Sharon and I tend to be very agressive about covering lots of ground when we travel. Two years ago, We covered 1,500 miles in fifteen days exploring Florida. On the France trip, I esimate that we covered more than 1,600 miles in 14 days. We traveled about 750 miles by train and almost 850 miles by car. Admittedly, this included two big travel days: Reims to Chamonix and then Chamonix to Sancerre.
In spite of the effort to get to Chamonix, we felt that it was definitely worth the trouble. From my perspective, the French Alps were unlike anything I have ever seen. Standing on the floor of the narrow valley and looking up at peaks on either side that rose more than 10,000 above you with a couple of big glaciers was amazing. It rivaled the experience of the Eiffel Tower, the Lourve and the other major tourist destinations.
On the other side of the coin, we spent too long in the Loire Valley. Two days would have been enough to accomplish what we wanted to do.
I also wish that we had spent more time in Paris. While we had a chance to explore the Rue Cler and Montmartre neighborhoods a little, I would have liked to have had a some more time for some of the walking tours in the guidebooks.
Showing posts with label France 2006. Show all posts
Showing posts with label France 2006. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Struggling with French
The major tactical error that I made on the France trip was not being better prepared to deal with the language. Before the trip, Sharon had some French language lessons on CD that she and Jack started looking at. I got frustrated with lessons because the pronunciation rules seemed random and they were covering words that I did not think were important. My intention was to put together a sheet of words and phrases to carry in my pocket, but just ran out of the time.
I knew we were in trouble from the minute I started dealing with the cab driver at the airport on the way into Paris. While people spoke English at the hotels and most of the major tourist attractions, there were dozens of times on the trip that someone would rattle something at us in French and Sharon and I would look at each other and both shrug. My language skills did not improve over the two weeks.
One related story, from my upbringing on the farm and two years in high school, I have a small working Spanish vocabulary. Driving Sharon to distraction, I was constantly saying "si" instead of "oui" during the trip. On the last Friday, while I was trying to get the car parked in the parking garage, I said si instead of oui to the attendant. The attendant immediately asked me if I spoke Spanish. I said that I spoke a little Spanish and he and I were able to have some type of conversation. He immediately became our best friend and got us going on foot in the right direction towards Sacré Cœur. The exchange made me realize how different the experience is when you can communicate even a little. I am going to try to figure out a better strategy for future trips.
I knew we were in trouble from the minute I started dealing with the cab driver at the airport on the way into Paris. While people spoke English at the hotels and most of the major tourist attractions, there were dozens of times on the trip that someone would rattle something at us in French and Sharon and I would look at each other and both shrug. My language skills did not improve over the two weeks.
One related story, from my upbringing on the farm and two years in high school, I have a small working Spanish vocabulary. Driving Sharon to distraction, I was constantly saying "si" instead of "oui" during the trip. On the last Friday, while I was trying to get the car parked in the parking garage, I said si instead of oui to the attendant. The attendant immediately asked me if I spoke Spanish. I said that I spoke a little Spanish and he and I were able to have some type of conversation. He immediately became our best friend and got us going on foot in the right direction towards Sacré Cœur. The exchange made me realize how different the experience is when you can communicate even a little. I am going to try to figure out a better strategy for future trips.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Rude Frenchmen?
I have heard people talk about how the French are rude. This was not my experience during the two weeks that we just spent in France. In spite of the fact that my language skills are nonexistent, I found French people to be very patient and helpful.
Only once during the whole trip did someone treat us rudely. While we were champagne testing outside Reims, we stopped at a cafe in Verzenay. When we finally got the waitress to come to the table, it was clear that she wanted nothing to do with us. She was not willing to spend any time helping us work through the process of ordering something to eat. Other than that one experience, people were hospitable and gracious both in the big cities like Paris and in very small out of the way places.
Only once during the whole trip did someone treat us rudely. While we were champagne testing outside Reims, we stopped at a cafe in Verzenay. When we finally got the waitress to come to the table, it was clear that she wanted nothing to do with us. She was not willing to spend any time helping us work through the process of ordering something to eat. Other than that one experience, people were hospitable and gracious both in the big cities like Paris and in very small out of the way places.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
1000 places to see Paris
For Christmas in 2003, Sharon bought me the book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, A Traveler's Life List.
