More to Explore

Pages from Jan's Travel Journal: April 22, 2014

The boat tour on Lake Annecy was beautiful (see previous post). There are also dinner tours, with boats pulling away just at sunset. I imagine that would would have been a lovely experience, but we had made plans for a dinner cruise on the Seine at the end of our vacation and were quite happy with the tour boat we had just been on.

We were more than ready for more explorations in the captivating village of Annecy. We wandered back toward the center of the old town, snapping photos and peeking into boutiques and souvenir shops. There was something to admire around every corner. 

The aroma inside this shop was irresistible!

An Annecy flower shop.

Picturesque wells flowing with spring water are all over town.

After a while, my foot and Craig's knee demanded a rest, so we returned to the hotel. We stopped along the way at a little stand selling sandwiches to go, where we each made a selection to take back to the room. We munched our sandwiches while catching up on email and news from home, and then we were ready to set out again. Before leaving the hotel, we inquired at the front desk regarding a recommendation for a fondue restaurant. We were told that Le Freti is the best in town, and reservations were made for that evening. 

 A charming hotel near the chateau.

 I can never resist an old door!

We walked up a steep, curving street to the Chateau d'Annecy, a restored castle which was built between the 12th and 16th centuries. It now houses a museum, which is definitely worth a look. 

 The oldest part of the castle has walls that are over 13 feet thick.

You may have a seat on 

one of these 1,000-year-old stone benches.

 Here is an interesting view through 

one of the old windows of the castle.

 The view from the terrace of the chateau is breathtaking!

We toured the castle at a leisurely pace, admiring the sculptures and other displays of art and artifacts. The afternoon had grown warm. We took leave of the chateau and went in search of one of the many gelato shops we had noticed in town. The three of us enjoyed our frosty treats while sitting on a curb, people-watching and listening to many different languages as other tourists ambled past. 

Of Pastries and Kings

Pages from Jan's Travel Journal:  April 12, 2014

I awakened early on my first full day in Orléans. I had slept deeply and felt refreshed. I had dozed a bit on the flight over, and had high hopes of avoiding the bleary-eyed fogginess I usually experience. We had coffee together before going out. Desmond had bought a cute set of dishes for me to use. They were in deep pastel colors with flowers and owls on them. I enjoyed drinking my coffee from the cheerful mug. 

Once we were dressed and ready to greet the day, we walked over to Halles Chatelet where we purchased pastries from the little bakery there. We carried our treats to a cafe and ordered coffee to go with them. The raspberry macaron that my son recommended to me was perfection! It was filled with a lightly sweetened, thick cream of some sort. We couldn't figure out exactly what it was. It tasted like a mixture of butter and cream and it was so firm that it cut like butter. The outside edge was studded with large, sweet raspberries. 

Bliss in a raspberry macaron.

Walking through Orléans after breakfast, we did a little window shopping. There are many unique shops there, and as in most French towns, quite a few of the shops specialize in one product. We passed a shop which sells nothing but local honey and honey-related items. The window was charmingly decorated with an enticing array of delights. And the shoe stores! I know I have mentioned them before, but I never cease to be amazed at the number of shoe shops and the variety of footwear they offer. In the U.S. it seems as if every store carries identical merchandise, but these stores have such a bounty of styles and colors! 

We walked on in the spring sunshine, simply taking delight in being outdoors on such a lovely day. We wandered over toward the Hôtel Groslot, which has a beautiful garden in the back. The tulips were especially pretty. Hôtel Groslot is a 15th century mansion which was once used as a town hall and now serves as a lovely place for weddings and civic events. King Francois II died there at the tender age of 16. His royal surgeon had recommended a trepanation to relieve pressure on the brain. This idea was vetoed by the bishop, who stated that no one should ever see into the mind of a king and so the young king died. Or so the story goes. Anyway, the Hôtel Groslot is well worth a visit.

 A back view of the Hôtel Groslot in Orleans, France.

Such lovely gardens!

TRAVEL TIP: Before leaving home, make copies of your passport, drivers license, and credit cards. Carry the copies with you in your luggage or another place separate from the original documents. If your wallet or purse is stolen or lost, you will need the copied items.

Just Call Me Naive

Pages from Jan's Travel Journal: April 10 and 11, 2014

I actually believed I could blog while on vacation in France! It didn't seem so far-fetched, since I am in the habit of keeping a travel journal. Even my journaling fell by the wayside. It's a good thing I managed to at least jot down a few highlights of each day. That, along with many photos to jog my memory, will help me to recreate the amazing trip I enjoyed. It was probably the best holiday ever!

