are closed, and I leave Wednesday. I tried to figure out which of the museums I wanted to see and tried to cram as many into those 2 days as time and location allowed. Yes, it was going to make for a long day. The original plan was to do Rick Steves' historic Paris walk around the Ile de Cite area, followed by the Louvre, the Orsay, and the Orangerie, all by 6pm when the last of them closed for the day. After that, a walk down the Champs Elysees from Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe to catch the view from the top at night. Somewhere in there I'd catch dinner.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Day 7: Paris (Sept. 23)
Today's photo set is here on Flickr.
The train from London to Paris was so uneventful that I slept for half of it, somewhere inside the tunnel until I arrived at Gare du Nord station. It took a bit to get my bearings there and figure out where to go, how to get money, where to buy the museum pass, and where to catch the #4 train to the Reamur/Sebastopol stop. I managed to figure that all out (got the museum pass and the hop on/off bus ticket at the TI kiosk at the far end) and met David, my host, at the apartment. He gave me some tips on the area and the key to the tiny flat which was mine for the next few days.
The train from London to Paris was so uneventful that I slept for half of it, somewhere inside the tunnel until I arrived at Gare du Nord station. It took a bit to get my bearings there and figure out where to go, how to get money, where to buy the museum pass, and where to catch the #4 train to the Reamur/Sebastopol stop. I managed to figure that all out (got the museum pass and the hop on/off bus ticket at the TI kiosk at the far end) and met David, my host, at the apartment. He gave me some tips on the area and the key to the tiny flat which was mine for the next few days.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Paris details
Paris is the second stop on my trip. I was last there in 1988, and this is the last stop that I have already been to. Here's what I came up with back in March.
The first two full days in Paris are front-loaded with museums. I was pretty much forced into putting them on Saturday and Sunday since most are closed on Monday and/or Tuesday, and I arrive in Paris at lunchtime on Friday and leave Thursday morning. I'll get a Museum Pass, which is free admission to all the places on those two days with an asterisk in front of the name. I tried to lighten my days on Monday and Tuesday, since I will not have had a day off since I got to Europe - late starts, strolls, etc.
I've got a couple of cousins I've never met who live in Paris (our great-great-grandfathers were all brothers, making us 4th cousins), I'm hoping to be able to meet up with them at some point.
The first two full days in Paris are front-loaded with museums. I was pretty much forced into putting them on Saturday and Sunday since most are closed on Monday and/or Tuesday, and I arrive in Paris at lunchtime on Friday and leave Thursday morning. I'll get a Museum Pass, which is free admission to all the places on those two days with an asterisk in front of the name. I tried to lighten my days on Monday and Tuesday, since I will not have had a day off since I got to Europe - late starts, strolls, etc.
I've got a couple of cousins I've never met who live in Paris (our great-great-grandfathers were all brothers, making us 4th cousins), I'm hoping to be able to meet up with them at some point.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Provence & the French Riviera (Nov. 11-14)
Going into this trip, the only place that I knew I wanted to go to on the French Riviera was Monte Carlo, Monaco. But at this point in my planning, I already have my itinerary and timeline set (I had to book my airline tickets) and I know how many days I am going to spend on the trip, so now it's a case of fitting what I want to do into the time I have left, and determining if I need to take a day from somewhere else (like my 4th day in Rome) to extend my stay here.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Paris (Sept. 23-27)
5/29 Update: removed Luxembourg from my trip but I left my planning here for future reference
9/6 Update: planned one extra day in London, so Paris got moved one day to the right on the timeline.
PARIS
In 1988 when I went with my family to Paris, we spent 4 nights and 5 days. We stayed at the Prince de Galles right off the Champs Elysées (my dad used some frequent flier miles to book the room, at €400 per night now I don't think I'll be staying there this trip!). We did a bus tour (probably the Cityrama tour) and then the Arc de Triomphe, Montemarte, and Notre Dame. Day 2 we drove out to Rhiems and Epernay, saw the Dom Perignon winery and the American cemetery. Day 3 was the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, Day 4 was Napoleon's Tomb and the Louvre again, and Day 5 was Versailles and a Bateaux-Mouches tour of the Seine before flying home. I have some photos I can't readily identify that most likely include some of the places below, too.
9/6 Update: planned one extra day in London, so Paris got moved one day to the right on the timeline.
PARIS
In 1988 when I went with my family to Paris, we spent 4 nights and 5 days. We stayed at the Prince de Galles right off the Champs Elysées (my dad used some frequent flier miles to book the room, at €400 per night now I don't think I'll be staying there this trip!). We did a bus tour (probably the Cityrama tour) and then the Arc de Triomphe, Montemarte, and Notre Dame. Day 2 we drove out to Rhiems and Epernay, saw the Dom Perignon winery and the American cemetery. Day 3 was the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, Day 4 was Napoleon's Tomb and the Louvre again, and Day 5 was Versailles and a Bateaux-Mouches tour of the Seine before flying home. I have some photos I can't readily identify that most likely include some of the places below, too.
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