Of the top ten sights listed in this book for Paris, we did seven of them on our trip, including Arc de Triumphe, Basilique du Sacre-Coeur, the Eiffel Tower, Hotel de Invalides and Napoleon's Tomb, the Lourve, the Musee D'Orsay and Norte Dame.
The three things listed in the top ten that we did not see were the Centre Georges Pompidou, the Musee de Cluny and the Musee Picasso. The Pompidou is a modern art museum, while the de Cluny is a medival art museum.
The book also had a number of other must-dos for Paris. One of things that we did on this list was a Bateau-Mouche Cruise on the Seine. We went on the cruise just after sunset and we all felt that this was one of the high points of our time in Paris.
Of the top ten sights listed in this book for Paris, we did seven of them on our trip, including Arc de Triumphe, Basilique du Sacre-Coeur, the Eiffel Tower, Hotel de Invalides and Napoleon's Tomb, the Lourve, the Musee D'Orsay and Norte Dame.
The three things listed in the top ten that we did not see were the Centre Georges Pompidou, the Musee de Cluny and the Musee Picasso. The Pompidou is a modern art museum, while the de Cluny is a medival art museum.
The book also had a number of other must-dos for Paris. One of things that we did on this list was a Bateau-Mouche Cruise on the Seine. We went on the cruise just after sunset and we all felt that this was one of the high points of our time in Paris.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
France Paris Day 14
Up at 6:15 a.m., we caught a 7:15 a.m. cab to the Charles de Gaulle Airport. Everything went smoothly and by 10:30 a.m. we were in the air heading back to San Francisco.
Eleven hours later and a nine hour time change, we were back in San Francisco at 12:30 p.m. By the time we got through the passport check, our bags were waiting. We were home by 3:45 p.m.
At 9:15 p.m. Saturday night, my travel alarm went off. It was the alarm I had set to wake us up in Paris on Saturday morning. At that point, I realized I had been moving for 24 hours with only a short nap on the plane and I crashed.
Eleven hours later and a nine hour time change, we were back in San Francisco at 12:30 p.m. By the time we got through the passport check, our bags were waiting. We were home by 3:45 p.m.
At 9:15 p.m. Saturday night, my travel alarm went off. It was the alarm I had set to wake us up in Paris on Saturday morning. At that point, I realized I had been moving for 24 hours with only a short nap on the plane and I crashed.
Friday, July 21, 2006
France Paris Day 13
We made a decision that we wanted to try and create a full day back in Paris on Friday. We sat the alarm for 6:00 a.m. It took us until a little after 7:00 a.m. to get packed up and loaded in the car. We set the GPS in the rental car for Basilica of the Sacré Cœur in Paris. With a stop for breakfast, we were there by 9:30 a.m. This was one of those times where the GPS was invaluable; we drove through Paris and to a spot about two blocks from where we wanted to be. The GPS even highlighted a parking garage (which I missed the first time and had to go back around to). We had an interesting exchange with the parking garage attendant which I will include later in a separate post about our experiences with the language.
We toured Sacré Cœur. This church is located on the highest point in Paris and has some spectacular views of the city. Afterwards we wandered through the Montmartre neighborhood surrounding the church and had lunch.
We returned the rental car to the train station and took a cab to the hotel. We are staying at the Hotel de La Bourdonnais our last night in France.
We then headed back to the Museum d'Orsay. We felt like we ran out of time there last week and decided to make a quick stop there in the afternoon.
From the Museum d'Orsay, we walked to the Museum National de l'Orangerie. This has some impressive Monet's Water Lilies as well as a large collection of art gallery of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings.
We headed back to the hotel to clean-up. For dinner, we met Sharon's friend Angela at Mollard's. Angela, her husband and young son have just moved to Paris in the last month. Mollard's is a restaurant that Brun's mother and her husband frequent when they are in Paris.
We toured Sacré Cœur. This church is located on the highest point in Paris and has some spectacular views of the city. Afterwards we wandered through the Montmartre neighborhood surrounding the church and had lunch.
We returned the rental car to the train station and took a cab to the hotel. We are staying at the Hotel de La Bourdonnais our last night in France.
We then headed back to the Museum d'Orsay. We felt like we ran out of time there last week and decided to make a quick stop there in the afternoon.