I left Wichita on April 10, with only a carry-on in tow. The flight to Chicago was smooth and easy. I was faced with a five-hour layover, but the time passed swiftly. I walked a lot, read my book, window-shopped, and enjoyed lunch at a Chinese restaurant in the terminal. The flight to Paris was full. I was glad I had a window seat so that I could lean against it and try to sleep. I bunched up the coat I had been carrying and added its comfy bulk to the minuscule pillow provided by the airline. I did manage to snooze a bit on the eight-hour flight. 

Upon arrival in Paris I breezed through the airport (how wonderful to be able to bypass the wait at the luggage carousel!) toward the taxi stand, where a young man approached me and asked if I wanted a cab. I replied in the affirmative but explained that I would first need to locate an ATM. He kindly escorted me to the nearest ATM and stood back as I procured some cash for the cab fare and the train ticket to Orléans. He then took my case and led me to the elevator for the parking garage. Wait - the parking garage? That didn't seem right. Unless things had drastically changed in the past year, I knew that the taxi stands were right outside the door on the main floor of the terminal. When we approached the vehicle, the young man lifted my bag into the back and politely opened the door for me as he explained that the fare to Gare d'Austerlitz would be 60 Euros. I argued a bit, saying that just last year it had been much less, but he remained adamant. Feeling mildly irritated, I settled into the cab and it wasn't until we were pulling out that I noticed there was no meter in the taxi. In fact, the brand-new SUV was spotlessly clean and bore not so much as a sticker on the window. I knew I had been duped! I was in an unlicensed, unregistered, illegal taxi! I became a bit nervous, but noticed that we were, at least, heading in the right direction. After a time, the young driver pulled off the freeway into a seedy-looking residential neighborhood through which we traveled for several miles. He had made some explanation that I couldn't understand. My nervousness increased until we were back on the freeway again. I noticed that the ramps were packed and wondered if perhaps we had simply gone around a traffic jam. I was relieved to see the train station up ahead. The young man pulled into a handicapped parking spot and procured my bag, then sat discreetly back in his seat, with the door barely ajar, as I paid him. I am sharing this embarrassing story with you in hopes that you will not make the same mistake I did. Not only did I pay at least 10 Euros too much for my ride to the station, I also deprived an honest, law-abiding taxi driver of a fare.  

At Gare d'Austerlitz, I waited in a long line at the ticket counter, but still managed to catch the 11:00 AM train to Orléans. It felt good to be safely ensconced on the quiet, modern train, on the last leg of a long journey. Desmond was waiting at the station when I disembarked. It was so good to see him waving and smiling! We exchanged hugs and headed for the exit. We walked out of the station into perfect spring weather. Bright sunshine, warmth, and a gentle breeze were so welcome after the long, cold winter in Kansas. 

The weather was so lovely that we decided to walk rather than take the tram across town. Our first goal was lunch. We stopped in at a little kebab stand where we purchased sandwiches and hot, crispy fries. Later, walking toward the ancient part of town, we chatted about the journey, our plans for vacation, and caught up on news. It was good to be back in Orléans. I felt very much at home as we walked down those gorgeous downtown streets. Des gave me a quick tour of the neighborhood after we had dropped my travel bag in his apartment.

There have many changes in the past year. Much of the renovation and construction that we had seen in 2013 was completed. It looked fabulous! There were a few new businesses in the area near the movie theater. A hardware store, Mr. Bricolage, had sprung up. Next to it was a small Monoprix department store, and a restaurant called Oh, Terroir, at which we would later dine. The construction at Place du Martroi had also been completed, and it looked great! The fountain is gone – it was moved elsewhere. The carousel was still in place, and a water feature of randomly splashing water jets has been put into use. When the weather warms up, I’m sure there will be many children cooling off there! 

 A partial view of Place du Martroi, Orléans, France.

This area was under construction last year.

TRAVEL TIP: Watch out for those illegal taxis at the Paris airports. Head straight for the taxi stands, where you will be certain of finding a licensed, legal cab.

Another Sad Goodbye

Pages from Jan's Travel Journal: Wednesday, July 22, 2009

We returned to the hotel after our visit to Versailles, in need of a rest and a cool shower. We were to meet some friends of Desmond's for dinner that evening in the area of the Bastille. When we arrived at the Metro stop near our destination, we came up out of the ground into a thunderstorm, which is not a common occurrence in that part of France. I am leery of lightning and prefer to stay inside away from danger, but people were standing there gawking at the lightning as if it were a fireworks display, complete with ooohs and aaahs! 

The Colonne de Juillet,
commemorating the revolution of 1830.

