Europe: France

Beaune, in the Burgundy region - the wine region - of France...

We only spent one night but took in a lovely wine tasting and learned a great deal about wines. My favorite was Creme de cassis - an apertif or dessert wine. It will go well on ice cream or pancakes.

Our hotel was in a lovely courtyard. Our rooms had double glass doors into the vine covered area. I had a great supper as Andrew had suggested we all have a final meal together to say goodbye to our driver, Richard, who would be dropping us off in Paris the next day and heading for home. So, the restaurant our guide found did not have anyone who spoke English so she translated everything. Andrew made a speech to thank him - and Richard was given a group gift. It was fun and the food was fabulous.

Then Paris...

We arrived around noon, got settled in and had lunch on our own - easyn because we were in the Rue Cler area. Lots of shops and restaurants. Andrw and I had crepes and they were fabulous. Then we took a walking tour, saw Notre Dame and Saint Chapelle then we and Shields headed for the adjacent island to have supper; in a quaint liitle cafe with only one guy running things. Then Berthillon glace and a trip to the Arc de Triumphe for a sunset walk to the top. What a view, what an experience.

Brent wanted to walk down the Champs de Elyse and so we did. I could not believe how alive the city was; Everything was open, especially car stores. Toyota was the best, with a formula race car simulator that Andrew got to drive. We took the metro home and then met in the morning for a guided tour of the Louvre. For those of you who were never sure, that is pronounced with 2 syllables, not one. The French say so!!!

After that, just our family went to the Versailles palace and then home. More about this later....the opulence was overwhelming.

Then dinner in a fancy restaurant with our guide and a tour to the Eifel Tower. Did you know, it twinkles every hour for 5-10 minutes??

Then home to a bittersweet goodbye with our new friends for life, the Shields, and off to bed I go.

Wish you were here.