From the Museum d'Orsay, we walked to the Museum National de l'Orangerie. This has some impressive Monet's Water Lilies as well as a large collection of art gallery of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings.
We headed back to the hotel to clean-up. For dinner, we met Sharon's friend Angela at Mollard's. Angela, her husband and young son have just moved to Paris in the last month. Mollard's is a restaurant that Brun's mother and her husband frequent when they are in Paris.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
France Noizay Day 12
We had breakfast on the back terrace of the hotel. Afterwards, Sharon and Jack played tennis for an hour.
The plan for the day was to head for Chambord. This is the largest French Chateau; it has 440 rooms and 365 fireplaces. Chambord is surrounded by Europe's largest enclosed forest park. Given that the audio hours were more than one and a half hours long, we decided against it. We plotted our own path using the map. The scale of the place is impressive, but we did not enjoy this site as much as we did Chenonceau. Chenonceau seemed more consistent, while Chambord seems more like a thrown together museum and less like somewhere that people lived. We had a late light lunch in the village.
When we got back to Château de Noizay, we headed down to the pool. While we were sitting there, a couple comes down with two young kids. The husband seemed very familar; Sharon and I were trying to puzzle out how we knew him. Sharon finally realized that it was Joshua Malina who played the character Will Bailey on West Wing. While we were sitting there trying to decide if we should say something to him, he commented on the book that Sharon was reading. This gave us an opportunity to confirm who he was. We ended up to talking them for a little while. In a stranger twist, his wife is from Clarksburg and went to Delta High School. She knows a number of my relatives.
We had dinner in the restaurant at the Chateau. While this had the potential to be the second best meal that we had on the trip, the room was so hot and stuffy that all I remember about the evening was sitting there and sweating.
Over dinner, we agreed that we probably only needed one and a half days in the Loire Valley, rather than three. We felt like we wanted more time in Paris and less in this region. As a result, we decide to get up early on Friday and head back to Paris.
The plan for the day was to head for Chambord. This is the largest French Chateau; it has 440 rooms and 365 fireplaces. Chambord is surrounded by Europe's largest enclosed forest park. Given that the audio hours were more than one and a half hours long, we decided against it. We plotted our own path using the map. The scale of the place is impressive, but we did not enjoy this site as much as we did Chenonceau. Chenonceau seemed more consistent, while Chambord seems more like a thrown together museum and less like somewhere that people lived. We had a late light lunch in the village.
When we got back to Château de Noizay, we headed down to the pool. While we were sitting there, a couple comes down with two young kids. The husband seemed very familar; Sharon and I were trying to puzzle out how we knew him. Sharon finally realized that it was Joshua Malina who played the character Will Bailey on West Wing. While we were sitting there trying to decide if we should say something to him, he commented on the book that Sharon was reading. This gave us an opportunity to confirm who he was. We ended up to talking them for a little while. In a stranger twist, his wife is from Clarksburg and went to Delta High School. She knows a number of my relatives.
We had dinner in the restaurant at the Chateau. While this had the potential to be the second best meal that we had on the trip, the room was so hot and stuffy that all I remember about the evening was sitting there and sweating.
Over dinner, we agreed that we probably only needed one and a half days in the Loire Valley, rather than three. We felt like we wanted more time in Paris and less in this region. As a result, we decide to get up early on Friday and head back to Paris.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
France Noizay Day 11
I set the alarm for 7:30 a.m., but both Sharon and I were awake earlier. Sharon went out for a 20 minute run around the grounds of the chateau.
We had breakfast at the hotel. The rest of the rooms were filled with Americans who were on a multi-day horse ride across the Loire Valley. We did not see them the previous night, but they were all at breakfast.
We packed up, loaded the car and set the GPS for Chenonceau. When we were traveling across Florida in 2004, we used a book called a 1,000 places to see before you die. It recommended Chenonceau and Chambord as places to go in the Loire Valley. Chenonceau is the third most visited chateau in France (after Versailles and Fontainebleau). After a couple of days wandering the back roads, it was a little bit of shock to be back in the crowds.
The guidebook recommended getting the audio tour. We spent about an hour wandering through the chateau following the audio tour. All of us felt that it was time well spent and we felt like the audio tour added to the experience. Afterwards, we spent some time wandering the gardens (Jack loved the maze) and shopping in the gift shop.