I don't recall the name of the brasserie at which we dined; it was a crowded, charming place with great food. It was nice to meet and converse with Xavier and Bérengère. We started our meal with drinks, and I had wanted to order a Pecheresse, which is a delightful, peach-flavored beer introduced to me by Des. I had to settle for something else, and so I chose a Desperados, which is a mixture of beer and tequila, served with a wedge of lime. My meal consisted of a steak with Bearnaise sauce, salad, and some incredible fries. The steak, of course, was not as tender as Kansas beef, but it was very flavorful. The grand finale was a dessert of crème brûlée, the first I had ever tasted. And it was wonderful! I'm glad that Desmond and Megan shared it with me, though, because it was more than I could have eaten. 

And so ended our last evening in France. It was late when we returned to the hotel, but we did most of our packing then. We were up at 6 AM the next morning for our drive to the airport, where we breakfasted one last time on the usual, delicious flaky pastries and divine coffee. It was difficult to say goodbye to that beautiful country and I wondered when I would be able to return.

Coffee, Crepes, and Cider

Pages from Jan's Travel Journal: Saturday, July 18, 2009

We had had intended to visit Gien and the renowned pottery factory there, but since I awoke feeling a bit under the weather, we changed our plans. Desmond and Megan went out for the morning. They returned around noon with a delicious poulet roti. Along with the chicken, we had some chips and cherries that I had purchased previously. I was feeling much better, so we left the hotel and walked over to the square near the cathedral where we stopped for coffee and hot chocolate at Autour de la Terre, the wonderfully eclectic place I mentioned in a previous post. Along with our hot drinks, we enjoyed dim sum - tiny cakes steamed in bamboo wrappers.

Autour de la Terre is a cozy place for coffee and a snack.

Another view of the interior at Autour de la Terre. 

Coffee, hot chocolate, and dim sum
 at Autout de la Terre, Orléans, France.

As we continued with our wandering, we simply had to introduce Megan to the delights of Leonidas, the fabulous Belgian chocolatier. Oh, that heavenly aroma when we walked into the shop! We spent some time sampling various delights, and we spent some money on treats such as fruit pates and, of course, chocolate! 

That evening, we had dinner at the Brettonne Creperie on the Rue de Borgogne. We were seated at a rustic wooden table in the charming restaurant. It was wonderful to have a leisurely, relaxing meal of tasty gallettes, sweet cider, and crepes. My gallette (a savory crepe made with buckwheat flour) was a yummy combination of lardons, potatoes, onion, and gruyère cheese. For dessert, I enjoyed a caramel-orange crepe. 
 

The Best-Laid Plans

Pages from Jan's Travel Journal: Sunday, February. 22, 2009. 

We had set our alarm for 7:30 so that we could return to the Eiffel Tower to take the elevator to the top for some spectacular views of Paris. The lines there are often a three-hour wait and we had hoped to beat the crowd. However, when the alarm went off, we all sort of just mumbled and then went right back to sleep, not awakening again until 9:30! So much for getting up early. Desmond and I dressed quickly and then slipped out of the hotel and down the charming cobblestone street to a cafe where we purchased a couple of coffees and a hot chocolate which we took back to the room. After finishing our hot drinks, we packed and then carted our luggage to the reception area where it was stowed until our return. We still had some exploring to do! 

We set off in the direction of the Eiffel Tower, stopping at a lovely patisserie along the way. Des and I chose pain au chocolat, while Craig picked out a beautiful pomme-filled pastry that had a lovely leaf design cut into the flaky, golden crust. The pastries were heavenly, melt-in-your-mouth good. Upon reaching the Eiffel Tower, we decided to forgo the long lines to the top and instead went down to the Batobus, which is a popular water-taxi. For a nominal fee, we purchased tickets and were soon on board, slowly cruising down the Seine, admiring the historic, architectural wonders before us. Tickets for the Batobus allow one to hop on and off at various stops along the Seine. We passed Notre Dame before choosing to disembark at the Louvre, though due to time constraints, we knew that we would not be able to tour any part of the museum. We entered the glass pyramid and navigated our way through the milling throng to ride the escalator down to the gift shop, where we browsed a bit. Then it was back onto the boat to return to our starting point. 

The Cathedral of Notre Dame, 

as seen from the Batobus on the Seine.

Walking once again beneath the Eiffel Tower, we were amused by the many entertainers performing there. Mimes, musicians, and the like were in abundance. Some of them were quite talented. We avoided the more unsavory characters and continued on our way. We returned to the hotel for our luggage and were soon in a taxi on the way to Gare D'Austerlitz, one of several train stations in Paris. After a quick coffee in the busy station, we wrestled our luggage (well, Desmond and Craig did) onto the crowded train. With some difficulty, we managed to find three seats together in a compartment and thoroughly enjoyed our first smooth, quiet ride on an electric train. If you are going to Orléans, it is best to choose a train which does not terminate in Fleury Les-Aubrais. Otherwise, you must catch another train for the short hop to Orléans Centre or trundle your bags onto a tram.

