One of the best parts of our last two days in Paris was staying at the historic St. James Hotel, a grand chateau in the heart of the city. From the moment our cab drove through the iron gates and dropped us off in front of the large front entrance, I knew we had made the right choice. Although we Continue reading
17 November 2014 
Experiencing Champs Elysees
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We left Avignon early in the morning, taking the 2.5 hour train ride back to Paris where we spent our last two nights in France. We made our way to our final hotel of the trip, the historic grand chateau - the St. James Hotel. What an amazing place to stay the night in Paris! More to follow on our Continue reading
9 November 2014 
Memories of Cassis
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Cassis, France - located on the Mediterranean coast - was our last stop during our side trip to Provence. Cassis is located about 30 minutes Southeast of Marseille, another port village in the South of France. But where Marseille is a large, gritty, commercial port, Cassis remains a small, colorful Continue reading
29 October 2014 
Enchanting Gordes
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On our third day in Avignon, we made our way to one of the most enchanting towns in France - Gordes. The small Provincial village is set in the hills of the Luberon region. The narrow hillside driving can make it a challenge to reach the hill town in poor weather. However, to our good fortune, we Continue reading
26 October 2014 
Roman Influence in Southern France
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On our second day in Avignon, France, we drove straight west to visit the small towns of Arles and Nimes. Both towns have been highly influenced by Roman architecture and monuments. While in Arles, which is a quintessential provincial town, we toured the very large Roman arena dating back to 1st Continue reading
25 October 2014 
Road to Avignon
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We said au revoir to the Royal Champagne hotel very early on Tuesday morning and drove back to Paris. From Paris Gare de Lyon, we caught an early train to Avignon, in Provence in Southern France. The 2.5 hour train ride was relaxing and gave us both a chance to catch up on our writing. On a side Continue reading
23 October 2014 
A Taste of Champagne in France
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By now you should know that I adore Champagne and sparkling wine. So it should be no surprise that after 3 nights in Paris, we made our way North to the Champagne region to taste a bit of the bubbly. Our first stop was in Epernay at Champagne Mercier where we were taken on a short train tour of Continue reading
22 October 2014 
Our Lady, Notre Dame
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On Sunday, our third day in Paris, it was fitting that we toured the iconic cathedral, Notre Dame. On a side note, when I called the kids back home to tell them we went to Notre Dame, my son reminded me that Notre Dame had just lost to Florida State, ha! When you walk up to the towering Continue reading
21 October 2014 
Royal Tour of Versailles
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On our second day in Paris, we ventured out in the St. Germain area for a quick, early morning run in Luxembourg Gardens. Whoever said the French do not run for exercise is mistaken. We saw many runners, men and women, throughout Paris (day and night) but especially throughout the garden, albeit Continue reading
19 October 2014 
Paris Adventure – The Louvre
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Bonjour from Paris! We arrived in Paris at 8:30am local time and had intended to hit the ground running. Instead, the lack of sleep on the flight quickly caught up with us, leading to two bleary-eyed travelers shuffling their way through the city to reach the St. Germain Hotel, in the heart of St. Continue reading
16 October 2014 
Starting My Paris Adventure
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After many months of planning, I'm off to Paris! Although it's technically a vacation, it is likely to become more of an adventure ... walking through quaint neighborhoods, sipping Champagne in Epernay, and discovering the mountain towns of Provence. Stay tuned for more details of my very Bistro Continue reading
8 September 2014 
Monet, Merlot, and Macarons: Why I Love France
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(photo source) With just a little over 5 weeks until my Fall French getaway, what better time to highlight some of the reasons why France is so popular for tourists, including yours truly. In early August, the French Government released tourism numbers for last year which showed that nearly 85 Continue reading
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