We ended up getting lunch at the on-site sit down restaurant. This turned out to be one of the better meals that we had on the trip. Sharon spent some time dissecting one of the courses and making notes. She is starting to do some planning for a couple of fall dinner parties based on a french meal.
Back in the car, we set the GPS for Château de Noizay. Sharon and I were both a little dissappointed in this hotel. From the web site, we thought that it was going to be more like the accomodations in Reims. Unfortunately, it was a little below that level. You have to remember that these chateaus are 500 year old buildings. While there were some neat things about the place, the buildings definitely show their age. The grounds were also very dry and did not seem to very well kept up.
On a positive note, the place had a pool. With France in the middle of a heat wave, it felt great to take a dip in the pool after a long day.
We had driven through Ambroise on the way to the chateau and decided to go back there for dinner. We wandered through the town and found a great table on the sidewalk across from the ramparts of the castle. It was a great view. During dinner, it started to rain pretty hard. We were under the awning on the sidewalk and enjoyed our salads and the best pizza we had on the trip.
We had breakfast at the hotel. The rest of the rooms were filled with Americans who were on a multi-day horse ride across the Loire Valley. We did not see them the previous night, but they were all at breakfast.
We packed up, loaded the car and set the GPS for Chenonceau. When we were traveling across Florida in 2004, we used a book called a 1,000 places to see before you die. It recommended Chenonceau and Chambord as places to go in the Loire Valley. Chenonceau is the third most visited chateau in France (after Versailles and Fontainebleau). After a couple of days wandering the back roads, it was a little bit of shock to be back in the crowds.
The guidebook recommended getting the audio tour. We spent about an hour wandering through the chateau following the audio tour. All of us felt that it was time well spent and we felt like the audio tour added to the experience. Afterwards, we spent some time wandering the gardens (Jack loved the maze) and shopping in the gift shop.
We ended up getting lunch at the on-site sit down restaurant. This turned out to be one of the better meals that we had on the trip. Sharon spent some time dissecting one of the courses and making notes. She is starting to do some planning for a couple of fall dinner parties based on a french meal.
Back in the car, we set the GPS for Château de Noizay. Sharon and I were both a little dissappointed in this hotel. From the web site, we thought that it was going to be more like the accomodations in Reims. Unfortunately, it was a little below that level. You have to remember that these chateaus are 500 year old buildings. While there were some neat things about the place, the buildings definitely show their age. The grounds were also very dry and did not seem to very well kept up.
On a positive note, the place had a pool. With France in the middle of a heat wave, it felt great to take a dip in the pool after a long day.
We had driven through Ambroise on the way to the chateau and decided to go back there for dinner. We wandered through the town and found a great table on the sidewalk across from the ramparts of the castle. It was a great view. During dinner, it started to rain pretty hard. We were under the awning on the sidewalk and enjoyed our salads and the best pizza we had on the trip.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
France Oizon Day 10
Monday and Tuesday were planned as one night stops. We got up and had breakfast in the hotel. We sat along the terrace and enjoyed a great view. Along the way, we have come to realize that no matter where you go, the breakfast is roughly the same. The typical breakfast is a basket of rolls, some coffee and some fruit. You can get an American breakfast with some eggs and bacon in some places. The hotels seem to offer a better variety of fruit. As result, we tended to have breakfast at the hotel more often than not.
We started off and found a Casino Market (toothpaste, water and playing cards) and an ATM in the larger town below Sancerre. We have been carrying only a moderate amount of cash and stopping every day or so to get more cash from ATMs.
The guidebook had a wine and cheese tour in the region surrounding Sancerre. We set the GPS for the first little town on the tour and started off. Our experience was similar to last week while we were Champagne testing. Although there were not as many wineries in this area as near Reims, every little town had signs for a couple of wineries. Trying to figure out where the tasting rooms were and whether they were open was an interesting game. We ended up tasting at two different wineries: one in Sancerre and another in Bue. We brought one bottle of wine at the second winery. I am probably going to try and carry it and the bottle of champagne from last week all the way home.
We tried to stop at the largest cheese factory in Chavignol, but it was closed. A lot of the wineries and cheese places close from roughly 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. We did not do a very good job of planning our day around this schedule.