Our hotel, the Ibis, was almost directly across from the train station, so no taxi was needed. Our room was clean and bright and had a roomy bathroom with a large tub. We were eager to see Desmond's new town, so we simply dropped our bags in the room and headed out again. Orléans is a beautiful place, with lots of incredible old buildings and narrow, picturesque cobblestone streets. I could not stop smiling at the wonder of it all! We found a small Asian restaurant where we had a tasty lunch.

One of the streets leading to Desmond's apartment.

Desmond's little apartment in the ancient part of town, near a 600-year-old church, was just as I had pictured it. He had given us such good descriptions of everything, I almost felt as if I had been there before. His desk-sized kitchen and tiny refrigerator had us shaking our heads trying to imagine our son, who loves to cook, preparing meals in that place! The living area consisted of a bed, a chair, and a desk. The room really resembled a dorm room, which is essentially what it was, as the residence is owned by the University of Orléans. Des had perked it up a bit with pretty curtains at the windows and some posters on the walls.

While in Desmond's apartment, we checked email and sent messages to loved ones back home. One of Desmond's friends popped in to say hi before we went to dinner. Des took us to Flunch, which was a very interesting "cafeteria". It was much like any other cafeteria-type restaurant, except that the food is displayed in lovely, ornate, silver casserole dishes and colorful ceramic tureens rather than the boxy industrial stainless steel pans that we have in America. Our meal was surprisingly good. I enjoyed the seafood dish which was prepared in a creamy wine sauce, and the dessert crepes were tasty as well. Though it was still early when we finished, we were very tired and were happy to return to our hotel where we settled in for the night.

A Dream Realized

Pages from Jan's Travel Journal: February 21, 2009 

It was Saturday, February 21, 2009 when I got my first glimpse of Paris. I couldn't believe that we had truly arrived! It was was like a fairy tale to me. Our son's move to France had created a void in our lives. He is the baby of the family, and we had suddenly become empty-nesters! It was quite an adjustment. Craig and I had quickly decided that his year of study abroad was our golden opportunity to visit the land of my dreams. We naively thought that we would never get another chance like this. It was very exciting to be making plans for our visit. Our first step, of course, was to obtain our passports. I highly recommend that if you ever entertain even the merest thought of taking a trip outside your country of residence, get your passport early! Fortunately, we had allowed plenty of time, because my passport failed due to a clerical error and I had to begin the process all over again. But at last our plans were made, passports had arrived, our hotels were reserved, and plane tickets purchased. We were really, truly, GOING TO FRANCE!

March is not the optimal time of year to visit France. Especially early March. But due to work schedules and other concerns, this was determined to be the best time for us to get away. The two flights were uneventful, which was wonderful, since I am a nervous flyer. The longest flight I had experienced before this journey was an 8 1/2 hour trip between Honolulu and Dallas. The 10 hour flight to Paris was mind-numbing. (It numbed other parts of our anatomies as well!) We had both attempted to sleep on the plane, but neither of us had much luck in that endeavor. Desmond had planned to meet us in Paris, where we would do a bit of sightseeing before making our way to Orléans . Upon landing at Charles de Gaulle airport it was wonderful to see his smiling face and to immediately be steered toward an airport cafe where we experienced our first French pastries and coffee. The café crème was a delight! And don't let the cream fool you into thinking this was a wimpy, watered-down cup of java. It was strong, and provided just the jolt my jet-lagged system needed. 

We were soon on our way to the center of Paris! The drive from the airport was a bit congested. The view - well, I may as well have been back home in Wichita! The scenery was your typical industrial park view of factories and office buildings. However, my disappointment soon dissolved into delight as we began to enter the outskirts of the venerable old city. The architecture rapidly changed, and soon we were truly in Paris! We crossed a river OMG THE SEINE! and then, as the taxi rounded a corner, there before us stood the Arc de Triomphe! I literally had tears in my eyes as I realized that my dream had indeed come true. I was so completely in awe of everything around me, that I forgot to take pictures! I did manage to snap a quick photo of the famous monument before we turned toward the street on which our hotel was located. I had researched Paris hotels in our price range, and had settled on the Grand Hotel Leveque, which is located on the popular pedestrian street of Rue Cler, a beautiful cobblestone avenue that is lined with cafes, restaurants, shops, and hotels. We happily settled into our triple room, which even had a large bathroom (I had been warned many times in articles and blogs to beware the tiny Parisian bathrooms). After a short rest, we set out to explore the City of Light. 

The Arc de Triomphe. My first photo of Paris.

Le Grand Hotel Leveque in Paris

A view on Rue Cler from our hotel window.

Travel Tip: Carry a purse or bag that can be worn cross-body. Your bag will be much more secure, and you will have your hands free for taking photos.