We still wanted to buy some local cheese. A little later in the middle of nowhere, we stopped at a small farm that indicated that it was selling cheese and bought three different kinds of cheese from an older woman. Given that neither Sharon or I speak any France, this was a very interesting experience. Sharon initially thought that you would be able to taste the cheese first, but it was only for sale.
At this point, we set the GPS for the hotel and started west. Passing through one of the little towns on the way, Sharon and Jack saw the Tour de France on television in a little bar. We turned around and parked the car. In spite of the fact that the barman spoke English and we spoke no French, we successfully ordered something to eat, a beer and some wine. The guy was actually very patient with us which probably had something to do with the fact that the place was essentially empty and we were paying customers.
We rolled up to the hotel--Chateau de la Verrerie--about 3:00 p.m. This chateau was built in the 15th and 16th century. After checking in, we took a guided tour of the castle: part of the castle includes about 12 guest rooms, another section is where the current owners live and part of the castle is used for organized tours. The tour included the library, the dining room and a very cool chapel.
After the tour, we took a rowboat out on the lake and then hiked around the lake on a trail. Getting cleaned up, we went to the study to have a drink. When we checked in, they had put the cheese that Sharon had bought in a refrigerator in the game room. Sharon sent me to get the cheese, but it was gone. This kicked off a flurry of activity. It turned out that one of the maids had thrown the cheese away. At the this point, the owner of the chateau wandered into the study/bar. He sent someone to the adjoining restaurant to get some cheese to replace what had gotten thrown away.
Talking to the owner briefly was interesting. It made me realize that the chateau was essentially a giant 600 year old bed and breakfast.
In a random note, I read a book earlier this year about Nell Gywn who was a mistress to Charles II in the late 1600s. Charles II gave this chateau to Louise de Penancoët de Keroualle, a rival to Nell Gywn and another major character in the book.
Much to Sharon's disappointment the restaurant on the property was closed on Tuesday nights. The staff made a restaurant reservation for us in the nearby town of Aubigny-sur-nere. We had a nice dinner at the La Chaumiere and then wandered a little up and down the main street.
We started off and found a Casino Market (toothpaste, water and playing cards) and an ATM in the larger town below Sancerre. We have been carrying only a moderate amount of cash and stopping every day or so to get more cash from ATMs.
The guidebook had a wine and cheese tour in the region surrounding Sancerre. We set the GPS for the first little town on the tour and started off. Our experience was similar to last week while we were Champagne testing. Although there were not as many wineries in this area as near Reims, every little town had signs for a couple of wineries. Trying to figure out where the tasting rooms were and whether they were open was an interesting game. We ended up tasting at two different wineries: one in Sancerre and another in Bue. We brought one bottle of wine at the second winery. I am probably going to try and carry it and the bottle of champagne from last week all the way home.
We tried to stop at the largest cheese factory in Chavignol, but it was closed. A lot of the wineries and cheese places close from roughly 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. We did not do a very good job of planning our day around this schedule.
We still wanted to buy some local cheese. A little later in the middle of nowhere, we stopped at a small farm that indicated that it was selling cheese and bought three different kinds of cheese from an older woman. Given that neither Sharon or I speak any France, this was a very interesting experience. Sharon initially thought that you would be able to taste the cheese first, but it was only for sale.
At this point, we set the GPS for the hotel and started west. Passing through one of the little towns on the way, Sharon and Jack saw the Tour de France on television in a little bar. We turned around and parked the car. In spite of the fact that the barman spoke English and we spoke no French, we successfully ordered something to eat, a beer and some wine. The guy was actually very patient with us which probably had something to do with the fact that the place was essentially empty and we were paying customers.
We rolled up to the hotel--Chateau de la Verrerie--about 3:00 p.m. This chateau was built in the 15th and 16th century. After checking in, we took a guided tour of the castle: part of the castle includes about 12 guest rooms, another section is where the current owners live and part of the castle is used for organized tours. The tour included the library, the dining room and a very cool chapel.
After the tour, we took a rowboat out on the lake and then hiked around the lake on a trail. Getting cleaned up, we went to the study to have a drink. When we checked in, they had put the cheese that Sharon had bought in a refrigerator in the game room. Sharon sent me to get the cheese, but it was gone. This kicked off a flurry of activity. It turned out that one of the maids had thrown the cheese away. At the this point, the owner of the chateau wandered into the study/bar. He sent someone to the adjoining restaurant to get some cheese to replace what had gotten thrown away.
Talking to the owner briefly was interesting. It made me realize that the chateau was essentially a giant 600 year old bed and breakfast.
In a random note, I read a book earlier this year about Nell Gywn who was a mistress to Charles II in the late 1600s. Charles II gave this chateau to Louise de Penancoët de Keroualle, a rival to Nell Gywn and another major character in the book.
Much to Sharon's disappointment the restaurant on the property was closed on Tuesday nights. The staff made a restaurant reservation for us in the nearby town of Aubigny-sur-nere. We had a nice dinner at the La Chaumiere and then wandered a little up and down the main street.
Monday, July 17, 2006
France Sancerre Day 9
Up at 6:15 a.m., we checked out of the hotel and took a cab to the train station. We caught a 7:39 a.m. train from Chamonix to St. Gervais. We boarded an 8:30 a.m. train back to Lyon. This train made about a dozen stops and took more than 3 hours and 15 minutes.
In Lyon, we picked up a rental car from Hertz. The car that we had reserved did not have a GPS; neither of us wanted to spend the next four days wandering across France without a GPS. With a little whining and the added cost of an arm and leg, they were willing to upgrade me to a Volvo XC70 with a GPS.
This was the one night on the trip that we did not have a hotel reservation. In the past, Sharon and I have left a couple of nights open when we travel and ended up some great places. Sharon’s brother Tom and his wife Becky had been to Sancerre years ago and have raved about it. With this in mind, we set the GPS for Sancerre and started north.
The route that the GPS plotted took us southwest before we turned north. Sharon had a heated extended debate with the GPS about which route we should be taking and was not satisfied until we turned North.
We spent a couple of hours following the Loire River north through the edge of the Burgundy region of France. I was not overly impressed with the countryside. If you ignored the buildings, you could have been driving in the foothills of California.
We got to Sancerre in the late afternoon. Sancerre is perched on a domed hill; it has narrow streets with interesting 15th and 16th century houses.
At this point, we made a tactical error. We had set the GPS for the only hotel in the guidebook in Sancerre, Le Panoramic Hotel. It had a great view of the surrounding area but was more modern. We had been traveling all day and were ready to stop. We ended up settling for this hotel, rather than looking around. Although the staff tried hard, the view was speculator and it had a pool, the room was very small and Motel 6ish. Sharon was not pleased.
We got a drink at the bar, splashed around in the pool and enjoyed the view. Afterwards, we got cleaned up and wandered through the town. I enjoyed wandering through the narrow streets and old buildings. I had originally wanted to stay in one of the towns along the way and this stop helped satisfy that desire.
We ended up in the town square. There were four or five different kinds of restaurants spread around the square. With some debate, we choose Auberge Joseph Mellot. We had a set dinner with some regional wine pairings. I had a pastry stuffed with lamb and vegetables and Sharon had some beef. The French have a cheese serving after the main course and before desert. We had a couple of very good goat cheeses, including one that was very light and creamy.
Europeans eat so late and we have gotten into the same mode on this trip. By the time we got back to the room and to bed, it was almost 11:30 p.m.
In Lyon, we picked up a rental car from Hertz. The car that we had reserved did not have a GPS; neither of us wanted to spend the next four days wandering across France without a GPS. With a little whining and the added cost of an arm and leg, they were willing to upgrade me to a Volvo XC70 with a GPS.
This was the one night on the trip that we did not have a hotel reservation. In the past, Sharon and I have left a couple of nights open when we travel and ended up some great places. Sharon’s brother Tom and his wife Becky had been to Sancerre years ago and have raved about it. With this in mind, we set the GPS for Sancerre and started north.
The route that the GPS plotted took us southwest before we turned north. Sharon had a heated extended debate with the GPS about which route we should be taking and was not satisfied until we turned North.
We spent a couple of hours following the Loire River north through the edge of the Burgundy region of France. I was not overly impressed with the countryside. If you ignored the buildings, you could have been driving in the foothills of California.
We got to Sancerre in the late afternoon. Sancerre is perched on a domed hill; it has narrow streets with interesting 15th and 16th century houses.
At this point, we made a tactical error. We had set the GPS for the only hotel in the guidebook in Sancerre, Le Panoramic Hotel. It had a great view of the surrounding area but was more modern. We had been traveling all day and were ready to stop. We ended up settling for this hotel, rather than looking around. Although the staff tried hard, the view was speculator and it had a pool, the room was very small and Motel 6ish. Sharon was not pleased.
We got a drink at the bar, splashed around in the pool and enjoyed the view. Afterwards, we got cleaned up and wandered through the town. I enjoyed wandering through the narrow streets and old buildings. I had originally wanted to stay in one of the towns along the way and this stop helped satisfy that desire.
We ended up in the town square. There were four or five different kinds of restaurants spread around the square. With some debate, we choose Auberge Joseph Mellot. We had a set dinner with some regional wine pairings. I had a pastry stuffed with lamb and vegetables and Sharon had some beef. The French have a cheese serving after the main course and before desert. We had a couple of very good goat cheeses, including one that was very light and creamy.
Europeans eat so late and we have gotten into the same mode on this trip. By the time we got back to the room and to bed, it was almost 11:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
France Chamonix Day 8
I set an alarm for 7:30 a.m. and with some struggle dragged myself out of bed for a run. I ran for 30 minutes along the Arve River. It is the first time I have run since last Saturday.
We had breakfast in the hotel on a deck along the river. The plan for the day was to take a hike. After some debate the previous night, we decided to hike on the Le Petite Bacon Sud Trail and hike to the La Floria Chalet. The hike was about 4.75 miles round trip with a vertical climb of almost 1,500 feet. The view from the chalet was great and the cold drinks and a tomato salad made for a great break at the halfway point. It was about a two and a half hour round trip not counting the stop at the chalet.
After hiking back down, Sharon decided to ride the Le Brevent lift. She stopped at the midpoint at Planpraz and took a few pictures and then rode the lift to the top. She commented about how baize the Europeans are about heights. Groups of the people were walking to the edge of a shear cliff without a guard rail to enjoy the view.
While Sharon was riding the lift, Jack and I rode a luge. They have two different half mile long concrete banked courses. We rode each course once and then headed back to the hotel.
We wandered the town a little and did some shopping. Jack bought a relief map of the area; it is will be interesting to see if it survives the trip home.
We had a drink on the terrace of the hotel overlooking the river and then wandered through some new parts of the town looking for some place to have dinner. We ended up at Le Monchu. We had a dish for two called Raclette for dinner. Essentially, they brought out a block of cheese and some coals. You melted the block of cheese, scrapped off the block with a knife and ate it with some meat and vegetables. Like the night before, it was more of a novelty than anything else, but Jack enjoyed the process.
During dinner, we both felt like we were ready to move on to other parts of France.
We had breakfast in the hotel on a deck along the river. The plan for the day was to take a hike. After some debate the previous night, we decided to hike on the Le Petite Bacon Sud Trail and hike to the La Floria Chalet. The hike was about 4.75 miles round trip with a vertical climb of almost 1,500 feet. The view from the chalet was great and the cold drinks and a tomato salad made for a great break at the halfway point. It was about a two and a half hour round trip not counting the stop at the chalet.
After hiking back down, Sharon decided to ride the Le Brevent lift. She stopped at the midpoint at Planpraz and took a few pictures and then rode the lift to the top. She commented about how baize the Europeans are about heights. Groups of the people were walking to the edge of a shear cliff without a guard rail to enjoy the view.
While Sharon was riding the lift, Jack and I rode a luge. They have two different half mile long concrete banked courses. We rode each course once and then headed back to the hotel.
We wandered the town a little and did some shopping. Jack bought a relief map of the area; it is will be interesting to see if it survives the trip home.
We had a drink on the terrace of the hotel overlooking the river and then wandered through some new parts of the town looking for some place to have dinner. We ended up at Le Monchu. We had a dish for two called Raclette for dinner. Essentially, they brought out a block of cheese and some coals. You melted the block of cheese, scrapped off the block with a knife and ate it with some meat and vegetables. Like the night before, it was more of a novelty than anything else, but Jack enjoyed the process.
During dinner, we both felt like we were ready to move on to other parts of France.
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